Ormond Beach Observer 3-30-23

City’s youngest tree to be

forms

Council

Neighbors alarmed by carousel proposal

Little-used zoning designation allows amusement ride in Hightown Heights.

DIZZE FEILING DEVELOPMENT REPORTER

Ormond Beach’s Hightown Heights neighborhood is known for being one of the sleepiest sections of town.

That’s about to change.

All 39.75 acres of the neighborhood are zoned Residential — except, as one businessman discovered a few weeks ago, for .04 acres right between two houses, which is zoned for Residential-AmusementCarousel 2. Munn’E. Bhags, filing under 245 Hightown Heights FunTown LLC, showed up to the neighborhood meeting wearing a rainbow-colored wig and red clown nose to entertain the crowd. No one laughed. Bhags explained to the 45 irate residents that he is jumping at the opportunity to “breathe some life” into the otherwise “really boring” neighborhood.

Photo

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CITY WATCH

City to purchase 15 new speed tables

Beachside’s design recognized

Volusia County Schools won the architectural showcase for the designs of Beachside Elementary and Turie T. Small Elementary School at the Florida Educational Facilities Planner Association annual conference on March 2, the district announced in its “Snapshots in Excellence” monthly newsletter. Beachside Elementary’s new campus opened in January. The school was created as a result of the merger between Osceola and Ortona Elementary.

Camp registration to open April 1

Registration for the city’s Enviro Camp will open online on Saturday, April 1.

There will be no in-person registration for Enviro Camp this year, the city announced in a news release. Additionally, due to the high demand of Enviro Camp, campers may only register for one fourweek session, though they may select individual weeks from each session.

Enviro Camp is split into two four week sessions.

Session one runs June 5-30, and session two runs July 10 to Aug. 4. Camp is held Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Environmental Discovery Center, located at 601 Division Ave., and is open to all Volusia County residents ages 7-10 as of April 1.

The camp costs $115 a week per camper. Visit bit. ly/40ooqX4 for registration instructions.

Impact fee meetings held

The city held two public meetings — on Wednesday, March 22, and Monday, March 27 — to discuss its proposed impact fee increases.

A new ordinance will be reviewed by the Planning Board on April 13.

County Council to meet next week

The Volusia County Council will discuss parking rates at the Ocean Center and its booking model for live entertainment at its upcoming meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 4. The council will also hear a presentation on the Community Services budget.

Halifax Drive and John Anderson Drive)

„

County Councilman Don Dempsey on beach tolls and charging nonresidents to park in off-beach parking lots. See Page 12A

based on traffic volume, speeds and history of crashes.

“I think we’ve seen a lot of success and we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback,” Public Works Director Shawn Finley said. “... And we continue to get requests from people who want [traffic calming measures.]”

The biggest challenge, he said, is stretching the annual $50,000 in the budget for the program, which the city does by having its own staff install the speed tables.

In the past, the city has installed speed tables at Fleming Avenue, Hernandez Avenue and Dix Avenue.

THE NUMBERS

5 projects currently under review by the Site Plan Review Committee, including a 3,550-square foot IHOP at 675 W. Granada Blvd.

1,866 acre brush fire at Tiger Bay State Park being contained by multiple agencies, including the Ormond Beach Fire Department.

Email Senior Editor Jarleene Almenas at Jarleene@ observerlocalnews.com.

File photo

The city’s traffic calming program began in 2020.

JARLEENE

ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

“There’s so many taxpayers who don’t use the beach, but yet, they’re paying taxes.”

Leaving a legacy

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

For the next 20 years, the Ormond Beach Police Athletic League will receive an annual $30,000 donation from local developer and longtime supporter Paul Holub.

Established in 1996, OBPAL encourages positive relationships between the police department, local youth and the community through sports and academic programs.

The recurring donation is a “phenomenal step forward” for the organization, OBPAL Community Program Coordinator Lisa Messersmith said during a check presentation Thursday, March 23.

“The blessing that you will put in the lives of our children and their families in the community for so many years, and the transition that we’ll have in their lives for better futures, is phenomenal,” she said.

Once the 20 years have passed, Holub’s contribution will total $600,000.

The funding will create longterm stability for OBPAL’s programs, Messersmith told the Observer

“There’s no way a community program can survive inside a box,” she said. “You have to be engaged with community partners, businesses, individuals, volunteers — because you’re serving the community, and you can only serve it with their help.”

OBPAL MAKES AN IMPACT

Holub said he was motivated to donate after seeing the range of programs OBPAL offers.

“It’s one of those charities that, being in town in our community, is certainly deserving,” Holub said. “And it needs to be promoted more because when you see PAL with the police logo and all that ... they think it’s just sports — which, sports is a big part of it and it’s an important part, but it’s more than that.”

Holub has supported OBPAL’s events and Christmas toy drive for about 15 years, but only recently realized the impact of the program’s tutoring and leadership initiatives.

Holub said he’s seen it firsthand by watching people like OBPAL Athletic Activities Specialist Avery Randolph and Officer Greg Stokes interact with the children.

Developer Paul Holub pledges donation of $30,000 annually, for 20 years, to OBPAL.

BY THE NUMBERS

500

youths are served annually, on average, through OBPAL’s programs

25 state and national program awards won

22

first place wins in state and regional basketball tournaments

237 books written by READ program participants since 2005

1,150 youths have received one-on-one or small group tutoring thanks to Tutors R Us since 1998

5,760 youths have participated in the Summer Field Trip program since 2003.

14,400 service hours, approximately, given back to the community through the community projects part of the Youth Directors Council

524

youths recognized at the Ormond Beach Police Department for OBPAL’s “Do the Right Thing” program

100 youths ages 2-10 annually receive a new toy during OBPAL’s annual holiday party.

“You don’t get a lot of opportunity to have an impact on kids these days,” Holub said. “Even as a teacher at school, you just don’t get that opportunity, but with sports, you’re not only are teaching them to play the game or raise their skill level, but you’re teaching them about being confident and self-esteem, and those type of things, and these guys — they do that.”

The idea for the donation came to Holub while he was building the new basketball court at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. Holub donated the court and regularly plays pickup basketball there. He hopes his new donation inspires others to donate or volunteer to OBPAL.

“Even though this is not a large amount in the scope of things, at least it’s something that they know they can rely on and work off that,” Holub said.

A LEGACY GIFT OBPAL board member Doug Thomas thanked Holub during the check presentation.

“I’ve been on this PAL board for maybe 25 or 26 years and never have we had such a generous, generous contribution to our program for some of the most economicallychallenged children in our community,” Thomas said.

The police department and OBPAL would have appreciated even a oneyear donation, Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said. To have recurring annual donations, he said, is awesome.

“We were shocked and we were

WHAT PROGRAMS DOES OBPAL HAVE?

„ Youth basketball: Team practices begin in November. Tournament participation begins in November and continues through early August.

„ Youth Leader Council: Children ages 11-18 participate in leadership training workshops to build self-esteem and selfconfidence.

„ Do the Right Thing: Ormond Beach Middle School students who "are strong examples of positive citizenship" are recognized three times per year.

„ Tutors R Us: Students from kindergarten through 12th grade receive one-on-one and small-group after-school tutoring.

„ READ (Reading, Exploration and Discovery): An arts-based 12-week reading enhancement program for youths in third through fifth grade.

„ Science on Patrol: Students in sixth through eight grade improve their science and math skills using crime scene scenarios.

„ Summer Field Trip series: Students in the summer program get to take four field trips, thanks to a partnership with the city's Leisure Services.

„ Summer tutoring, science and art: Six weeks of educational programmed offered each summer.

stunned,” Godfrey said. “We’ve had people do good things in the community, but this is clearly one of the best things I’ve ever seen since I’ve been here in Ormond Beach, even before I became a police officer.”

Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington said the average resident likely is unaware of OBPAL’s positive impact on local youth. Holub’s donation, Partington, will help enhance the program’s efforts.

“We are so appreciative of this legacy gift that will positively impact generations of Ormond Beach children for years to come,” Partington said.

MESSERSMITH, OBPAL community program coordinator

Photos by Jarleene Almenas

Ormond Beach City Commissioners Harold Briley, Lori Tolland, Police Chief Jesse Godfrey, OBPAL Athletic Activities Specialist Avery Randolph, OBPAL Community Program Coordinator Lisa Messersmith, Paul Holub, OBPAL board member Doug Thomas, Mayor Bill Partington and City Commissioners Susan Persis and Travis Sargent

“The blessing that you will put in the lives of our children and their families in the community for so many years, and the transition that we’ll have in their lives for better futures, is phenomenal.”

LISA

Volusia County School Board to update book selection policy

Legislative changes could affect how the district vets books placed in classrooms and media centers.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

Striving to keep up with recent changes in state law, the Volusia County School Board is adjusting how it selects books for local schools.

The board voted unanimously on a step toward updating the district’s media selection policy at a board meeting on Tuesday, March 28. The vote followed more than an hour of comments from the public during the regular board meeting, plus a lengthy discussion during a workshop earlier in the day.

The policy changes the board agreed on include: specifying that

materials selected are in compliance with state statutes; incorporating language about what can be defined as “harmful materials,” “harmful to minors,” “obscene” and “sexuallyoriented material”; outlining how a book review committee should be composed; and stating that a principal may remove material he or she deems to be in violation of Florida law during the purchasing process.

The board vote was to approve the advertisement of the proposed changes.

The policy will likely return to the board for final approval during its first meeting in May.

School Board member Ruben Colon said that based on his observations of state level discussions about book challenges, this won’t be the last time the district’s policy changes.

“What’s coming is extreme, and if you don’t think it’s coming, it’s coming,” Colon said. No teacher in Volusia County Schools has been asked to take down classroom libraries, Colon said. But he predicts a time will come when teachers are asked to card catalogue the books in their classrooms. And if a book is challenged, it will go through the same challenge process as books in school libraries.

Some teachers in the district have taken down or covered their classroom libraries, though they have not been formally instructed to do so.

Colon said he wouldn’t be surprised if laws are soon passed that will bypass the district’s review process and put the authority at the hands of the Florida Department of Education.

At that point, the district will need to discuss how to protect teachers, he said.

“Those are the lemons that we’re being dealt to sort out. So I don’t think that anybody on this board, one way or the other, is extreme on one side or the other, but we’ve got some really bad, rotting lemons right now that we’re all having to deal with,” Colon said. “Nobody is comfortable with this situation.”

BOOK DEBATES

Parents, teachers and religious leaders spoke about the book vetting process at the meeting. The majority pleaded with the School Board to recognize the importance of books and classroom reading in light of “challenges” to 19 books. The books are going through the district’s review process.

English teacher David Finkle said he was in his 31st year teaching at VCS and that he has always had a classroom library, with no objections to any of the books. Finkle, the district’s Teacher of the Year in 2005, said it’s become a challenge to get students to read in recent years: Many would rather spend time on social media.

“My biggest concern is that we should be creating lifelong readers,” he said. “That’s our mission statement. Lifelong learners means lifelong readers, and we’re making all books suspects. You can’t be proliteracy and anti-book.”

The day he has to remove his classroom library, Finkle said, is likely the day he’ll resign as a teacher.

Amy Armistead, a pastor in Daytona Beach, said she had read several of the challenged books and couldn’t “overstate the positive and powerful impact” the stories had on her. The book “Sold,” by Patricia McCormick, led her to launch an organization on her college campus to address human trafficking, she said.

“It was said at previous school board meetings that these books are non-Christian, and as a pastor, I disagree,” Armistead said. “These books cultivated my sense of compassion to make the world a better place, a foundational pillar of my faith. These stories make our curriculum stronger.”

Other speakers, however, said the books being challenged contain explicit material that could be considered pornography and shouldn’t be in school libraries.

Parent Trish Townsend said the policy needs to be “crystal clear and concrete” so parents and students are in charge. This is our school system, she said.

SALARY AGREEMENT WITH VUE SUPPORT RATIFIED

The Volusia County School Board unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement between the district and Volusia United Educators Support at the board’s meeting on Tuesday, March 28.

VUE Support represents employees such as paraprofessionals and office specialists, and the agreement totals $3.1 million, according to a news release by the district.

The agreement was approved by 84% of VUE support personnel, or 855 of 1,012 people eligible

“We’re talking about these opt-in and opt-out things for these policies — this implies right now in our society that I trust what’s happening in the school systems and I trust the administrators and teachers,” Townsend said. “I do not.”

Jenifer Kelly, the chapter chair for Moms for Liberty Volusia, said she wanted to address the claim that Moms for Liberty is seeking to ban books. She said the challenged books remain available in public libraries and can be bought in stores.

“A school library is different than a public library,” Kelly said. “There is no parental guidance or consent in a school library, and restricting any child from the entire library to protect them from harmful content is just not an acceptable option.”

She also denounced the allegation that Moms for Liberty is racist and anti-LGBTQ. The books were challenged due to their sexual content, Kelly said.

BOARD MEMBER PERSPECTIVES

After hearing from the public, board members stressed that the agenda item before them was simply a review of the district’s media selection policy, and that the proposed changes were minimal.

School Board member Carl Persis

to vote.

“We are pleased to conclude the latest negotiation cycle with our VUE bargaining units with this successful result,” Superintendent Carmen Balgobin said. “We appreciate our support staff for their hard work and participation in the process, and we are excited for these changes to take effect.”

The package includes:

„ An adjusted salary schedule to reflect the raised minimum wage of $15 per hour, with increases at all levels.

„ An increase to the values of the longevity supplement.

„ The creation of a committee that will convene to review clerical and paraprofessional job duties.

said that as a former educator and principal, he is also passionate about the issue.

“There have been parents upset about books ever since there have been books,” he said.

While he supported the policy changes, he said, he opposed giving school principals the authority to pull books off the shelves due to complaints from a couple of parents. All challenges should go through the formal review process, he said.

“Certainly, I support the rights of parents who do not wish their children to read a certain book,” Persis said. “Absolutely — those parents have that have that right. But as has been said so many times tonight and before tonight, a parent’s right stops with their child, and it isn’t for every child.”

School Board Chair Jamie Haynes said she was “heartbroken” that school libraries contained sexually explicit books and books with a high level of profanity. When the topic was first brought up, she said, she didn’t want to believe the district’s libraries contained such books.

“I’m not extreme,” she said. “I can’t stand extreme ... We’re here to academically educate children in a safer environment.”

“Those are the lemons that we’re being dealt to sort out. So I don’t think that anybody on this board, one way or the other, is extreme on one side or the other, but we’ve got some really bad, rotting lemons right now that we’re all having to deal with. Nobody is comfortable with this situation.”

RUBEN COLON, School Board member

COPS CORNER

MARCH 16

DON’T BE SUSPICIOUS

3:51 p.m. — Mahogany Street, Bunnell

Sex offender—failure to register address change. Deputies arrested a registered sex offender at a traffic stop for failing to change his address.

Deputies became aware of the suspect the day before when he stopped to speak with a corporal at Canal Avenue and Rosewood Street, the man’s arrest report said. The suspect spoke with the corporal about a trespass warning he received, and, in the process, told the corporal he was a registered sex offender.

After the suspect left, the corporal looked the man up and saw he was registered as a transient living in Ormond Beach, but had not been reporting in as required, the report said. After tracing the suspect’s license plate, the corporal realized the man’s truck had not crossed back into Volusia since March 7. The next day, the suspect was pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign, and deputies arrested him.

enforcement. A 32-yearold Daytona Beach woman was arrested after she gave police her twin sister’s name instead of her own during a traffic stop.

An officer had spotted a vehicle driving without headlights down East Granada Boulevard, which led to the traffic stop, according to a police report. The driver provided police with his passport, but couldn’t show evidence of having a driver’s license. The officer then spoke to the passenger, who gave the officer an ID card for her twin sister.

What the woman didn’t know was that her twin was speaking with a neighboring police agency and telling officers that her twin sister was driving her car. The woman was taken to jail.

HIDING IN

PLAIN VIEW

3:47 a.m. — 1400 block of Kilrush Drive, Ormond Beach DUI. A deputy was patrolling the area near a subdivision when he spotted a car parked in the driveway of a house listed for sale. He had seen the same car driving around the subdivision trying to evade him about a half-hour earlier.

The deputy approached the parked car and spoke with the driver, a 25-year-old Ormond Beach man, according to a law enforcement report.

MARCH 19

BODY DOUBLE

11:12 p.m. — 200 block of S. Atlantic Avenue, Ormond Beach

False name given to law

When asked what he was doing, the man said he had pulled into the driveway because he saw the deputy patrolling the area.

The deputy asked him where he lived, and the man gave him an address within the subdivision.

As they spoke, the deputy noticed a “very strong odor of alcohol” coming from the car, and saw that the man’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy. There were several empty beer cans in the back seat.

The man agreed to perform a series of field sobriety exercises, and failed them. He was taken to jail.

MARCH 22

NEW ‘NEIGHBOR’

9:30 p.m. — 2000 block of Oak Place, Flagler Beach Burglary, criminal mischief. A Flagler Beach woman was arrested for burglary in a home she said had been rented out to her for a few weeks.

But the home belongs to a couple that lives in Canada, and the suspect had to remove the front doorknob to get in. Neighbors called the property manager because they saw the lights on, according to the woman’s arrest report.

The manager held the woman there until officers arrived. The owners told police over the phone that neither they nor anyone they knew had given the woman permission to be there, acording to the report.

The suspect admitted to the officers she removed the doorknob from the front door. Inside the home, the suspect had already started moving in: Her wallet and several other belongings were found inside. The woman was charged and taken to the county jail.

Parks & Recreation is hiring for a number of positions, including lifeguards, summer camp counselors, summer bus drivers, tennis coaches, guest attendants, and more. Have the best summer ever with Parks & Rec!

CRIME REPORT BIZ BUZZ

Man arrested in killing of pet cat

A 61-year-old man strangled his family’s pet cat and stabbed it with a box cutter, killing it, according to Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

The man, who had recently been released after an involuntary psychiatric hold, is charged with aggravated animal cruelty causing death.

The man’s wife had called deputies to the family’s Lee Drive home at around 1 a.m. March 23.

Deputies found the cat in a pool of blood in its litter box, a belt around its neck, according to the man’s arrest report.

The man’s wife told deputies she’d awoken because she heard her cat’s cries. She followed the sound to the shut bathroom door and realized that her husband and the cat were inside.

She said her husband told her through the door not to come in because the cat was going to hurt her. She went to the porch to stay away from her husband. When she came back inside, she saw blood on the floor but could not find her cat.

Though she told deputies she had not feared for her safety, she grabbed a knife as a precaution while she waited on the patio, according to the report.

The man was scratched and blood-smeared when deputies spoke with him. He admitted that he’d strangled and stabbed the cat and placed it in the litter box, according to the arrest report.

The man told deputies the cat was going to hurt his wife.

A few weeks before the incident, the man had been taken to a mental health facility under the Baker Act, which allows for people deemed a threat to themselves or others to be held temporarily for

BRIEFS

psychological evaluation.

Deputies who responded to the cat killing found that the man met Baker Act criteria again, due to harming the cat and wanting to harm himself.

Deputies filed paperwork for a Baker Act.

The man was taken to the county jail.

Man accused of threatening landscapers

A Palm Coast man was arrested on March 22 after landscaping employees said he waved an AR-style gun at them and threatened to slit their throats.

The landscapers told Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies at the scene on Westford Lane that the suspect, 53, threatened them multiple times before they called law enforcement, according to the suspect’s arrest report.

They said they had been working when the man came out of his home and yelled that he was going to slit their throats.

The man then went back inside his garage, and one employee said he could hear the sound “the slide of a firearm loading.”

The suspect then came out of the garage with the gun and began waving it at the workers, threatening to shoot them if they came near him, according to the report.

The landscapers left until deputies arrived.

Deputies set up a perimeter around the man’s home and arrested him when he tried to leave. The suspect refused to speak to deputies without an attorney and was taken to jail.

The man has been charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

Palm Coast Egg’Stravaganza set for April 1

Palm Coast’s Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Egg’Stravaganza will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 1 at Central Park in Town Center.

The event will have arts and crafts, balloon art, face painting, refreshments, carnival games, pictures with the Easter Bunny and opportunities for children to earn treat-filled eggs by completing activities. Central Park is located at 975 Central Ave. in Palm Coast. In the event of weather, the celebration will be relocated to Park Street.

For more information, go to palmcoastgov.com/events.

Marine Science Center reopens bird hospital

With a better understanding of the avian flu and protocols to increase the safety of birds and staff, the Marine Science Center has reopened its bird hospital and resumed admission of sick and injured birds.

Staff is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week to accept bird patients at the hospital at 4965 S. Peninsula Drive in Ponce Inlet.

“The Marine Science Center Bird Hospital is a crucial resource for the community and its native wild birds,” Bird Hospital Manager Tracy Dawson said. “With the reopening, we are once again able to provide expert care for sick and injured wild birds.”

All new birds will be screened for avian flu before entering the bird hospital and will undergo a quarantine period before release into the flight enclosure.

The bird hospital had been closed since February 2022.

CHILDREN’S BUSINESS FAIR RETURNS

The Daytona Beach Children’s Business Fair returned on Saturday, March 25, and featured local young entrepreneurs.

The fair took place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Riverfront Esplanade at 355 N. Beach St.

Children created a product or service, developed a brand and built a marketing strategy to open for customers at this one-day marketplace.

The children are responsible for the setup, sales and interaction with customers.

“This annual event promises to be fun for young and mature folks alike,” Local entrepreneur Hyatt Brown said in a press release prior to the fair.

The fair was presented with assistance from the Riverfront Esplanade, Daytona Chamber of Commerce and Halifax Health.

REDLINE ATHLETICS OPENS AT ONE DAYTONA

Redline Athletics celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, March 24.

The national sports performance brand specializes in comprehensive athletic development and speed and agility training for athletes.

It is located next to Pink Narcissus.

Elements of Design also recently joined One Daytona and will open on March 27.

The furniture and lighting showroom offers gifts, home décor, and design consulting services.

Located in the same building as Guitar Center, Elements of Design at One Daytona will be the company’s second location in Volusia County.

A Costco Wholesale is also expected to open at One Daytona in 2024, next to the CMX Daytona Luxury Theatre.

GREENPAL EXPANDS TO ORMOND BEACH

An app that connects homeowners with lawn care professionals launched this week in Ormond Beach. Using the GreenPal app, homeowners can list their lawns with a preferred service date and lawn care needs, and vetted lawn care professionals can then bid on their properties based on Google aerial images and other lawn details provided by the homeowner, according to a press release.

Homeowners will then select who they wish to service their yard. Visit yourgreenpal.com/local/lawn-care-ormond-beach-fl for details.

INTRACOASTAL BANK EMPLOYEE PROMOTED

Tara Gugliara has been promoted to assistant vice president/assistant manager of the Volusia Banking Center for Intracoastal Bank,according to a March 21 press release.

Gugliara has held a variety of roles for Intracoastal for the past six years and has been active in local organizations including serving as an ambassador for the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.

INTRACOASTAL BANK EARNS FIVE STAR RATING

Bauer Financial Inc. has recognized Intracoastal Bank with its highest rating of five stars based upon the bank’s financial condition as of the fourth quarter that ended on Dec. 31, 2022.

Bauer Financial has also listed Intracoastal Bank on its Recommended Bank Report, according to a press release.

“We are thrilled that Intracoastal Bank continues to be recognized as one of the safe and strongest financial institutions in the Country,” Intracoastal Bank President Ryan Page said.

Volusia County to consider off-beach parking fees for visitors

Parking in off-beach lots is currently free.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

While the Volusia County Council has opted out of implementing beach toll fee changes, it is considering adding fees for off-beach parking for nonresidents in the near future.

The council voted 6-1 at its meeting on Tuesday, March 21, to direct staff to explore how to implement such a fee, with Council Chair Jeff Brower voting against.

“I would like to see the toll booths go away, and not charge out-of-towners, intowners, anybody to go to the beach,” Brower said. “We pay for the beach, the locals, in their property taxes.”

Volusia County charges $20 for a daily pass to drive on the beach, for both residents and nonresidents. Residents can buy an annual beach pass for

BRIEFS

Scholarships available for Volusia camps

Volusia County Government’s Community Assistance Division will start accepting 2023 summer camp scholarship applications at 7:30 a.m. Monday, April 10.

Scholarships are awarded to income-eligible households for children 5-14.

For a child to receive a scholarship, they must have completed kindergarten by the conclusion of the 20222023 school year.

Children up to the age of 17 planning to attend an approved special needs camp are also eligible to apply for a

$25, or they can buy a $20 daily pass, then, the next time they go to drive on the beach, show the $20 receipt and pay the additional $5 that would be due for an annual pass. An annual pass for nonresidents costs $100. People with a disabled license plate or placard can receive a complimentary annual or daily pass.

The council was reluctant to make any changes to the fees, which accounted for over $8 million in revenue in the 20212022 fiscal year. The majority of the money — $5.38 million — came from daily passes.

To meet a charter requirement mandating that beach toll fees to be “uniform and reasonable,” the county uses general fund money to buy down the cost difference between residential and nonresidential annual passes.

State law also requires beach toll fees to be “reason-

able,” according to the county.

“I think we’re headed in the right direction by calculating if we can get the net and gross of some of the parking and try ... maybe calculate and look at [beach tolls] in the future,” Councilman Danny Robins said.

Councilman Troy Kent proposed having nonresidents pay for off-beach parking, using New Smyrna Beach as an example. New Smyrna charges nonresidents to park at one of its five beachfront lots, and Kent said the city reported $1.3 million in revenues from those fees in 2022.

New Smyrna has 452 parking spaces. Volusia County has about 2,100 off-beach parking spots.

Based on the revenue generated per parking spot in New Smyrna, Kent calculated that the county could make about $6.4 million a year if it began charging nonresidents to park in off-beach lots.

That money, he said, would outweigh the $1.4 million the county expects to receive this year from annual resident beach pass sales, so adding a fee for nonresidents could allow the county to drop its annual fee for residents.

“The general fund is already paying for our beach, and that is taxpayer money,” Kent said. “So charging Volusia residents to drive on their beach is making them pay twice.”

Kent also proposed raising the cost of daily passes to $30 and annual passes for nonresidents to $150.

Councilman Matt Reinhart said that while New Smyrna Beach has parking kiosks for fees, the city also has “parking ambassadors” for enforcement. Enforcing off-beach parking could further burden law enforcement, he said.

“They do have an enforcement issue, which is something we’d have to discuss with beach protection,” Rein-

hart said.

Staff members said there are other options for charging fees, such as an app — an option Reinhart favored.

Robins wasn’t ready to eliminate beach toll fees for residents because he felt the cost would fall on taxpayers, but he supported Kent’s initiative to get “more of a neutral ground.”

Councilman Don Dempsey said that the taxpayers who use the beach are the ones who should be paying for it.

“There’s so many taxpayers who don’t use the beach, but yet, they’re paying taxes,” he said. “We’re coming up on the budget, and I’m more concerned about not having to raise taxes, and even lowering taxes, than I am worried about people driving on the beach for free when the people who don’t even use the beach are not going to get the benefit of the tax deduction.”

A vote to keep the beach

tolls unchanged passed in a 4-3 vote with Kent, Dempsey and Brower voting against. Brower, who wants to eliminate beach tolls for all, said he had been prepared to support Kent’s original proposal — to raise nonresident daily and annual pass fees and charge nonresidents for off-beach parking, while eliminating daily and annual pass fees for residents — because it would at least eliminate beach fees for locals.

But since the council opted against any modifications to its beach tolls, Brower said, he would vote against exploring charging nonresidents to park in off-beach lots. Brower was interrupted by Robins, who called for a point of order. When Brower challenged the point of order, Robins made a motion to limit debate.

The motion to limit debate passed 4-3, with Dempsey, Kent and Brower voting against.

Will Roberts seeks second term as Volusia County tax collector

scholarship.

Scholarship information, an interactive map of the approved camps and an application are available at volusia. org/scs.

Applicants should upload their completed application and supporting documentation through the secure portal at volusia.org/community_assistance/applications.

The portal will become available at 7:30 a.m. Monday, April 10.

Applications may also be mailed or provided in person to the Community Assistance Division, 121 W. Rich Ave., DeLand, but online applications are preferred.

Faxed or incomplete applications will not be accepted. For more information or to request assistance in completing an application, contact Brittany Louis at blouis@ volusia.org or 386-736-5955, Ext. 12285.

is composed of just over 100 employees.

OBSERVER STAFF

Volusia County Tax Collector

Will Roberts is seeking a second term.

“Our vision at the Volusia County Tax Collector office is to change the way Volusia residents experience government services,” Roberts said in a press release. “We have shown that our services can be provided efficiently, effectively, accurately and with superior customer service.”

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Roberts was elected in 2020 and is the county’s first tax collector in 50 years: The office was created as a result of Amendment 10 passing in 2018. Roberts said he based his platform on improved services to the public, tax collection experience and accuracy in tax collection, according to his press release. His staff

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“I made a commitment that we would improve the customer service operations with our team members,” Roberts said. “On average, over the last nine months, nearly 90% of our customers who completed surveys have given us a 4–5-star rating. As expected, we added additional services to the tax collector office, such as driver licenses, concealed weapons licenses, and birth certificates. We have incorporated new technology and online access to serve people on their schedule 24 hours a day at vctaxcollector.org. In 2022, we accurately collected and distributed nearly $1 billion in property tax revenue to fund the operations of governments across Volusia County.”

A new office branch in Deltona is expected to open in early 2024.

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“Since taking office in January of 2021, our staff and small administrative team has done an exceptional job

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of transitioning operations from the Volusia County Revenue Division to The Office of Will Roberts – Tax Collector,” Roberts said. “I am excited to lead this team for a second term and continue to provide service, experience and accuracy in tax collection to Volusia County residents.”

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10th Annual Spring Festival & Plant Sale • April 8, 2023 - 9 to 4 presented by The Garden Club at Palm Coast

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Roberts was elected in 2020 after the position was created due to Amendment 10.

Courtesy photo Volusia County Tax Collector Will Roberts is seeking a second term.

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Deep-sea beaked whale washes up on Flagler Beach in rare stranding

The whale was euthanized by a SeaWorld veterinarian. Beaked whales that strand are already dying, scientist Wendy Durden said.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A deep-sea whale that washed up on the shore near Gamble Rogers Park in Flagler Beach was euthanized after five hours stranded on Friday, March 24.

The whale — a 15-foot, adult female beaked whale — became stranded on shore at around 2 p.m. Local beachgoers and nearby marine volunteers tried to keep the mammal hydrated and cool while they waited on rescue teams to arrive, placing wet towels and pouring sea water on her.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute staff arrived at around 3 p.m. Unfortunately, Hubbs research scientist Wendy Durden said, on the rare occasions that deep-sea beaked whales are found stranded on shore, the animals are most often already dying.

“They are not rehab candidates,”

Durden said. “It [was] a matter of keeping her comfortable.”

The animal did not have any external injuries beyond old, healed scars on her underside, likely from shark encounters, Durden said.

Durden said beaked whales are not rehab candidates because there are no facilities that can accommodate the environment and diet that a beaked whale needs.

SeaWorld veterinarian Dr. Stacy DiRocco arrived at around 7 p.m. She said she assessed the mammal’s condition and ultimately decided to euthanize it.

“I think the best thing we can do is give it a peaceful end to its life,” DiRocco said.

DiRocco said she gave the whale anesthesia first to put her to sleep and then a combination of medications to euthanize. The whale died quickly, she said.

“It is my responsibility and my job to try to give her a peaceful, respectful and humane end to her life,” DiRocco said.

Vacationers Marie Hesse, Anita Bennett and Linda Montague, who are all staying at Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area and come from different states, were among the beachgoers who stepped in to help keep the whale comfortable while waiting for SeaWorld staff to arrive.

Hesse said she initially thought the mammal was a dolphin but could quickly tell something was wrong.

“It wasn’t acting right,” Hesse said. “It wasn’t swimming like a dolphin. … It just kind of stayed flat and kind of floating on the water.”

Hesse said they tried to help right away, but Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers told them to steer clear.

“Then the sea started just pum-

meling [her] in,” Hesse said. “It was so sad.”

Bennett said that finally someone from either the park or from Hubbs let them help. Bennett said she was tasked with keeping track of the animal’s breathing. All three women said they were just glad they could try to assist.

“It was an extraordinary feeling to be able to try to help and see something like this,” Montague said. “This is rare.”

The whale’s carcass will be taken to a SeaWorld laboratory in Orlando for a complete necropsy, where researchers hope to learn more about the whale’s situation and her species in general, Durden said.

Beaked whales are deep-diving creatures that live very far offshore, Durden said.

This area has seen stranded beaked whales before, but it is rare.

Because the whales live in such deep waters, Durden said, researchers don’t know much about them.

The Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute responds to all whale and dolphin strandings in Brevard, Volusia and Flagler Counties. The institute is notified by FWC.

Durden said that if anyone ever sees a stranded, injured or dead marine animal, they should call the 24-hour FWC hotline at 1-888-4043922.

Lenten/Easter Season

Theme: A Time For Spiritual Renewal

Palm Sunday - April 2, ONE Communion worship experience Bishop Tom Berlin preaching Music by the Praise Band & Voices of Faith @ 9:30 a.m.

April 3, 4, & 5 - Music & Meditation in the sanctuary from noon - 12:30 p.m.

Holy Thursday - April 6, Rev. Ronald Paige Music by the Chancel Choir & Praise Band @ 5 p.m.

Good Friday - April 7, Cantata - The Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross by the Music Ministry Department @ 5 p.m.

Easter Sunrise - April 9, New Campus, 6500 Belle Terre Pkwy.

Dr. Kevin M. James, Sr.

Music - Hymn & Praise Songs @ 6:30 a.m.

Easter Sunday - April 9, Current Campus, 5200 Belle Terre Pkwy.

Dr. Kevin M. James, Sr.

Music by the Chancel Choir & Praise Band @ 8 & 9:30 a.m. Palm

All are invited to attend.

Methodist Church 5200 Belle Terre Pkwy Palm Coast, FL 32137 www.palmcoastchurch.org

As the tide came in, SeaWorld rescuers and volunteers tried to move the whale further up on the beach. She was estimated to weigh around 3,000 pounds.

A beaked whale washed up on shore in Flagler Beach by Gamble Rogers State Park on March 24.

“It is my responsibility and my job to try to give her a peaceful, respectful and humane end to her life.”

DR. STACY DIROCCO, SeaWorld veterinarian

“It was an extraordinary feeling to be able to try to help and see something like this. This is rare.”

LINDA

MONTAGUE, Flagler Beach visitor

Photo by Sierra Williams

LETTERS

Reserving land for recreation

Dear Editor: One of my concerns is that we should reserve more land for recreational reasons. I would like to express my reasons for point of

YOUR TOWN

view.

I strongly believe that land can be used to preserve animal habitats and natural resources. This is a smart move, because when you think about it, if we ever wanted to study animals or other natural resources, those would be there for us to study.

Also, the reserved land can be used as a getaway place. Does

traffic unit officer, patrol corporal, criminal investigations corporal, patrol sergeant, traffic unit sergeant, and, most recently, supervisor of the criminal investigations unit.

Borzner is also pursuing an associate’s degree in criminal justice.

“The time and effort invested in this demanding course, as well as the sacrifices made by being away from home and family, are a testament to Lieutenant John Borzner’s exceptional work ethic and unwavering commitment to duty,” Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said. “We are immensely proud of his accomplishments and confident that the skills he has acquired will make him an invaluable asset not only to our police department but also to the citizens and visitors of our great city.”

GARDEN CLUB TEACHES CUB SCOUTS ABOUT NATIVE PLANTS

anybody ever go home and think, “I just need a place to get away from everything?” Well, that land that was reserved would be that one place. When people go to places like this, they have a certain state of mind that is like you found that place. Lastly, places like parks can be used to appreciate nature. When you feel like you need a place to sort

things out, parks can be that calm, serene place. As an added bonus, they could probably help lift your mood.

I hope that we, as a society, play an important role in preservation of our undeveloped land for future generations.

J.

ERICK

PALACIOS II, AGE 12 Boy Scouts Troop 403

POLICE LIEUTENANT COMPLETES OFFICER DEVELOPMENT COURSE

Ormond Beach Police Department

Lt. John Borzner has graduated from the University of Louisville’s Southern Police Institute’s 91st Command Officer Development Course.

Having dedicated the past five months to intensive training, Borzner attended two-week sessions in Clermont, further developing his leadership and professional skills, according to a news release.

Borzner, newly promoted to support services lieutenant, has been with the Ormond Beach Police Department for 17 years. He has served as a patrol officer,

Cub Scout Pack 327 learned about the importance native plants during an event held by the Garden Club of the Halifax Country at Vadner Park on March 18.

Vadner Park, an all-native pocket park at 105 Seminole Ave., opened one year ago thanks to a partnership between the GCHC and the city of Ormond Beach.

The GCH aims to promote an interest in conservation and education through civic involvement, according to a statement.

With the park now open, the members can begin the next phase of its outreach: education.

“The Vadner Park committee of the GCHC decided to host a learning day at the park for elementary students,” the statement said. “After

reading about Cub Scout Pack 327 in the Observer taking part in education activities at [Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University], this group seemed just the right audience for the first Vadner event.”

Pack leader Laurence Namdar and

Vadner Park Education Chair Linda

Armour discussed how the scouts would earn belt loops in conservation, horticulture and gardening during their visit to the park.

On the day of the event, Scouts learned about native plants, toured

Locally Owned / Publishers of The Palm Coast Observer Palm Coast Observer, LLC P.O. Box 353850 Palm Coast, 32135

the park and used QR-coded signs to connect to more information and observed the natural setting. They also participated in a nature scavenger hunt and planted seeds to grow the Florida native wildflower, the coreopsis daisy.

Courtesy photo Chief Jesse Godfrey, Lt. John Borzner and Captain DW Smith.

Cub Scouts Henry Namdar and Graham Mauldin.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Abate

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Flush with satire

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

What do two cops named Lockstock and Barrel, Pennywise the urinal proprietor, a revolutionary named Bobby Strong and the Urine Good Company have in common?

They are all part of the musical comedy “Urinetown,” which opened at the Daytona Playhouse on Friday, March 24, and will run on select dates through April 9.

The story unfolds during a 20-year drought, which was followed by a government ban on the use of private toilets. The Urine Good Company takes advantage of the situation and begins charging for the use of public toilets. Urinetown is the mysterious destination people are taken if they do not pay to use the public facilities. Hometown hero Bobby Strong starts a revolution after his father cannot pay to use the public toilet and is taken away.

Director Dan Mills debuted his skills at the Daytona Playhouse last season and was invited to return to direct “Urinetown.”

“I directed ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ and I just loved it,” he said.

“They asked me back, and I was glad they did. It’s an unusual show that makes fun of lots of things. It satirizes economic systems. It satirizes politics, a little bit. It satirizes Broadway. I think it satirizes itself. There are times when it just stops and explains itself. It’s a hilarious, very unusual show.”

Mills directed his first award winning show in high school and has loved it ever since. He went on to get a degree in theater at the University of Southern Maine and estimates that he has directed a couple hun-

‘Urinetown’ opened at the Daytona Playhouse on Friday, March 24.

dred shows. A few of his favorites are “Peer Gynt”, “Scapino” and “Murder in the Cathedral.”

He moved to Daytona Beach Shores two years ago and began building sets for the Daytona Playhouse.

“I went in to build sets one day, and they said, “Oh, do you act?”, he said. “I told them, ‘Yes, but my real passion is directing.’”

The “Urinetown” cast is a combination of seasoned veterans, returning performers and Troy Brightson, who is making his show debut as the lead character — Bobby Strong. At the other end of the spectrum is Mariah Snow, who plays Penelope Pennywise and brings over 31 years of experience.

“It’s the craziest, strangest, most wonderful show,” she said. “I have fallen in love with the character. I knew after listening to the show who I would like to be cast as, based on the vocal. Based on her song, I knew I wanted to be her.”

Snow did not realize the complexity of Pennywise’s character until she got into the role. She believes Pennywise straddles the classes between the rich and the poor, representing the middle class.

“I think I’ve always gone for characters that would challenge me vocally, because that is my love,” she said. “But I have lucked into some very complex characters, and that has helped me grow my acting.”

Snow owns Mariah’s Music and Arts in Ormond Beach, where she teaches voice, piano and acting. She also does a lot of audition preparation for people of all ages and at all different levels. Her most recent student is Warren Prince, who is 95. Four of Snow’s students are performing with her in “Urinetown” — David Bowers,

IF YOU GO...

What: “Urinetown”

When: 7:30 p.m. March 30 and 31, April 1, 7 and 8; 2 p.m. March 26, April 2 and 9

Where: Daytona Playhouse, 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: See this play about a government ban on private toilets. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $24 for seniors and $15 for youths. For more information, visit daytonaplayhouse.org.

Anneisa Andrews, Eric Richard and Rebekah Davis.

“I feel like this is such a creative cast,” she said. “Dan is wonderful about allowing people to voice their opinions and ideas. So much of the intricate details of this show come from people being allowed to explore.”

The role of Little Sally is played by Ormond Beach resident Sunnie Rice, who is returning to performing after a 17-year hiatus. Rice grew up dancing, singing and acting.

In 2005, she moved to Florida to attend college and needed a job to pay the rent. She applied for a job at Disney and was asked to audition. She got the job and worked in entertainment with the company until 2006.

Now she is the human resources director for Everglades Boats and is a competitive skydiver.

Last year, she had a shoulder injury and took a break from skydiving. After watching her daughter on stage with the Children’s Musical Theater, she decided to get back into performing. “Urinetown’s” message resonated with her, so she auditioned.

“I think what it boils down to is there is this great divide between the rich and the poor,” she said. “There’s no meeting in the middle. One’s not willing to give anything up, and one just wants to take it all because they’re angry because they’ve been without. That’s what I get out of this. Why can’t we meet in the middle? Neither way is going to work on its own.”

Photos by Michele Meyers

Bobby Strong (front) played by Troy Brightson, gets the citizens to rebel against the owner of the Urine Good Company

Little Sally, played by Sunnie Rice, asks Officer Lockstock why they can’t think about hydraulics in “Urinetown.”

Caldwell B. Cladwell, played by Danny Crile; and his daughter, Hope Cladwell, played by Agata SokolskaLi, dance in the show “Urintetown” at the Daytona Playhouse.

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

RV SHOW USA

When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ThursdaySunday, March 30 to April 2

Where: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Attend this four-day RV event where you can view and select a new or used RV, adventure van or towable from nearly 200 on display. Free parking and admission. Visit rvshowusa.com/event/daytonabeach-rv-show.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

FLORIDA HISTORY AND CULTURE

FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Anderson-Price Memorial Building, 42 N. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details: The Ormond Beach Historical Society is hosting this festival featuring booths from museums, authors, artists, historical artifact collectors and exhibitors offering items for sale. Folklorist Diane Jacoby will also tell the story of the life of a 16th-century Spanish noblewoman, Dona Maria de Menendez. There will be free food, coffee, water and a cash wine bar.

EASTER PARTY AND EGG HUNT

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Tomoka United Methodist Church, 1000 Old Tomoka Road, Ormond Beach

Details: Tomoka United Methodist Church is hosting a free Easter party and egg hunt for children preschool age through 5th grade. There will be a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny, plus snacks, games and more. The egg hunt will be divided into three age groups and is and safe for small children. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

EGG’STRAVAGANZA

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Central Park at Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast

Details: Take part in the city of Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Department’s Egg’Stravaganza, featuring arts and crafts, face painting, carnival games, photos with the Easter Bunny and more. Local organizations are giving out eggs and hosting booths to provide activities for children.

April 1, and Sunday, April 2

Where: One Daytona, 1 Daytona Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Attend this fine art festival featuring both juried artists and non-juried artisans. There will be live entertainment, a kids zone, student art on display, a chalk art competition and the 2023 U.S. National Art Battle Championship. Visit onedaytona.com.

10TH ANNUAL DUCK RACE

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Tomoka Outpost, 2099 N. Beach St., Ormond Beach

FAMILY FARM FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Florida Agricultural Museum, 7900 Old Kings Road N., Palm Coast

Details: The Family Farm Festival will have interactive activities, agricultural education, a pioneer farm experience, farm animals, food trucks, wagon rides and more. Tickets cost $8 for children and $10 for adults in advance; $10 for children and $12 for adults at the door. Visit floridaagmuseum.org.

FORT WILBUR RABBIT RESCUE

SPRING EVENT

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Gerber Jeweler, 1500 Ridgewood Ave., Holly Hill

Details: Fort Wilbur Rabbit Rescue is partnering with Gerber Jeweler for a spring event featuring a photographer taking free photos with rabbits, plus meet-and-greets with bunnies. There will also be snacks and drinks. Call 386-673-6446.

ONE DAYTONA ART FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,

Details: More than 1,000 rubber ducks will race in the Tomoka River for prizes in this event by the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia. There will be photo opportunities, chance to bid on ducks decorated by local artists, face painting, games and more. Proceeds will benefit the School Readiness program. Visit elcfv.org/duck-race.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN FLAGLER

MEETING

When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Cypress Knoll Golf and Country Club, 53 Easthampton Blvd., Palm Coast.

Details: The American Association of University Women Flagler will host Michael Butler as its guest for its meeting. Butler, a professor of history and chair of humanities at Flagler College, will speak on the topic, “What is academic freedom and why does it matter?” The presentation costs $5 to attend, or $20 with lunch. Visit flaglercounty-fl. aauw.net.

ORMOND BEACH GARDEN

CLUB’S ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW

AND TEA

When: 1-3:30 p.m.

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Join the Ormond Beach

Garden Club for its annual Flower Show and Tea. This year’s theme is “Springtime in Paris.” There will be a flower arrangement demonstration and raffles, as well as arrangements and jewelry available for purchase. Snacks will be provided. Admission costs $5. Visit facebook.com/RockfellerGardens.

ART WALK

When: 3-7 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach MainStreet

Arts District, 128 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Join Ocean Art Gallery, Frame of Mind, Art Spotlight, The Studio by Artist Angel Lowden, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and more on the first Saturday of each month for art openings and art events.

MONDAY, APRIL 3

‘LAND CONSERVATION IN VOLUSIA COUNTY’

When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Public Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach Details: Join the League of Women Voters of Volusia County for a discussion on protecting land in the county, the history of preservation and what challenges are faced today. Free and open to the public. A dinner at Lulu’s will follow. Please RSVP to Jeanne Tanke at jeanne622lwvvc@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5

HOPPY EASTER EVENT

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Tanger Outlets, 1100 Cornerstone Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Celebrate Easter at this family-friendly event presented by Halifax Health. Take part in face painting, spring-theme crafts, a meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny, musical entertainment, balloon twisting and more. The festivities will take place near the splash pad. Free and open to the public.

THURSDAY, APRIL 6

SPRING BIRD WALKS WITH JOAN

TAGUE

When: 8 a.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center, 601 Division Ave., Ormond Beach

Details: Join Master Naturalist Joan Tague, of Halifax River Audubon, for a casual bird walk along the trails in Central Park. Bring water. Walking shoes and sunscreen are recommended.

ONGOING ORMOND BEACH ART GUILD

SPRING EXHIBIT

When: April 4-27

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: See the Ormond Beach Art Guild’s spring exhibit at The Casements, featuring paintings in several mediums. Most are available for purchase. The Casements is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. For more information, call Marilyn Dorinson at 386-274-9963 or Maureen Bridger at 386-846-5517. For a preview of the works, visit The Casements’ Facebook page.

‘THE WAY I SEE IT’

When: through April 22

Where: Art League of Daytona Beach, 433 S. Palmetto Ave., Daytona Beach

Details: See this exhibit featuring abstract, surrealist and impressionist art by Florida artists. Visit artleague.org.

VOLUSIA

COUNTY SENIOR SOFTBALL

When: 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays

Where: Derbyshire Park and Sports Complex, 849 Derbyshire Road, Daytona Beach

Details: This 50-and-older mens senior softball league is now forming. It’s both recreational and competitive. Call Joe Daly at 954-732-0992 or visit nsbseniorsoftball.com.

MOAS EXHIBITIONS

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Where: Museum of Arts and Sciences, 352 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach

Details: Want to spend a day looking at fine art? The Museum of Arts and Sciences has the following shows on display: “A Treasury of Indian and Persian Miniature Paintings,” and “Sensations: Florida Artists Group Statewide Exhibition.”

THE FINE ARTS

SPRING VIBE Sarasota artist Vig Mayol will be representing Florida in the U.S. National Art Battle Championship, to be held for the first time at One Daytona on Saturday, April 1, during the One Daytona Art Festival. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mayol discovered her talent for painting when she was young, according to a statement she sent to the Observer. A mixed media artist, she teaches classes and workshops at

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art institutions including Ringling College Continuing Studies, Art Center Sarasota and the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Mayol will be fighting for the national Art Battle title with some of the most talented artists in the U.S. The event will take place from 6-11 p.m. in Victory Circle at One Daytona. It is free and open to the public.

–JARLEENE ALMENAS

When: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m. Monday through Wednesday, multiple sessions June 5 to Aug. 9

Where: 52 Bovard Ave., Ormond Beach

Cost: $99 per day, or $199 for three days

Age: 8+

Details: Surfari instructors will teach students all the skills needed to have fun catching waves and surfing. Students are grouped according to their ability level and experience, with a four-to-one student to instructor ratio, while instructors help students catch the best waves. Use of a surfboard is included.

Contact: Rick Gehris, 386-2993609, rick@surfarisurf.com or surfarisurfshop.com.

VINCE CARTER YOUTH

BASKETBALL ACADEMY

When: 8 a.m. to noon, July 20-23

Where: 1255 West International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach

Cost: $175.00 per camper with a 15% discount for sibling(s) of a paid camper

Age: 7-17

Details: Vince Carter’s summer camps help students develop of good habits and performance. Vince participates daily in the academy, helping aspiring players hone their skills. Campers will be placed in teams by age and ability. They will be taught basketball skills, teamwork and life skills while having fun

Campers receive a team picture with Vince, one autographed item of their choice, and various giveaways and recognitions.

Contact: Michelle V. Carter/Ann Smith, 386-239-8215, embassy1@ bellsouth.net, or vincecarter15.com.

SEASIDE TRAINING CENTER

When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for 10 weeks, June 5 to Aug. 11. Select Monday, Wednesday, Friday option or Monday-Friday option

Where: 4431 Eastport Parkway, Port Orange

Cost: $195 for three days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday only) or $275 for five days (Monday-Friday)

Age: 5-12

Details: Come to Seaside Training Center for a summer of physical fitness, confidence building, friendships and gymnastics. Each week of camp will have a different theme, with instructional gymnastics, group games, arts and crafts, and field trips on and off-site. Field trips are only available to five-day campers and are included in the price. All fiveday campers will receive a camp shirt to be worn on all field trips as well as a drawstring backback.

Registration opens April 3 and is first-come, first-served. There are 30 spots available for five-day campers and 10 spots available for three-day campers.

Contact: Jamie Hensley, office and operations director, 386-7601445, acedaytonagymnastics@ gmail.com, acegymnasticsdaytona.com.

PALM COAST SOCCER CAMP

When: 8:30 to 11:30 daily, June 2630 (session 1) or July 24-28 (session 2)

Where: Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Dr. Palm Coast Cost: $75

Age: 8-12

Details: Don’t get a yellow card in fun this summer; sign up for soccer camp! Campers will increase their soccer skills while reinforcing the fundamentals. All skill levels are welcome. Camp begins each day at Pavilion 3. Registration opens at 10 a.m. April 15.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386986-4741. Register at https://bit. ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST GOLF CLINIC SUMMER CAMP

When: 9-11 a.m. Monday through Thursday for three sessions: June 5-8, June 19-22, and July

ship and friendly competition. Open to all skill levels. Multichild discount is available. Deadline to register is one week prior to the start of each clinic.

Taught by LPGA Professional, Class A, Donna Serino. Participants will need to bring a water bottle and snack each day.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-4653. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

TENNIS SUMMER CAMP

When: 8:30 a.m. to noon on weekdays; multiple sessions available from June 5 through July 28

Where: Palm Coast Tennis Center, 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast

Cost: $175

Age: Varies by session

Details: Tennis and so much more!

Campers will enjoy fun games, activities, and age-appropriate drills that teach the basics of the game. Players should wear athletic clothing, sneakers, a hat/visor, bring a refillable water bottle, lunch, and snacks. Registration required.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-2550. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

ART

VERTIFIT AERIAL ARTS

When: Dates and times vary

Where: 880 Airport Rd. Ormond Beach Cost: $25 per class, or packages

available Age: 8-17

Details: Circus Arts Classeslearn unique and beautiful per-

forming arts!

Contact: Barrie Michaels, 516-6954077, Barrie@VertiFit.com, VertiFit. com.

MUSICAL THEATER CAMP

When: 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, July 10-28. Performance Dates: 7 p.m. July 28, and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. July 29. Auditions are 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 29. All campers must attend the audition date.

Where: Flagler Playhouse, 301 E. Moody Blvd. Bunnell

Cost: $250

Age: 8-17

Details: Musical Theater campers will be learning movement/choreography, voice and acting for the musical HONK! JR. HONK! JR. follows “Ugly,” who hatches looking quite a bit different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice, and despite his loving mother’s protective flapping, Ugly’s odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from his family and neighbors. When Ugly is separated from the farm and pursued by a hungry cat, he must find his way home. Along his harrowing yet hilarious journey, he not only discovers his true beauty and glorious destiny, but also finds love and acceptance in all its forms.

Contact: Monica Clark, 386-5860773, boxoffice@flaglerplayhouse. com, boxoffice@flaglerplayhouse. com.

RELIGIOUS

CAMP MONTGOMERY

When: June 12 - July 28

Where: 88 SE 75th St, Starke

Palm

Cost: $150-$1,215

Age: 6-18

Details: Offering overnight camps, day camps, and family camps, Camp Montgomery offers a chance to make lasting friendships, explore the outdoors, and encounter God in nature.

Contact: Nora Corbett, rebekah@ montgomerycenter.org, montgomerycenter.org/about/summer.

KID’S ADVENTURE WEEK- FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ORMOND BEACH

When: 8:45 a.m. to noon, June 19-23

Where: 336 S. Halifax Dr., Ormond Beach

Cost: $40

Age: Kindergarten to fifth grade (2022-2023 school year)

Details: Children will enjoy an interactive, energizing, Bible-based good time as they are called together to serve God. After a high-energy opening assembly time, they will make their way to the Bible Story Station. The students will expand on what they’ve discovered by making their own art projects at the Craft Station, singing new songs at the Music Station, exploring the wonders of God’s creation at the Science Station, playing games at the Recreation Station, and enjoying tasty treats during snack. Along the way, they will hear about our mission project. A T-shirt and all supplies are included in fee. Scholarships are available.

Contact: Caitlin Bookwalter, CBookwalter@firstunited.org, firstunited. org.

CAMP GAN ISRAEL DAYTONA

BEACH

When: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July

Where: 1860

N. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach

Cost: $150 - $250 per week

Age: Entering kindergarten to entering eighth grade

Details: Camp Gan Israel is dedicated to enriching the lives of children from diverse Jewish backgrounds

and affiliations through a stimu lating camping experience.

CGI of Daytona Beach is part of a large and fast-growing network of day camps with innovative ideas and creative activities to provide enjoyment and inspire children to try new and exciting things.

Contact: ettyfarkash@gmail.com, 386-672-9300 Ext. 123, cgidaytonabeach.com.

CAMP GAN ISRAEL DAYTONA BEACH (MINI GAN)

When: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 3-27

Where: 1079 W. Granada Blvd. Ormond Beach

Cost: $150 - $250 per week

Age: 18 months - 4 years

Details: Camp Gan Israel is dedicated to enriching the lives of children from diverse Jewish backgrounds and affiliations through a stimulating camping experience. CGI of Daytona Beach is part of a large and fast-growing network of day camps with innovative ideas and creative activities to provide enjoyment and inspire children to try new and exciting things.

Contact: ettyfarkash@gmail.com, 386-672-9300 Ext. 123, cgidaytonabeach.com.

GENERAL

STEM CAMP AT INTEGRAL ACADEMY OF PALM COAST

When: June 5 through Aug. 4

Where: 2 Pine Lakes Parkway North, Suite 1, Palm Coast Cost: $50-$275 per week, depending on the program/camp

Age: 5-11

Details: Joins Integral Academy for 10 weeks of fun and learning experience at the STEM camps and Academic programs. Integral Academy also offers tutoring in math and reading for students in grades K-12.

Contact: Marina

Jarova, 386-302-5710, integralmathacademy@gmail.com, integralacademy. org/summercamps.

PALM COAST FUN IN THE SUN SUMMER CAMP

When: 7:30 a.m. drop off; activities from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Weeks vary based on grade level. Go to bit.ly/42ES241 for full schedule.

Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast

Cost: $95

Age: Kindergarten through fifth grade (based on the grade the student just completed)

Details: Campers’ day will be filled with age-appropriate and fun-filled themed activities, such as arts and crafts, stories, recreational games, nature hikes, swimming, field trips, and special guest presentations. Field trips are scheduled weekly on Wednesdays and are included in the price of camp.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, Register at https://bit.ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST FIREFIGHTER KIDS

CAMP

When: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. June

12-16 (Session 1, ages 7-10) or July 10-14 (Session 2, July 10-14)

Where: Fire Station 25, 1250 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast Cost: $60

Age: 7-10 (session 1) or 10-12 (session 2)

Details: Calling all junior firefighters, get ready for some four-alarm fun! Campers will become one of the crew at Fire Station 25, where they will get to use real fire equipment. They will learn firefighting techniques, the concept of CPR and first aid, home and fire safety, and how to use a fire extinguisher.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-2300. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST ROBOTICS CAMP

When: 8 a.m. to noon on weekdays, July 10-14

Where: Buddy Taylor Middle School, 4500 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast Cost: $60

Age: Third grade through fifth grade

Details: Campers will spend their days learning how to code and compete among themselves to accomplish challenges with their robots. Plus, they’ll get to spend time in the pool and play some field games, too.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. April 3.

Contact: City fo Palm Coast. Register at bit.ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST TEEN ADVENTURE

CAMP

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, June 12-16 (session 1) and July 17-21

(session 2)

Where: Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Drive, Palm Coast

Cost: $150

Age: Grades 6-8

Details: Campers will embark on 5 exciting field trip adventures plus spend time at the Palm Coast Aquatics Center. Say goodbye to summer boredom and hello to adventure. The full lineup of trips for each session will be updated soon.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-4741. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

ORMOND BEACH SUMMER CONNECTION

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, June 12-July 7 (session 1) and July 10-Aug. 4

(session 2)

Where: Joe and Elwillie Daniels South Ormond Neighborhood Center, 176 Division Ave.

Cost: $256 (residents) or $389 (non-residents)

Age: 6-12

Details: Enjoy the city of Ormond Beach Leisure Services Department’s 2023 Summer Connection Day Camp. Registration opens April 3.

Contact: City of Ormond Beach, 386-676-3250, ormondbeach.org/lsregistration.

ENVIRO CAMP

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, June 5-30 (session 1) or July 10-24 (session 2)

Where: 601 Division Ave., Ormond Beach

Cost: $115 per week

Age: 7-11 as of April 1

Details: Learn about earth, air, water and fire in this camp held by the city of Ormond Beach. All Volusia County residents are eligible. Campers may only register for a maximum of one four-week session. Campers may select individual weeks from each session, but campers may not register for the same week twice.

Week 1, EARTH: Explore the element of Earth and the Florida wildlife connected to it! Week 2, AIR: Weather and climate, birds, insects, travel, recreation, pollution — let’s learn how vital the element of Air is! Week 3, WATER: Fresh water, salt water, wetlands and marshes, rivers and lakes — learn how important the element of Water is to the Sunshine State. Week 4, FIRE: From early humans to present day, learn how fire has shaped our world and the human experience. Registration opens at 8 a.m.

April 1.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Florida Board Riders’ Florida Cup championship competition came to a close on March 25, with the Space Coast and Jacksonville chapters heading to the national competition in California in May.

Surfers competed at the Flagler Beach pier over the course of the day. Flagler Board Riders, the local chapter, was in second place going into the championship but ended in third place.

Flagler Board Riders is one of the smallest groups in the area, Head Coach Bob Lindsley said, but still managed to hold its own during the competition.

“To be standing here with these guys shows that we are pretty dedicated to what we do,” Lindsley said. “And we’re a real strong crew.”

Each of the five competing teams also recognized a MVP: Flagler Board Riders Treasurer and Executive Director Kelly Brasol was Flagler’s

Riding the tide

Florida Cup finishes out in Flagler Beach. The Flagler Board Riders took home third place in the championship.

choice.

“We couldn’t do it without her,” Lindsley said.

The Board Riders competed across seven divisions: under 14, 15-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and the open women’s division. The Flagler Board Riders took first in the 15-19 bracket and placed second in the under-14 division.

Brasol said the Flagler Board Riders did a great job overall against the other chapters. They were honored just to be able to stay in second place ahead of St. Augustine through the season, she said.

“To consistently stay in second place for the entire season shows it wasn’t a fluke,” Brasol said. “We really brought the talent. We brought the camaraderie.”

In 2022, the Flagler Board Riders had finished fourth in the district. Even though they finished third this year, Lindsley said, their surfers did a great job.

“We’re doing really well for a small club,” Lindsley said. “I mean, we’re really happy with our performance.”

More importantly, Lindsley said, the competition and the local chapter help bring the community together. Brasol worked with the city and local businesses to support the competition.

Brasol said community businesses stepped in to support the championship: A1A Burrito Works set up a taco bar to feed the staff, judges and competitive surfers, and 7-Eleven donated drinks food.

“Residents of Flagler County win when businesses and events come together to attract visitors,” she said. “It trickles into the entire town.”

And it was the community support and that brought the championship to Flagler Beach — beyond the waves, of course. Florida Board Riders founder Dane Jeffries said Flagler Beach has the perfect surftown atmosphere. “You cannot think of a better environment and stadium, atmosphere,” Jeffries said. “The whole town is so responsive to our event.”

The Flagler Board Riders performed amazingly in the competition, Jeffries said, even though they had a few fumbles.

FLAGLER BOARD RIDERS GIVES SCHOLARSHIPS

The Flagler Board Riders gave two Board Riders $1,000 scholarships ahead of the championship cup on March 25.

The Jamie Ridgewell Legacy Scholarship went to Gavin Coluccio, to be used for trade school.

Coluccio intends to use the scholarship to get his captain’s license, club Executive Director Kelly Brasol said.

Lucy Noble, who is attending college in the fall, was awarded the Donna Cianciulli Memorial Scholarship, The scholarships are in honor of their name sakes, members of the surf community who had a long-lasting impact, Brasol said.

Ridgewell was a local surf coach and mentor to the community, and Cianciulli was a mother to two local surf ers and a Flagler County school teacher.

“When we started this thing, it

Blaize Carrol surfs a wave for the Flagler Board Riders’ 20s division team.

Kelly Brasol, executive director of the Flagler Board Riders, received the MVP award for the team. Pictured on the right is Flagler Board Riders Head Coach Bob Lindsley.

Dane Jeffries, founder of the Florida Board Riders, holds the championship

“To consistently stay in second place for the entire season shows it wasn't a fluke. We really brought the talent. We brought the camaraderie.”

KELLY BRASOL,

Flagler

Board Riders executive director

Photos by Christine Rodenbaugh

The Space Coast Board Riders took home first place in the Florida Cup championships.

St. Augustine’s Bethany Zelaslzo surfs in the open women’s division.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast softball player Hannah Kurek ended the March 16 game against Heritage of Maryville, Tennessee, with a three-run homer. Against St. Johns Beachside, on March 22, the senior hit a walk-off of a different variety.

Dog Days

FPC’s softball team improved to 10-0. The Bulldogs defeated Beachside 12-2 in five innings with the 10-run rule.

Kurek’s single in the fifth inning scored Aun’Yale Howard to put the Bulldogs ahead 12-2 and end the game on the 10-run rule.

FPC remained undefeated at 10-0, matching last year’s win total. They improved to 11-0 on March 28 with a 14-0 vicotry over Menendez. The Bulldogs were 10-10 last season.

FPC has not had a winning season since 2017 and was winless just four years ago. They are taking their newfound success in stride.

“We’re just going with the flow,” Kurek said. “We have a group of girls that are a lot more willing to work. And as we keep winning, it makes us want to work even harder.”

The Bulldogs credit their coaching staff, led by second-year head coach Yessy Paneto.

“Our coaches are all fantastic,” senior Kylee Burns said. “I feel like this season, we’ve come together more as a team. We’ve gotten very close. We’ve taken practices very seriously. We’ve been practicing really hard, which is why we’re undefeated now.”

Burns went 3-for-3 with a double against Beachside. She drove in three runs and scored three runs.

The Bulldogs were missing two starters against the Barracudas (3-5) but didn’t miss a beat.

FPC led 3-2 in the middle of the fourth, then scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning to put the game away.

Aliya Buckles led off the fourth inning with a triple to the left-field fence, and after Sanai Figueredo reached first on an error, Aubrey Garofolo smashed a two-run triple.

I

KYLEE BURNS

Kurek added an RBI-single in the inning, and Burns lined a two-run double to center.

Bulldogs pitcher Alexis Laura gave up a two-run homer to Beachside’s Mallie Meadows in the second inning but did not allow a runner past second base the rest of the game.

ADDED DIMENSION

Howard scored the winning run in the fifth after legging out her second infield hit of the game. The junior moved to shortstop from her normal outfield position to fill in for senior Bailey Holmes, who was on a spring break trip.

Howard did not play for the Bulldogs last year, but she did play for the Texas Blaze 16U Florida-Johnson club team.

Instead of playing high school softball, she decided to try track and field team and the pole vault. In her first season learning the event, she wound up posting the second-best vault in school history at 9 feet, 6.25 inches.

She also placed third in her weight class at the state weightlifting championships. This year, the all-around athlete is back playing softball with the Bulldogs and providing the team an added dimension with her speed.

“I wanted to play with the seniors this year,” she said. “I knew it would be a special season.”

The Bulldogs have been moving up the state rankings to No. 35 overall and 11th in Class 7A. They travel to Spruce Creek on Thursday, March 30, for what could be their toughest test so far.

The Hawks are led by pitcher Julie Kelley, who threw a five-inning 12-0 perfect game with 13 strikeouts

against DeLand on March 23.

“She is one of the fastest pitchers we’ll see,” Burns said. “She has a lot of movement, so we’ll have to learn how to adjust and read the ball. During practice our coach will bring out the pitching machine and put it up really high and put like rise ball, drop ball, down the middle, and just make us only swing at the good pitches. So, we’ll practice with the really fast machine.”

And they’ll keep doing what they’ve been doing all season.

“We’re just taking it day by day,” Burns said.

Left fielder Aliya Buckles (9) leads off the fourth inning with a triple to the left-field fence.

FPC coach Yessy Paneto speaks to her players after the game.

First baseman Madison Cercy watches the pitch.

FPC’s Madison Cercy fouls off a pitch.

Aun’Yale Howard (21) scores the 12th and final run for FPC in the fifth inning. The Bulldogs won by the 10-run rule.

Photos by Kenz Ojeda

feel like this season, we’ve come together more as a team. We’ve gotten very close. We’ve taken practices very seriously. We’ve been practicing really hard, which is why we’re undefeated now.

Barreling through life

She’s a barrel racer, steer wrestler, mechanic and a race car driver. Michelle Silcox is a force to be reckoned

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Horse power or horsepower?

It is tough for barrel racer

Michelle Silcox to choose.

With a mom who was a barrel racer who operated a horse rescue, along with a dad who is a mechanic, owns his own automotive shop and is a drag racer, it is no surprise that Silcox is passionate about both.

As the proud owner of three horses and three Mustangs, she can be found either at a local rodeo or the Orlando Speed World test driving one of her cars.

“My husband likes his horsepower in cars, and I like my horsepower in horses,” mom Melinda Silcox said. “Putting them both together is kind of a little dangerous.

When Michelle rides her horses, she says she lives her life 16 seconds at a time, and when she drives her race car, she says she lives her life a quarter mile at a time.”

Silcox was raised on a 2-acre property in Bunnell that her parents have owned for 23 years.

When Michelle Silcox was 2 months old, her mom began taking the infant along on horseback rides, and by the time she was 2 years old, she began riding on her own after she told her mom she could do it.

“She was born that way,” Melinda said. “Nothing in life can bring that child down.”

Silcox was 9 when her mom gave her one of her rescue horses, and she began practicing barrel racing in her backyard.

“I learned barrel racing on a rescue horse, with two lawn chairs and a cone in my backyard,” she said. “Cali was my heart horse. She completely started the obsession.”

She began barrel rac -

TRIBUTES

Karyn Jacobs

1943-2023

On Sunday, March 5th, Karyn Jacobs passed away peacefully at the age of 79, with her family at her side. Karyn was predeceased by her parents, Marianne Cooley and Leonard Johnson and her sisters Nancy Ely and Sharyn Thimmesch. She is survived by her husband, Jim Jacobs, her sons Michael of Orlando, FL and Timothy (Megan) of Norwell, MA, and grandsons Henry and Calvin. She was loved beyond measure and will be greatly missed.

Karyn was born and raised in Enumclaw, Washington where she lived and attended high school. After graduating, she moved to Seattle with her sister Sharyn, and held several jobs, including being the first female computer operator at the Boeing Company. She met her future husband Jim and was married in a joint ceremony with her twin sister Sharyn on September 3, 1966. After marriage, Karyn lived in various places from Santa Monica, California to Stamford, Connecticut, where her first and second sons were born, respectively. She also spent time in Tampa, Florida and Wilton, Connecticut before finally moving to Palm Coast, Florida in 1999, where she lived for more than 23 years in the Hammock Dunes community.

ing competitively 10 years ago with the Flagler County Rough Riders, who state online that their mission is to “help members and their families in the areas of equestrian competition and encourage good sportsmanship.”

Silcox set her goal to earn a Grand Champion belt buckle by the age of 23. Last year, she reached her goal at the age of 19.

Silcox recently participated in the Cracker Day Rough Riders games and rodeo. She competed in chute dogging — a form of steer wrestling — breakaway roping, poles, Texas weaves, slingshot and barrel racing. It was her second time wrestling a steer, which she had gotten into because there were not enough participants, and her first time roping, which she had never done with a live cow.

“Poor Moon was terrified of cows,” Melinda said. “But when Michelle entered the arena, she was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do my job.’ As soon as Michelle calmed down, Moon calmed down. This horse came straight off the track in Ocala. She was a racing horse.”

Currently, Michelle Silcox works five days a week at RideNow Powersports in Daytona Beach, rides five days a week, splits the livestock responsibility with her mom and

“I learned barrel racing on a rescue horse, with two lawn chairs and a cone in my backyard. Cali was my heart horse. She completely started the obsession.”

MICHELLE SILCOX

trains in a variety of equestrian sports. Her dad, Ralph Silcox Jr., also taught her how to work on her own cars, so she gets phone calls from her friends at all hours asking for her mechanical expertise.

“It’s a lot of things,” she said. “It’s hard to find people that can keep up with me.”

Silcox would like to be a professional barrel racer and is interested in attend -

ing college for the sport. She is looking at a rodeo college in Texas. Her parents have always taught her to follow her dreams and believe anything is possible.

“Your dreams are not going to chase you; you need to chase your dreams,”

Melinda Silcox said. In May, Michelle is picking up her next challenge — a $125, untouched, wild mustang.

“Her grandmother and everybody says that she is a horse whisperer,” Melinda said. “A friend of ours told her to try to tame one of the wild mustangs. I asked her if she was going to take on the wild mustang, and she said she was going to try. Well, I guess I’ll start building fences.”

September 10, 1935

– March 11, 2023

It is with great sadness that the family of Ruth Jane Humen, 87, announces her unexpected but peaceful passing at the Stuart Meyer Hospice Center in Palm Coast, FL on March 11, 2023. She is at rest with her Lord after an eight year struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Karyn was an avid traveler and always looking for fun things to do with her family and friends. Her wanderlust provided countless special memories that will be cherished forever. When her husband Jim retried, they put their belongings in a storage unit and moved onto their boat where they travelled up and down the Atlantic Coast for two years, exploring different towns and waterways while meeting up with friends along the way. She traveled to countless countries, including a 50th anniversary cruise which lasted for ~30

days and took her on many adventures with her beloved husband Jim.

She was very involved in the Catholic Church, having volunteered and served in parishes ranging from Incarnation Church, in Tampa to Santa Maria Del Mar in Flagler Beach, Florida. Her faith was very important to her and she also spent more than 20 years volunteering for hospice and other faithbased organizations.

A Celebration of Life Mass will be held at the Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church, Flagler Beach on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 11:00 am, followed by a reception in the church social hall. CELEBRATION

Ruth “Ruthie” was born in Morristown, NJ to Andrew Wallace and Grace Keating (nee Thompson) Cowan on September 10, 1935. She married twice, first to Theodore Ostapko and then Nicholas Humen. She was the proud mother to 6 children: Laura Grace Ostapko, Roy A.Ostapko (Dewi), Nicholas Humen (Ann), Laura Mary DeMerritt (Tom), Rebecca Humen and John Humen (Cindy).

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Nicholas Humen and daughter, Rebecca Humen. She is survived by an ever growing family of 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. In 2005 she moved with her daughter, Laura Grace, to Palm Coast, FL to be closer to her only sister, Peg Anderson (Russ) and her son, Roy (Laura Ann).

Ruth held a variety of jobs from professional dress maker and seamstress, to

Ruth held a variety of jobs from professional dress maker and seamstress, to clerk and bookkeeper but her most passionate job was always her role as a homemaker and mother.

clerk and bookkeeper but her most passionate job was always her role as a homemaker and mother. If she wasn’t cooking or baking, she was in her gardens creating her sanctuaries. When she retired to Palm Coast she brought her gardening skills to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park as a volunteer at the “plant bench”. She lived in New Jersey, California and Florida and traveled extensively in the Middle East and Europe with her husband

Nick.

Sometimes in the process of the disease it becomes necessary for a committed team to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Ruth’s family would like to extend a sincere thank you to the staff of Grand Villa of Palm Coast who was devoted to providing Ruth with a safe haven and caring home in her last months. They truly became extended family.

Ruth will be missed by her family, neighbors and friends and remembered for her kind and gentle ways. Heritage Funeral and Cremation Service is assisting the family. A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will be conducted at a later date in Morristown, NJ.

Her faith was very important to her and she also spent more than 20 years volunteering for hospice and other faith-based organizations.

Ruth Jane Humen

Michelle Silcox and her horse Moon try breakaway

“...When Michelle rides her horses, she says she lives her life 16 seconds at a time, and when she drives her race car, she says she lives her life a quarter mile at a time.”

MELINDA SILCOX, Michelle’s mom

By Luis Campos

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

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© 2023 NEA, Inc.

Puzzle One Clue:X equals Y Puzzle Two Clue: D equals V Puzzle Three Clue: J equals V

TPXW TFETKLL

CATCH-ALLS by David Karp, edited by Jeff Chen

Photos by Michele Meyers

Left: Michelle Silcox tries “chute doggin'” for the second time.

Right: Steer wrestler Michelle Silcox is surprised she wrestled the cow to the ground.

Michelle Silcox leads her cousin Gracie Silcox on Moon in the barrel race.

FPC 4x400 SECOND AT FPC RELAYS

Flagler Palm Coast’s 4x400

boys relay team finished second at the FSU Relays with a time of 3:18.98 on March 25.

It was the fastest time among state teams. Hoover, Alabama, won the event in 3:17.84.

The Bulldogs improved on their winning time of 3:21.35 at a rainy Bob Hayes Invitational the previous week.

Other top 11 finishes for FPC at the FSU Relays: Ashton Bracewell, seventh in discus (47.37 meters); Isaiah Joseph, seventh in the 400 hurdles (55.82); Dennis Murray, ninth in the 400 (49.29); 4x800 relay, ninth place (8:18.77); and Drew Droste, 11th in shot put (14.9 meters).

BIG YEAR FOR MAINLAND’S COLUBIALE

Mainland flag football quarterback Ava Colubiale had a tough act to follow replacing Alexis Wilson, who passed for 1,894 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. But Colubiale is ahead of Wilson’s passing yards pace with 1,457 through seven games. Colubiale threw four touchdown passes in a 27-6 win over Celebration on March 24, giving her 15 TDs for the season.

Two Matanzas wrestlers earn honors

Christina Borgmann and Tiana Fries earned All-American honors. Borgmann placed fourth in the 120-pound weight class. Fries placed eighth in the 126-pound class.

Mariah Mills finished among the top 12 wrestlers in the 107-pound class, falling one match short of joining her teammates as an All-American.

The three Matanzas sophomores wrestled under the umbrella of Mike Fries’ Legend Athletics club team.

Each weight class had over 40 wrestlers from around the country competing.

Borgmann followed her state runner-up finish by advancing to the consolation finals at the national tournament, defeating two state champions along the way.

“She did a great job. She shot well, she had a great top game in the tournament. She was able to ride a lot of the girls out. She listened well to the game plan and pulled off some good wins,” Fries said. “She wasn’t nervous, she had a clear head and she just executed correctly.”

Tiana Fries was coming off a fifthplace finish at the state championships a year after winning a state title as a freshman.

She was a little off her game on the first day at nationals, her father Mike Fries said.

She won two of three matches on

CRONK ALLAMERICAN IN FOUR EVENTS

Flagler Palm Coast High School graduate Micayla Cronk, the most decorated swimmer in Flagler County history, earned All-American honors in four events at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships March 15-18.

Photos by Rachel Mills

Tiana Fries (126 pounds), Mariah Mills (107 pounds) and Christina Borgmann (120 pounds) with coach Mike Fries at High School Nationals in Virginia Beach.

Day 1. With the score tied 2-2 in her first match, she pinned her opponent with 14 seconds left. She won her next match in triple overtime.

“I don’t think she took one shot (shooting in on an opponent) the whole day,” Mike Fries said. “On the second day, she had to win three matches to be an All-American. And man, she came out with all cylinders firing, taking good shots, good setup, good defense.”

Tiana Fries pinned Hailey Kagle, a state champ from California, in overtime, to clinch a spot in the top eight. Mills was winning her quarterfinal match when she made a simple error, Mike Fries said.

“It’s college rules,” he said. “As

long as any part of the body is in the circle, (the match is) still going. Mariah was out of bounds, so she kind of stopped wrestling. The girl dove at her legs and took her down. It was just a little mistake. But that girl ended up going to the finals. Mariah wrestled a heck of a tournament.”

All three wrestlers needed to win one match to receive All-American honors and two of them did, which made the moment bittersweet, Mike Fries said.

“It’s hard when three girls go, and they all ended up in the same place,” he said. “Mariah lost a tough match and the other two won, so now you’re celebrating them and Mariah’s still upset about her match. It happened so quick. So, it’s real heartbreaking. You just wish they all could have gotten that All-American status, which is huge.

“As young as these three girls are to come out and do what that did was very impressive,” he said. “It just shows how hard they’ve been working.”

Fries is planning to help coach a combined team of local Legend Athletics wrestlers and wrestlers from a club team in Virginia at the NHSCA National Duals tournament on Memorial Day weekend in Virginia Beach.

The University of Florida sophomore swam the freestyle anchor leg on the 400yard medley relay team that broke a UF school record with a time of 3:28.36. The Gators finished seventh in the event. It was one four All-American relay finishes for Cronk. She also won All-American honors in the 200 freestyle relay (seventh place), the 400 freestyle relay (eighth) and the 800 freestyle relay (sixth). Cronk’s anchor split of 1:43.53 on the 800 relay was the fastest UF split in the event. Cronk also competed in three individual events, finishing 28th in the 100 and 200 freestyle events.

SEABREEZE’S LONG HONORED

The Ormond Beach Lions Club honored Seabreeze High senior Cole Long as its Student Athlete of the Month on March 23.

Long is a standout basketball player and swimmer. He was named MVP of the boys’ basketball team and was a member of Seabreeze’s 200-medley relay team, which finished 15th at the Class 2A state swimming championships.

Long has a 3.92 GPA and is a member of the Seabreeze Surf Club and the Spirit Club. He was also the Sandcrabs’ homecoming king.

He plans to earn his associate’s degree at Daytona State College and then transfer to Florida State. He plans to study business and real estate.

3BR, 2BA home features formal dining room, formal living room & spacious kitchen w/ breakfast nook. Master suite w/ private master bath and large walk in closet. Family room opens to your covered lanai, inground swimming pool and private wooded area behind home. Located on a quiet culde-sac. 600 SF heated garage. MLS#1104064 $425,000 Call Buzzy Porter at 386-405-1000.

STEPS FROM THE BEACH! 3BR, 2BA well maintained home features over 2,400 living square feet. There is also a detached 3-CG. Oak hardwood floors throughout entire home, large living area, dining room, office/den area, kitchen with granite countertops and tons of cabinet and counterspace. Home also has a fenced in backyard. MLS#1106664 $489,000 Call Buzzy Porter at 386-405-1000.

Updated 3BR, 3BA, 3rd floor unit. Large double unit, open split bedroom floor plan. Two balconies w/ oceanviews. Master suite w/ private bath. All baths have been updated including one with safe step walk in shower. Spacious kitchen has been updated w/ granite countertops and SS appliances. Automated hurricane shutters. MLS#1104068

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The oceanfront home of Hawaiian Tropic founder Ron Rice, this 12,000 sqft oceanfront estate is now on the market for the first time! A commanding presence on A1A, the grounds encompass a full acre lot with 200 feet of beach frontage.

Situated on a highly desirable stretch of Ormond Beachside along with other multimillion-dollar residences, the home sits high on the no-drive beach making it your private oasis. Expansive outdoor decking links 3 pools, 2 oceanfront owners suite and more. $4,999,900 Call Bill Navarra 386-334-9991

LPGA BEACHSIDE OCEANVIEW CONDO

ORMOND GREEN

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All-Americans Christina Borgmann (fourth place) and Tiana Fries (eighth place) hold up their plaques and certificates at High School Nationals in Virginia Beach.

REAL ESTATE

House on John Anderson is top seller

Ahouse in Ormond Beach Plaza was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 12-18 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Gary Bowie and Kadie Black, of Nashville, Tennessee, sold 3212 John Anderson Drive to Carmen Browne, as trustee, for $1,900,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/3 and has two fireplaces, a pool, a boat dock, an outdoor fire pit and 3,593 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $1,085,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Beau Rivage Shores

John Erickson, of Crestwood, Kentucky, sold 129 Beau Rivage Drive to Tara Buckley, of Toms River, New Jersey, for $405,000. Built in 1971, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,453 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $385,000.

Condos William and Hazel Kuczmera, individually and as trustees, sold 395 S. Atlantic Ave. Unit 503 to Phillip and Sherrill Westbury, of Ormond Beach, for $550,000. Built in 1982, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,824 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $350,000.

Daytona Pines

David Linwood Hart and Timothy Allen Hart, of Holly Hill, sold 1317 Avenue D to Valery Dragone and Joseph Dragone Jr., of Ormond Beach, for $169,000. Built in 1985, the manufactured home is a 3/2 and has 1,568 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $23,000.

Halifax Plantation Joanne Kurtz, Bernadette Leonard, Julie Blackburn and Fred Preik, of Ormond Beach, sold 3021 Monaghan Drive to Larry and Deborah Hildebrandt, of Ormond Beach, for $395,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,818 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $208,000.

Herrick Townsites Laura Ureta and Bryce Merritt, of Ormond-by-the-Sea, sold 566 S. Ridgewood Ave. to Ryals Cunningham, of Ormond Beach, for $250,000. Built in 1953, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,344 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $170,000.

Hunters Ridge Marjorie and Varun Bhogal, of Pacifica, California, sold 46 Abacus Ave. to Alfred and Helga Fulbright, of Ormond Beach, for $490,000. Built in 2014, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,694 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $4291,200.

Northbrook Painted Leaf LLC, of Rancho Palos

Verdes, California, sold 1300 Wandering Oaks Drive to Whitney and Tyler Steppello, of Ormond Beach, for $399,900. Built in 1979, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,941 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $150,000.

Not in a subdivision Nils Bogetveit, of Boulder, Colorado, sold 361 S. Atlantic Ave. to Mark Bender, of Ormond Beach, for $1,400,000. Built in 1949, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a beach walkover and 1,900 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $807,500.

Ormond Beach Park

Kenneth Paul and Leah Lightsey, of New Smyrna, sold 504 Wild Olive Ave. to Richard Potts, of Ormond Beach, for $415,000. Built in 1967, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,495 square feet. It sold in 2002 for $139,000.

Plantation Bay

Arthur Marr Jr. and Kay Felderman, of Ormond Beach, sold 1285 Harwick Lane to Kathryn BarrettJohnson, as trustee, for $530,000. Built in 2012, the house is a 4/2 and has a fireplace and 2,412 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $350,000.

River Oaks Merl and Teresa Trimmer, of Ormond Beach, sold 305 River Vale Lane to Angelo Cianciatto, of Ormond Beach, for $478,000. Built in 2018, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,383 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $296,100.

Rogers Park Sarah Willis, of Ormond Beach, sold 82 Rogers Park Drive to Jerry and Carolyn Russell, of Ormond Beach, for $245,000. Built in 1955, the house is a 2/1 and has 1,072 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $84,500.

Rosemont James and Penny Agenbroad, of Debary, sold 42 Benjamin Drive to The Sara J. Truhlar Revocable Trust, of Port Orange, for $375,000. Built in 1962, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,416 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $267,000.

Trails North Forty Jack and Olga Beckwith, of Ormond Beach, sold 202 Deer Lake Circle to Nancy DeLuca, as trustee, for $415,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,294 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $210,000.

Cary and Kristin Watkins, of Ormond Beach, sold 134 Deer Lake Circle to Rian and Mina Kubannek and Harold Kubannek, of Ormond Beach, for $394,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,738 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $241,300.

Woodmere Thomas and Christina Remigio, of Ormond Beach, sold 831 East Lindenwood Circle to Morgan Crosbie and Alicia Silverbloom, of Denver, North Carolina, for $380,000. Built in 1975, the house is a 3/2 with a pool and has 1,794 square feet. It sold in 1998 for $108,888.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Standefer Investment Company, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, sold 1239 Ocean Shore Blvd. Unit 8-F-6 to Marianne and Daniel Winfield, of Ormond Beach, for $434,900. Built in 1984, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,699 square feet. It sold in 1996 for $156,000.

Candy Weaver, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, sold 27 Tarpon Ave. to Glenn and Karen Osborne, of Ormond Beach, for $400,000. Built in 1970, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,329 square feet. It sold in 2007 for $239,000.

CCH BIZ, LLC, of Daytona Beach, sold 1209 River Breeze Blvd. to Christopher Shuster, of Daytona Beach, for $481,000. Built in 1956, the house is a 3/3 and has 1,695 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $350,000.

John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.

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3BD/2BA sits on 1/2 an acre lot with a fully fenced in backyard and HEATED POOL. Tile flooring throughout & a full 2 car garage! $489,000

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The house has two fireplaces, a pool, boat dock and 3,593 square feet.

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LIGHT WOOD 3 sectional cabinet and shelves 44”H x 72”L $150 386-676-1363

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Announcements

EFFECTIVE MARCH 31, 2023, Sharrell Cooper, MD will no longer see patients at AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Palm Coast located at 120 Cypress Edge Drive, Suite 202, Palm Coast, FL