State College studio arts students Ariana Marrero (left) and Michael Grayless (right) do live sketches of dancers at the “Timeless Gestures” event held at the Southeast Museum of Photography on Saturday, July 26. Photo by Michele Meyers
BRIEFS
Palm Coast burglar caught in less than 12 hours
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a repeat offender after he was caught on camera committing a burglary of a Palm Coast residence July 24 on on Colleen Court.
According to the victim, the suspect, later identified as Austin Brammer, 35, of Palm Coast, stole a box of watches. Surveillance video showed that Brammer arrived at the home at 10:37 a.m. in a white Chevrolet SUV, backed into a driveway across the street, and waited for the victim to leave the residence.
Analysts in FCSO’s Real Time Crime Center assisted General Assignment Unit detectives to locate the vehicle and identified Brammer as the suspect. He was also an
YOUR TOWN
Record-breaking
grant awarded to Volusia Free Clinic
Volusia County Women Who Care presented a recordbreaking grant of $35,007.95 to the Volusia Free Clinic during a ribbon cutting event at the clinic’s new facility on July 17. The grant is the largest quarterly gift in VCWWC history and marks a major milestone in the organization’s mission to fund and elevate nonprofits serving Volusia County, a VCWWC press release said. The group also awarded two supplemental grants of $1,250 each from its Community Partner Impact Fund to Halifax Urban Ministries and the Early Learning
active fugitive wanted for felony violation of probation from a prior arrest.
Through investigative means, detectives determined that Brammer had pawned eight stolen watches at a Palm Coast pawn shop in the hours following the burglary.
“This dirtbag thought he was hitting an easy target, but he didn’t realize we use guardianship policing, and the victim had cameras, and we do too,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. Brammer has 10 prior arrests — eight in Flagler.
Flager County cancels ‘Boots on the Ground’
Flagler County officials revoked the permit for the “Boots on the Ground Line Dancing Competition” just one day before it was scheduled to begin on July 26 at the Flagler County Fairgrounds.
Coalition of Flagler & Volusia, in support of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
VCWWC President Teresa Smith presented the checks.
“This grant is just one part of the incredible story of how our members responded to a need,” Smith said. “Through their connections, support, and commitment to local impact, Volusia Free Clinic secured donated clinic space, a full build-out including plumbing, electrical work, flooring, and painting — and even donated medical equipment and furnishings. That’s the power of collective giving.”
Flagler Humane Society honored
The Flagler Humane Society achieved a 90% save rate in 2024 and has been recognized as an “elite organization” by the Best Friends Animal Society. The Flagler Humane Soci-
The cancellation, based on public safety concerns, has drawn backlash on social media, with critics accusing the county of racial discrimination, as the event was expected to draw a primarily Black audience.
The “Boots on the Ground Line Dancing Competition,” organized by Troy Reddin— stage name “Fat A--”—was initially approved as a small, alcohol-free line dancing competition capped at 500 attendees. County officials, however, said that promotionals for the event told a very different story, advertising alcohol vendors, ATV trail rides, and attendance in the thousands.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly voiced his concerns in a letter to County Chairman Andy Dance and the Board of Commissioners, citing several inconsistencies between the event permit and its advertising.
ety has received this recognition in the past, including in 2022 and 2023, a Flagler Humane Society press release said. The title represents “a culture of caring and compassion,” according to Julie Castle, Best Friends Animal Society CEO.
The achievement is given to “an elite group of organizations in the United States that leads the way to making the country a no-kill nation,” the press release said. “No kill” is defined as a 90% save rate for animals entering the shelter.
“We consistently strive to exceed Florida and National benchmarks for save rates,” Flagler Humane Society
Executive Director Amy Carotenuto said, “and we’re humbled that our passion and dedication to save and adoptout pets are recognized by an esteemed and respected national organization such as Best Friends Animal Society.”
“This permit should have been cancelled! In fact, it should have been denied from the very beginning,” Staly wrote.
In a public safety notice, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office communicated that the previously permitted line dancing event had been canceled due to an improper permit application and concerns with public safety.
After some public confusion and speculation about who canceled the event itself, the Sheriff’s Office clarified in a media advisory that it had been Deputy County Administrator Jorge Salinas who pulled the plug, emphasizing that the Sheriff’s Office has no authority to cancel events permitted by Flagler County government. But some Facebook users were less than impressed.
“I really hope a good explanation for this comes out, but this really smells of denying
COPS CORNER
JULY 21
OPEN AND SHUT
11:14 p.m. – 800 block of Pine Drive, Ormond Beach
Possession of an open container. An Ormond Beach man was arrested after a Sheriff’s Office deputy found him asleep in the passenger seat of his truck with an open bottle of alcohol.
When the deputy woke the man, the man said, “I should probably grab this,” picked up the bottle and put the lid back on it. The deputy placed the man under arrested for possession of an open container and had the truck towed.
JULY 23
SHARING IS NOT ALWAYS CARING
6:28 a.m. – 1600 block of
a permit last minute because you didn’t like who was attending,” wrote Dylan Edward Howeller.
Following the backlash, Staly is calling for a review, and potential rewrite, of the county’s event permit rules.
Volusia launches flood mitigation newsletter
Volusia County is launching a newsletter beginning in August to keep residents informed about flood mitigation efforts and stormwater management initiatives across the community.
The newsletter will feature updates on ongoing maintenance activities, infrastructure improvements, Transform386-funded flood mitigation projects, and helpful resources for homeowners. Each issue will provide insights into how the county is working to mitigate the im-
North U.S. 1, Ormond Beach
Cocaine possession. An Ormond Beach woman was caught buying cocaine immediately after leaving a hotel room.
The woman admitted to purchasing cocaine and splitting it with the man in the parking lot. The man had ditched his half of the cocaine when the officers approached them and denied ever receiving anything from the woman or possessing any narcotics. Because the officers could not locate the drugs the man had ditched, he was released and the woman was arrested and taken to jail.
JULY 23
SPEEDY SUSPENSION
2:03 a.m. – Interstate 95, Mile Marker 284, Palm Coast Driving with a suspended license. A Tallahassee woman caught speeding at 101 mph on the highway by a Florida Highway Patrol officer was
pacts of future storm events and enhance local resilience through both short-term and long-term strategies. Sign up at www.volusia.org/ stormwaternewsletter.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office employees donate $24,030 Flagler County Sheriff’s Office employees donated $24,030 to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, making FCSO employees’ total donations approximately $204,000 since 2017. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly presented the latest employee donation check during association’s semi-annual meeting.
“The agency and I have supported the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches for years, and at the heart of our agency is the belief that every child deserves an opportunity to succeed,” said Sheriff Rick Staly.
arrested for driving with a suspended license. When the officer pulled over the convertible and asked for the driver’s license, the woman said she had “taken care of” her license issues earlier that day in Miami-Dade County, an arrest report said. The officer looked up the woman’s license and found it had been suspended in 2022 for multiple traffic violations and was still suspended. The woman’s mother, who was a passenger in the convertible, was able to drive the convertible away as the suspect was taken to the county jail.
JULY 25 HIDE AND SEEK 4:31 a.m. – Interstate 95, Mile Marker 293, Palm Coast Drug possession. A Jacksonville woman was arrested during a traffic stop when a Sheriff’s Office canine found weed and fentanyl hidden in her genitals.
Where are the biggest flooding risks in Flagler County? What can be done?
Flagler County flooding vulnerability assessment could help Palm Coast tackle vulnerable areas.
SIERRA WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A regional resiliency organization is conducting a flood risk assessment on Flagler County that could help shape how municipalities address vulnerable areas.
The Northeast Florida Regional Council has been putting together data on Flagler County for a vulnerability assessment. The assessment is a study that reviews the impacts of different types of flooding on a community, said Andrew Prokopiak, a senior resiliency planner with the Northeast Florida Regional Council.
The state requires each municipality to have its own vulnerability assessment, Prokopiak said, though the county assessment fulfills the legal requirements for the cities. He presented information on the assessment to the Palm Coast City
Council on July 22.
The NEFRC is working with Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties to perform vulnerability assessments and collect data that would be free and readily accessible to use. The assessments are available to view online at www.resilientfirstcoast. com or through the NEFRC’s website at www.nefrc.org/resiliency.
For Flagler County, he said, the NEFRC is putting together a vulnerability assessment, a compound flooding assessment and an adaptation plan that prioritizes flooding impacting transportation, critical infrastructure and the beaches. While the NEFRC is still finalizing the adaptation plan, the assessments are already completed.
“Having this model really will allow our municipalities and Flagler County to prioritize implementation and grant funding and target specific things that will be needed in the future to protect against some of these flood hazards,” Prokopiak said.
WHAT IS IT?
These assessments show the data of where areas are prone to flood -
FLOODING IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
As Flagler County is undergoing a flooding vulnerability assessment and another hurricane season gets under way, the problems facing Palm Coast stormwater infrastructure remain a concern in many residents minds.
Currently, the city has multiple flooding improvement projects on its Capital Improvement Plan, one of which was completed in January and two more are about to begin construction. Below is a list of those projects, their status and their projected costs, based on city documents and communications with city staff.
The London Waterway Extension: Completed January 2025
The London Waterway extension added a 13-acre lake inside the London Drive and Leaver Drive neighborhood. The project cost $8.4 million, $904,000 of which was grant funding and the remainder of which was from the Stormwater Management Fund. The project was initially estimated to cost $9 million to complete.
The lake, according to information from the city stormwater department, provides additional flood storage by providing over 21 million gallons of capacity to the canal system. The project included two overlook docks and two islands within the lake.
Colbert West Conveyance Improvement: Construction to start in fall 2025. Located in the Woodlands neighborhood by Graham Swamp, this is the replacement of four existing 72” concrete pipes at the west side of the Colbert Lane and Waterfront Park Road intersection with four 7-foot-by-12-foot
concrete box culverts. Replacing these pipes will increase stormwater conveyance from the city’s old B Section – The Woodlands –to Graham Swamp at a faster rate and help alleviate flooding for the surrounding 879 homes.
The project is at the beginning of the construction phase. It is estimated to cost $4.3 million from the Stormwater Management Fund, according to the Capital Project dashboard. It is estimated to be completed in 2027.
K Section Drainage Improvements: Construction to start in fall 2025
In Palm Coast’s K Section, four sites have been selected to upsize stormwater conveyance pipes in addition to an overall evaluation of the ditches in the K Section.
The city is in the permitting phase of the project, which is 95% complete, before it can move into the construction phase. The four conveyances move stormwater into nearby Lakes Kankakee and Kaffir Lilly Lake, according to maps on the Capital Project Dashboard.
The project is expected to cost $1.9 million from the Stormwater Management Fund. So far, $118,000 have been used.
Palm Coast has another four projects planned that are still in the design, permitting and study stages. These projects include drainage improvements at Citation Boulevard and in the LL Section, waterway capacity improvements at London, Jefferson Davis and Bellaire Drives, and capacity improvements on the Little Canal, according to an email from Palm Coast stormwater Engineer Carmelo Morales.
Celebrating dads
DWALY Foundation to host ‘Fatherhood Fiesta’ event at The Casements.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
When Darius Kelley’s daughter was born in 2010, he wanted her to have something that would connect them forever.
Perhaps, he thought, a necklace. He visited a Things Remembered store, and when faced with what he would engrave on it, he initially drew a blank.
“So I said, ‘You know what? I’m just going to put ‘Daddy will always love you’ on the necklace,’” he recalled.
But, that was too many words. So, he shortened it to DWALY.
And that’s how the name of his nonprofit foundation was born.
On Saturday, Aug. 9, the DWALY Foundation will host its second annual Fatherhood Fiesta from 11 a.m.. to 3 p.m. at The Casements, located at 25 Riverside Drive in Ormond Beach. The free event aims to spotlight fatherhood, empower single fathers and bring families
ing, and how much flooding, across different storm events: rainfallinduced flooding, storm surgeinduced flooding and tidal flooding.
Using predictions of different types of storm events — 100-year and 500-year — and other areas of concern, like the rise in sea levels, the data is used to generate maps that show the impact to critical assets, like wastewater treatment plants and evacuation routes. The assessments use two different types of analyses: an exposure analysis to find the depth of water areas would be exposed to and a sensitivity analysis to find how easily an asset would “bounce back” after a storm.
“For example, the sensitivity of a green space park is going to be far different than the sensitivity of a historic downtown district with old buildings that will not bounce back nearly as fast,” he said.
With these assessments, the state will have a comprehensive list of vulnerable acres for each county with completed assessments.
“This is to get hard, concrete data,” he said.
The more concerning type of flood events, though, are called compound flood events: flooding from multiple flood events that occur simultaneously. And the data show that compound floods are not as simple as adding the depths of two flood events together, he said.
The maps of the compound flood events depict flood waters expand
there was a lack of knowledge, there was a lack of resources and we wanted to close that gap.”
Fatherhood is a huge responsibility, Kelley said.
together by hosting workshops and seminars, having an on-site resource fair, as well as feature live entertainment and a kids’ zone with crafts, games and activities. There will also be vendors and food trucks.
For Kelley, of Ormond Beach, he hopes this year’s event is a celebration of fatherhood.
“Not all dads are in a position, such as myself where I get to see my kids every day, and I have the privilege of seeing them grow up on an everyday basis,” Kelley said. “There are a lot of dads out there that want to have that privilege, that want to do the right thing in their kids’ lives, but they just don’t have the resources or the knowledge to do so.”
The idea for the DWALY Foundation was born in 2013, but Kelley left his job in corporate America last year to dedicate his full efforts to his nonprofit, which was created after he noticed there was little help for single fathers who needed resources and help to take care of their children,.
“There was nothing there to actually assist them in getting the results they needed,” he said. “From the perspective of a father, resources needed to actually go to court, fight for their rights and things like that, because
“But it’s also the most rewarding thing that could ever happen for a dad,” he said. “It’s one of those things that is unlike any other thing that will ever happen in a man’s life. It’s a joy that you could never fathom feeling, and before I was a dad, I didn’t understand that. Once I became a dad, I understood what all those different pieces mean when they come together in the formation of the father that any man would hope to be.”
Kelley’s first became a father on Jan. 1, 2004. It was the happiest day of his life.
Two and half months later, on St. Patrick’s Day, his son died from sudden infant death syndrome.
“It was tragic — went from the happiest moment of my life to the absolute lowest point of my life that I could ever imagine,” Kelley said.
When his daughter was born six years later, it was a scary time.
“I was a ninja dad,” he said. “I was always creeping up on the crib, looking to make sure her chest was moving up and down.”
Kelley, now a father of three, recently launched his own podcast as well: “The Weight of the Title: Raw Stories from Real Dads.”
“I get emails from dads all over
out and impact much larger areas than in single flood events. In some areas, he said, compound flood events add 5 feet of additional flooding.
“As you can see,” he said, “it is far more exacerbated in a compound flood event than just a single storm event.”
The assessments show, in Flagler County, that the coastal communities in Flagler, including east Palm Coast, will continue to be at risk for coastal and storm flooding.
A map specifically depicting Palm Coast flood modeling in a 100-year storm inundation shows most of the city’s critical infrastructure in areas that would be prone to 6.1-8.0 feet of flooding.
The adaptation plan requested by the county won’t be finalized until December, he said, but it will include a list of items targeted to address the flood vulnerabilities identified in the assessments.
HOW CAN WE USE IT?
The data, Prokopiak said, can be used in many ways to help protect against future flooding, including to make it easier to get funding to address problem areas.
The county and municipalities will be able to use the data to back up changes to land development codes, comprehensive plans and stormwater master plans. The data can also be used to support grant applications for funding.
Council member Ty Miller said this was a step in the right direction for gaining state funding.
“I think it’ll help us to access some of those dollars,” Miller said.
Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri asked how the studies could be used in the context of controlling growth, and Prokopiak said it could be used to protect vulnerable areas or to require developers to add additional storm water mitigation projects — a carrot or a stick, he said.
“That’s going to be key for us,” Pontieri said. “Particularly as we get more and more handcuffed from Tallahassee as to how we can control growth in our community.”
Pontieri asked staff to keep an eye out for ways to use the data to support initiatives and also asked staff to look into possibly purchasing open infill lots or other spaces to use as green spaces and additional stormwater runoff sites.
Adding any sort of rooted structure or greenery goes a long way in flood mitigation, Prokopiak said.
Councilman Dave Sullivan, who previously served on the Board of County Commissioners, said it is important to have city representation on the NEFRC and to ensure grant applications are supported by independent data.
“If you don’t have some kind of independent analysis like this, you really get hurt when you go up against other people looking for the grants,” he said.
the country that don’t know what to do because they just want to be in the lives of their children,” Kelley said. “So what we do differently is we are boots on the ground. We take the funds that the foundation raises, we change these dads’ lives one at a time, depending on what their needs are.”
For example, if a father is facing parental alienation (he’s prevented from seeing his children) and he can’t afford an attorney, Kelley meets with them to find out the needs and, if resources allow, help pay for an
attorney.
That’s why he hopes people come out to support the upcoming Fatherhood Fiesta, and especially, that dads come out with their kids and have a good time.
“And I hope the dads that are in positions such as myself will open up their their minds and their hearts, and their wallets to be honest, to donate to the foundation so that we can help other dads that are not as fortunate as we are when it comes to their children,” Kelley said. Visit dwalyfoundation.org.
Darius Kelley and his family: daughter Nylah Kelley, partner Erica Firouzadj, son Dez Kelley and daughter Delara Kelley. Courtesy photo
A map depicting the impact to transportation assets during a flood event for a 500-year storm. Red areas show 2 feet or less of water while purple areas show over 10 feet of water. Image from vulnerability assessment presentation
Board OKs tentative budget of $1.175 billion
Volusia Schools budget decreased nearly $361 million from last year.
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The Volusia County School Board approved a tentative budget and millage rate on Tuesday, July 29. Its budget of $1,175,237,213 for the 202526 fiscal year is a decrease of nearly $361 million from last year. The district’s total millage rate of 5.279 is 2.99% higher than the roll-back rate which is the rate that would generate the same amount of revenue as last year as applied to current taxable property value. The total millage rate and the state-mandated Required Local Effort millage rate of 3.027 are 0.006 mills lower than last year.
“Our portion went down,” board member Ruben Colon said. “Nobody will tell you that. It doesn’t sell newspapers.” The RLE tax is projected to raise $211,346,359. The district’s capital improvement tax of 1.5 mills is projected to raise $104,592,392.
The reduced budget of $1.175 billion is partly due to a reduction of students due to the voucher program. The district enrollment has decreased each year since 2022-23. The district expects over 1,400 fewer students this year than last.
Chief Financial Officer Todd Seis said the budget’s emphasis is on staffing, student learning conditions, operational efficiency and stakeholder engagement.
Eighty-one percent of the budget goes to salaries.
The budget breaks down to $635,350,398 in the general fund, $49,427,506 in the debt service fund, $361,949,672 in the capital projects fund, $208,747,010 in the special revenue fund which includes federal programs and $19,762,627 in the internal service fund which includes self insurance and workers’ compensation.
Superintendent Carmen Balgobin said there is still a lot of uncertainty with final recalculations from last year not yet released. The board unanimously approved the tentative budget and millage rate. The final adoption of both is set for Sept. 9.
Fire rate debate nearly stalls county budget process
In setting its maximum millage rate, Volusia County Council ultimately adopted the same rate as last year. it could go down.
SIERRA WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
After a seemingly deadlocked debate over the fire services fund, the Volusia County Council has adopted a tentative, maximum millage rate of 3.2007 for the 2026 fiscal year, the same rate as last year’s budget.
With Councilman Jake Johansson absent from the July 22 meeting, the remaining six members were divided on whether or not to adopt the fire service fund’s millage as the proposed roll-back rate of 3.6236 or to adopt the current rate of 3.8412 for the fund instead.
Three members — Matt Reinhart, Danny Robins and David Santiago — wanted to adopt the flat rate for fire services fund, as the council could always reduce the rate at the September budget meetings, while the remaining council members — Troy Kent, Don Dempsey and Chair Jeff Brower — wanted to adopt the roll-back rate as presented.
“When I hear staff say, ‘We have all the funding we need for what has already been asked for,’” Kent said, “that was key for me. Staff answered the question.”
The meeting on July 22 was only to adopt the maximum millage rates; the council is able to reduce the rate further if needed by the final budget meetings.
The county’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 is
$1.4 billion, with 47% being the general fund budget of $203 million, which is one of 10 funds funded by ad valorem taxes. Volusia County’s Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Ossowski, said the county is maintaining its 3.2007 rate from the 2025 budget, mainly because of declining revenue in other areas: sales tax fund transfer decreases, state revenue sharing decline and a decrease in constitutional officer fees.
Of the other nine ad valorem funds, five were proposed with roll-back millage rates for the 2026 budget: the library fund, decreasing from 0.3891 to 0.3697; the Ponce DeLeon Inlet & Port District, from 0.0692 to 0.0660; the Silver Sands Bethune Beach MSD, from 0.0106 to 0.0099; the East Volusia Mosquito Control fund, from 0.1647 to 0.1573; and the fire services fund, from 3.8412 to 3.6236.
It was the fire services fund that set the council on the precipice of two back-toback failed motions. Robins and Reinhart said that they would like to see the fund set at the flat rate to give the fire services building budget extra funding.
“There’s lot of buildings going up around us,” Reinhart said. “And I don’t want to be short changing them.”
County manager George Recktenwald said the fire services building budget and timeline works with the proposed budget, with multiple projects already fully funded. Changing the rate from the roll-back rate would allow additional funding that could speed up some projects, he said, but the issues facing the building timeline often had less to do with funding and more to do with finding appropriate locations for new stations. There are around
20 fire stations that need upgrades, he said.
Robins pointed out that the cost of land — as well as equipment and construction costs — are likely to keep increasing. Santiago said keeping the rate flat would give the council flexibility to further review the budget between now and the final adoption.
The opposing council members wanted the rolled back rate. Kent said he trusted the fire chief to propose a budget that meets all the needs of the county.
“I can’t support that at this time because I don’t think it’s financially the prudent thing to do,” he said.
Dempsey said he’d like to see the council cut back on taxes where possible to help out its citizens.
“I think we’re on the cusp of another recession,” he said. “I think out taxpayers are going to be hit with a rough economy over the next couple of years.”
The first vote to approve the fire services fund with the flat rate failed in a tied vote, 3-3. But the next steps were murky, as another vote to approve the fund with the roll-back rate would have also ended in a 3-3 failed vote.
A tentative millage rate is required by state statute to be set 35 days after the property appraiser sends in the final property values, giving the council until Aug. 4 to set the maximum rates. The statutes also do not require the council to be the ones to certify and set the maximum rates, just to adopt the final millage rates, Ossowski said. Setting a rate is the job of the budget officer — the county manager.
Traditionally, he said, the council has always set the maximum millage rates. Legally speaking, the budget officer is the one required to
“Unless I am moved tremendously, I’m still going to be in favor of roll-back.”
TROY KENT, Volusia County councilman
certify a maximum rate by the 35-day deadline, not the council. But it would have been the first time a county manager would have needed to input a rate not set by the council, he said. There was some debate on whether or not the council should hold a special meeting when Johansson returned, but another council member was likely to be out in that time span.
After researching what would happen if a rate wasn’t set — which could have prevented the council from levying a tax at all — Ossowski said that, ultimately, erring on the side of caution to give the council enough flexibility in the future, the county manager, as the budget officer, would have instituted the flat rate of 3.8412 for the fund if the council failed to pass a millage rate for the fund. In order to avoid setting that precedent, Kent, who voted against the flat rate fee, motioned to reconsider instituting the flat rate for the fire services fund. The council then unanimously adopted the flat rate as the maximum millage rate for the fund.
“Unless I am moved tremendously, I’m still going to be in favor of roll-back,” Kent said, referencing the adoption of the final millage rates. The council unanimously approved the other nine funds without changes and the budget meetings to adopt the final millage rates and the budget have been set for Sept. 4 and 16 at 5:01 p.m.
Courtesy of VCS
Flagler Beach rejects county’s plan
Should the voters decide on a half-cent sales tax to fund beach management?
NINA SCHWELM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Flagler Beach city commissioners are not in favor of a Flagler County plan that would have given their taxpayers a $1.4 million annual bill for beach upkeep. The confrontation leaves the county’s coastal management strategy in jeopardy. In a countermove, Flagler Beach commissioners insisted the county put a half-cent sales tax to a county-wide voter referendum, a maneuver that would return the funding crisis to the County Commission.
The county’s ultimatum came from Deputy County Administrator Jorge Salinas, who specified a $2.4 million local match for immedi-
BRIEFS
Flagler Beach fines lead to foreclosure
Flagler Beach city officials refused to forgive more than
ate construction needs and the recurring $1.4 million for future sand renourishment.
He presented several mechanisms for the city to raise the funds, from special assessments to new property taxes. You “need to participate in providing the funding for the portions that you are responsible from a Flagler Beach perspective,” Salinas said.
Commissioner Eric Cooley framed the opposition not as a financial dispute but as a matter of principle.
“I view this program as... quickly becoming disproportionate and unequitable because that does not align with who is on the beach,” Cooley said.
Resident Paul McCickka echoed the sentiment during public comment. “The beach is a county amenity... this is a county wide amenity that should be supported by all and not disproportionately.”
Rather than debating the terms of the county, city commissioners united around a
$350,000 in code enforcement fines on a derelict, storm-damaged home, putting an end to a nonprofit’s plan to demolish the structure, and cleared the path for foreclosure. The unanimous rejection came after commissioners cited years of
single path forward.
“Oh, tell you which one I like. That’s the referendum,” Commissioner Rick Belhumeur said.
Commissioner Scott Spradley supported the position, calling the referendum the “one option” while the other four “fall way by the wayside.”
This demand for a public vote on a sales tax heeds back to the original, broader funding plan the County Commission itself was unable to pass due to internal disagreement.
Sensing the unified opposition, the county’s delegation shifted its tone. Deputy County Attorney Sean Moylan attempted to de-escalate the situation. “We weren’t intending for you to make any sort of decisions... it’s just a conversation,” Moylan said.
The meeting ended in a stalemate, leaving the future of all 18 miles of county coastline uncertain.
Email letters to the editor to brent@observerlocalnews. com.
defiance from the property’s absentee owner.
The proposal, brought by Realtor Tracy CallahanHennessey on behalf of the charity Kars4Kids, offered a swift end to the neglected property at 1336 S. Flagler Ave. The nonprofit was willing
Pier A-frame renovation postponed
Proposed project is now almost double the original budget.
NINA SCHWELM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
City of Flagler Beach commissioners vote 5-0 to delay the approval of a $2.8 million service building design plan following a commission meeting on July 24. The proposal was sent back to the drawing board after the project was revealed
to be almost double the original budget of $1.5 million.
The project, intended to complement the iconic Flagler Beach A-frame, gave rise to cost concerns, with Commissioner Eric Cooley calling it a “bait and switch.”
“My issue isn’t with this little piece of a design,” Cooley said. “My issue is the price tag that we’re signing the taxpayers up for. We have a lot of needs around the city that are far, far more important than bells and whistles on a utili-
The cost of this A-frame renovation and enhancement was challenged by Flagler Beach officials. Rendering from city documents
to accept the deed and pay for demolition, but only if the city reduced the accrued fines to just $10,000.
Commissioner Rick Belhumeur said he lives down the street from the structure and recounted its long history of neglect, from flooding during
Hurricane Irma in 2017 to the owner sending “nasty letters” in response to city notices.
“I’m not at all for forgiveness on this one. Absolutely not,” Belhumeur said. “We can use it for stormwater. Somewhere down the line.”
The decision signals the
tarian service building.”
Architect Joseph Pozzuoli presented a design featuring natural cypress siding, stone veneer, and multiple low-sloped roofs meant to pay homage to old Florida architecture. In response to prior feedback, his team had already lowered the roofline by 3.5 feet to preserve sightlines of the historic “Flagler Beach” sign on the A-frame. The plan included expanded restrooms, new commercial spaces, and a breezeway connecting to a new promenade.
Commissioner Rick Belhumeur noted “five different roof lines” and potential consequences of draining rainwater near the A-frame.
Other Commissioner Scott Spradley was more receptive. Mayor Patti King also defended the quality of the design, saying: “I don’t like the idea of people looking back, going, ‘They didn’t upgrade or make anything any better.’ But, cost is a huge component of this project.”
city will now proceed with foreclosure, aiming to take ownership of the lot rather than grant what Commissioner Scott Spradley called a potential “windfall to the party that’s created this mess to begin with.”
European Village Palm Coast, FL
from 12-4
Is your business ready for a storm?
Flagler Emergency Management wants to know how it can help.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Flagler County has launched a new business survey as part of its emergency preparedness this hurricane season.
The 15 questions ask business owners how they prepared for emergencies and how their local governments can help with disaster preparedness. In 2023, Flagler County sustained had almost $19 million in private property damage from Hurricane Milton, to residences and businesses alike.
The survey opened July 18 and will remain open until Aug. 17. Responses are anonymous and the link to the survey — forms.office.com/g/ wqT35sfbEv — is available on Flagler County Emergency Management’s Facebook page.
In an email, Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord wrote that the purpose of the survey is to better understand what local businesses need before, during and after disasters to help improve Flagler County’s outreach and resources.
The Emergency Management Department has also partnered with the Palm
Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce to help spread the survey to local business owners. Chamber
President John Phillips said a partnership between the two organizations first came up when he was touring the Emergency Management building. For the moment, the chamber is helping disseminate the survey, spreading the word and encouraging business owners to fill it out.
“We’re happy to try to help bridge that gap between folks at Emergency Management and the residents and businesses,” Phillips said. It’s important for residents and businesses alike to prepare for storms ahead of time, Phillips said. For a business, in addition to possibly boarding over the windows, that could include ensuring that data is
backed up. Each business is unique and might require different needs.
“The first step is preparation,” he said. “The next step is who do you call when there’s a need?”
Many challenges facing businesses right after a natural disaster are in most cases infrastructure related, Phillips said, in which case he hopes the chamber could help connect business owners to Emergency Management staff, municipalities and other resources.
Phillips also said the chamber would be happy to help in other ways in the future, including with workshops or educational seminars for businesses to know what resources are available.
So far, Flagler County has received 50 responses to the survey, he wrote. Once it closes on Aug. 17, the county will review the survey results and intends to follow up with actions that could include planning assistance and tailored outreach materials.
The survey, Lord wrote, also offers assistance from the Flagler County Emergency Management to help create a Continuity Plan tailored to local businesses.
“We ultimately want to improve our local businesses’ resilience,” Lord wrote.
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BRIEFS
Florida Skin Cancer Institute adds new non-surgical treatment option
Florida Skin Cancer Institute on Old Kings Road in Palm Coast has added a non-invasive treatment option for its patients.
Dr. Johnny Bernard Jr. has integrated Image-Guided Superficial Radiotherapy technology into his clinic, which is a non-surgical, “see and treat” method, according to a Florida Skin Care press release. This approach enables “highly precise treatment of affected areas” with “painless and effective” methods that reduce the risk of surgical scarring, even in cosmetically or functionally sensitive areas such as the face, neck, and chest.
The treatment is for squamous and basal cell skin cancer and keloid scarring and has no downtime, surgical scarring, bleeding or cutting, the press release said. The community has a growing need for advanced skin cancer care options, Bernard said.
“We are committed to delivering the best possible care to our patients, and with the addition of the SRT-100 Vision (IG-SRT), we can now provide treatments that are not only effective but also preserve cosmetic appearance and
• AW Custom Kitchens
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function,” Bernard said.
To learn more about our IG-SRT technology, visit the clinic at floridaskincancer. com or call at 386-229-5910.
PGA Tour Champions event moves to Hammock Beach Ocean Course in 2026
The Constellation Furyk & Friends PGA Tour Champions event will be played at the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa beginning in 2026 under a new multi-year agreement, tournament officials announced.
The tournament, which started in 2021, has raised over $5 million for North Florida charities. It returns to the Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville on Sept. 29-Oct. 5 before moving to the Jack Nicklaus signature-designed
Ocean Course next year.
“We’re proud of what we’ve built and excited for the opportunity to continue growing at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa,” tournament host Jim Furyk said in a press release. “Our players will love the Ocean Course.”
The award-winning Ocean Course winds along pristine wetlands and sparkling lakes and features six holes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean — the most in Florida. The Ocean Course has previously hosted the Ginn Championship (PGA Tour Champions, 2007–2008) and the Ginn sur Mer Classic (PGA Tour, 2008).
“We’re honored to welcome players, guests, volunteers and the community for the Constellation Furyk & Friends ... and we look forward to delivering an unforgettable experience on and off the green,” said Brad Hauer, director of golf at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa.
• Red Koi Sushi & Hibachi
• The Glam Studio Hair Salon
• The Village Pub
• Turtle Shack Cafe
• Village Jewelry
Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Courtesy photo
An aerial photo of damage from Hurricane Milton in Flagler Beach. Courtesy of Flagler County
Let’s keep the tax rate flat
BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER
What is a mayor’s job? Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie sees it this way: Provide relief, where possible, with taxes.
That’s why, he said, although he joined the unanimous vote to set the tentative tax rate at 10% higher than last year’s 4.161 mills, he’s planning to advocate that the City Commission keep the tax rate the same as last year.
Leslie invited the Observer to his office on Monday, July 28, to talk about his ideas for saving money, and his thoughts on the state of the city. What follows is an edited transcript, for clarity and length.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON VOTING FOR THE 10% INCREASE IN THE TENTATIVE TAX RATE?
I figured that this would be just our starting point. This is the highest it can be, and let’s kind of work down from there. But even if I voted no, I was the last vote, anyway. So, it was going to pass no matter what. I figured that this would just be a good way to work as a legislative body saying, “Let’s all collectively start on the same page here and then see where it ends.”
THE BUDGET SUPPORTS FIRST RESPONDERS IN A BIG WAY. WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR YOU WHEN IT COMES TO FIRST RESPONDERS?
A big part of the additional millage is $2.8 million for first responders. That includes $1 million in final costs related to pay increases that took effect in 2024 (after the budget cycle). The collective bargaining agreement covering their pensions makes up the other $1.8 million, which will also be estimated till those contracts are finalized. Public
Works is also included in that amount.
And this is one of the reasons why I think these contracts should come up way before budget season, so we know exactly what we’re going to be spending on these agreements that we made.
We don’t know what that final number is going to be.
WHERE IS THE BUDGET INCREASING?
The vehicle replacements are about $430,000 or so.
We have some additional costs with the animal shelter, Halifax Humane Society. We’re at $115,000 now, and I think it’s somewhere around a half of that number in the past. You know, so there’s been an increase with that.
The commission has expressed enhancing the code enforcement to more of a proactive approach. That’s $200,000. City staff hasn’t really indicated what they’re going to do with that yet.
They want to have a security system here at City Hall; that’s just over $100,000.
“If I can at least provide some kind of relief, I’m going to do it.”
JASON LESLIE, mayor of Ormond Beach
They want to hire two new positions — two parks maintenance people and an IT analyst. That adds another $210,000.
But what happens with these things, though, is that if we hire these three new positions, now we’re going to have those as a carry-over now year over year, right? That’s going to go into next year’s budget as well.
Sorry, I’m going into the weeds here a little bit with some of these smaller line items.
NO, THAT’S GOOD. I THINK READERS WOULD APPRECIATE GOING INTO THE WEEDS.
Just, where we are with the vehicles, OK? We have vehicles that we replace with the police, and we have vehicles that we replace with public works. And I’ve mentioned to staff a couple times and I mentioned
at the workshop last week to the commission for the first time, about looking into the idea of leasing vehicles. You know, we purchase these vehicles outright and some of our expenses of a police car could be somewhere around $70,000 by the time you equip it and put all the stuff you need in it.
If we lease the vehicles, we’re only paying for depreciation on them. So, if we decide to only hold on to them for three years, during that three-year course, they’re going to be under warranty most of the time. There’ll be less maintenance on them. And they’ll be reliable, right?
And, you know, it could also lower litigation costs because we’re self-insured right now as a city. I think it’d be a nice reflection on the department, too, that we have all these nice new vehicles driving around.
Since I’ve been mayor, we have hired eight new police officers. And we had five in one graduating class, which is a very large class for one city to have five people.
THINKING ABOUT THE CITY’S RESERVES, HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT STORMS? I’m confident that we have a good response in place. We have good public safety, we have good public works. I mean, we did a great job with the debris clean-up last year. We have good reserves now, but we don’t want to make it any lower.
DO YOU GET A LOT OF EMAILS ABOUT CODE ENFORCEMENT? WHAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED THERE, AND IS IT WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY? A lot of residents have asked for
Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie. Photo by Brian McMillan
more of a pro approach on code enforcement.
But do we have to do that now? I mean can we put it up next year or maybe have staff come up with a better plan between now and then?
Staff is asking us to put $200,000 aside for a more pro approach, but we don’t know what that means. Does that mean hiring more people? Does that mean spending more time?
I’d like to see a better plan on that.
SHOULD THE CITY INCREASE TAXES TO ENHANCE SECURITY AT CITY HALL?
There’s been talk about enhancing the security here. But one of the things I was thinking about was that the county right now has a security guard next door at the library. Maybe there is an option of seeing if we can share some cost, and having them do some security over at City Hall here in the meantime?
We all have lockable doors that have special combinations for staff to get to enter into certain areas of the building. What the staff has recommended to us is that they want a more high-end uh camera system, and a key card door entry. I don’t know if there’s any real issues with doorways, but I know that the city manager has indicated that every time there’s a change in staff, they have to reprogram all the doors again, manually, where if they have an electronic system, it could be all done through a computer. But, it is $105,000 that they were asking for.
PHILOSOPHICALLY, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT, TO YOU, TO CUT TAXES? IS IT OK TO RAISE TAXES
SOMETIMES AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL?
I don’t feel too warm about the current tentative rate right now. I would have liked to have seen what each department in the city asked for and what the change was. So if there was just 3% added on from the year last year — what exactly were we spending it on?
I’m not saying that we have a DOGE problem here, but I just think that what happens sometimes is that when departments submit their budgets for the year, are we actually going through every line item to see: Do we really need this anymore? Do we really need that anymore?
Maybe a zero-based budgeting would have been nice: just to start from the ground up on each department. If we just cut back on 1% of everything in every department, that could be a big factor in what the current budget is now.
SO STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS DURING THE SUMMER, AND THIS IS THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET. SO WOULD YOUR MESSAGE BE, RESPECTFULLY, GO BACK AND CUT MORE? WHAT MILLAGE RATE DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH?
I would like to see the millage be at the same as last year: 4.161.
“If we just cut back on 1% of everything in every department, that could be a big factor in what the current budget is now.”
LESLIE, mayor of Ormond Beach
JASON
Even with an increase, we would still have the second lowest millage rate in Volusia County. But with this tentative rate increase right now, it equates, for a home value at $235,000 after the Homestead Exemption, that would be an increase of $106.92 a year. It doesn’t sound like a lot of money, right? So, maybe for some people it’s like $8 and change a month. But with everything that’s been going on, the cost of everything is going up — your home insurance, your car insurance, your groceries.
The only thing I can control, as far as anything in my position, and why I got elected — it was your taxes. And I would like to at least come back to the residents and say, “You know what? We didn’t really change much or we didn’t raise it that much.”
When you go to the store, I mean, we see the price of these things that we used to pay a lot less for — and not too long ago. And those rising costs are being carried over into our city, too. We spend more money on gas, we spend more money on tires, brakes, we spend more money on benefits, our health insurance for the staff. All that stuff has gone up.
Keep in mind, too, that we are voted by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best cities to live in, in 2025. There’s a cost that goes with that too, you know? I mean, if we didn’t have any fire or any police or any nice parks, we would really fall off that rating pretty fast. So that’s something else to keep in mind, and that’s also what helps preserve our property values.
Our main priority as elected officials is public safety, right? And when you look at this year’s budget, what’s the major thing in that budget? Public safety.
But then there’s concerns. And I think a lot of this comes from concerns about the federal government and some of the wasteful spending that happens.
Now I’m not saying that Ormond Beach has any wasteful spending. But when people look at things that are happening at the national level, they tend to think that it trickles down to the local level. And they start thinking, “Well, what is happening in my local community?”
Meanwhile, if the federal government was to dissolve tomorrow, who would be here to provide these services that we need? Your local government, right?
These people are behind the scenes a lot of times. I mean, when you turn on the faucet every morning to brush your teeth or turn on that shower, those are the services that we’re paying for. Or if we need a police officer, or we need a firefighter, these are all services that are being provided, that we rely on every day.
But we have to be fiscally responsible too.
So, I don’t know what that final number is going to be for the millage rate, but I will say that I don’t think that I’m comfortable with that whole thing. I think that we should have a little bit more of a conversation on these new positions that they want to hire. Can we delay the hiring on them? Maybe just have one parks maintenance person and maybe roll another one in later on. The IT analyst, what’s the importance of having that right now? The city hall security, is there anything else we can do for security in the meantime? We do have police officers already on staff. Can they do more patrolling here?
As an elected official, I was voted in to represent the people and look after their best interests, and I’m going to continue going through this budget to make sure that everything is accounted for and it’s money well spent, and that’s what I’m going to continue doing before I make a final decision on where I’m going to vote with the final millage
rate.
Currently, I’m not really that comfortable where it’s at.
DANNY FLORIAN POSTED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: “HAS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVER CUT COST, EVER CUT BACK ON SOME SERVICES, OR JUST AUTOMATICALLY INCREASE TAXES EVERY TIME THEY WANT MORE MONEY?” DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT’S A COMMON SENTIMENT?
I can understand the concerns. I’ve been there, too, as a resident, and this is how I got involved in this thing. We need somebody in here that can really look at these things and find out what’s a need versus a want. Do we have too many wants on the table?
I’ve said it numerous times that public safety, that’s our main goal, right? All these other things that we get involved in — we fund some nonprofit programs out there and things like that. But those aren’t our main goal.
I came from the private sector. And in my business, if I don’t have enough money coming in, I can’t just tax people as a way to close the gap on my expenditures, right?
And the government is like, “Well, we don’t have enough money, so we’re just going to tax you. And if you don’t pay it then we’re just going to take your property.” It’s a crazy world that we live in, when it comes to that, right?
I’m sitting here in my office today, going through this binder here, of all these different things in our budget. I’m talking to staff, getting some questions answered. And I’ll just go through everything I possibly can to figure out exactly what it is that we can do, what kind of scenario we can get in where we can try to do something to give people some kind of relief. You know?
If I can at least provide some kind of relief, I’m going to do it. I want to really provide relief to them in some way, while still providing a high quality service.
I’m ready to work with the commission, work with staff, find some solutions where everyone can try to be happy.
The following comments were posted on the Observer’s story on the tentative tax rate increase.
David Schecter I fully support our elected officials and staff for taking the bold moves needed this year to keep Ormond Beach ahead of the curve. Sometimes a small tax increase is warranted if we want to keep services going and terrific personnel on board. There’s no shame in it and I hope in September at the public meetings it will also get support. Without fully funding local government, we just regress to the mean, and would live in a city like any other, where there’s lots of neglect of services and lots of neglect of the hard-working people that work for our city. Don’t let these naysayers get under your skin, continue to lead and make the tough choice as necessary to keep Ormond Beach a great place to live. These “no tax, no spend“ folks just need to be fair and realize how important it is for local governments to sustain themselves and their communities.
Dave Linkinhoker: 10% ?! That’s crazy. Am I getting 10% more service? Home values are up as are taxes, why do we need an increase. Hopefully Desantis will bring his Doge team here.
Danny Florian: Has a local government ever cut cost ? Ever cut back on some services? Or just automatically increase taxes every time they want more money.
Send letters to the editor to
Scott A. Selis, Esq.
Scott
and elder law attorney with offices in Ormond Beach & Palm Coast. Mr. Selis was an Elder Law Attorney of the Year selected by the Florida Bar’s Elder Law Section in 2016. If you’ve just been told a loved one needs nursing home care, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed—and wondering how you’ll pay for it. With costs often exceeding $10,000 per month, many families rely on Medicaid for assistance. But understanding how Medicaid works can feel like decoding a foreign language. Here’s a plain-English breakdown of what you need to know:
1. Medicaid is NOT the same as Medicare.
Medicare only covers shortterm rehab after a hospital stay, up to 100 days. After that, if your loved one needs long-term care, Medicaid may be the only public program that can help with those costs.
2. You must qualify financially
Medicaid is means-tested, which means your loved one must meet specific income and asset limits.
• In Florida, a single applicant can have only $2,000 in assets.
• However, certain things don’t count, like most homes, a car, and personal belongings.
• A healthy spouse can usually keep a portion of the couple’s income and assets, thanks to spousal protection rules.
3. You can’t just give money away to qualify.
Medicaid has a 5-year lookback period. If your loved one gave away money or property within five years of applying, Medicaid may impose a penalty period where it won’t pay for care.
4. Planning ahead saves money and stress.
There are legal ways to protect assets if you plan early—like creating irrevocable trusts, converting assets into exempt forms, or using caregiver agreements. Talk to an elder law attorney before moving money.
Bottom line:
Medicaid can absolutely help pay for long-term nursing home care—but it’s not automatic, and the rules are complex. A little planning can go a long way. Don’t wait until a crisis forces you to make decisions under pressure.
When in doubt, ask questions, gather documents, and talk to professionals who specialize in elder care. Your future self—and your loved one—will thank you.
LETTERS
Palm Coast has a fabulous acting city manager
Dear Editor: I would like to comment on the reader’s letter stating a city manager’s importance. You are 100% correct. We do not have a city manager as of now, but I would like to make it known that we have a fabulous acting city manager — Lauren Johnston. You can ask her anything at a meeting and it seems like she has the answers at her fingertips. Then, she is good enough to give you a copy of the plans of what you were questioning for the city projects. Kudos to Lauren!
PAT BARILE Palm Coast
New law pulls rug out from Palm Coast Mayor Norris and anti-development supporters
Dear Editor:
The recently enacted Florida law Senate Bill 180, that in effect puts the kibosh on future building moratoriums, affects Palm Coast in several ways. The law, supported and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, favors development, gives developers extra latitude and powers while restricting the land use regulatory powers of local governments that would include restricting building moratoriums. As such, the Palm Coast building moratorium controversial saga has changed; the power has shifted. Traditional “home rule” has flipped to “state rule” limiting local ability to control the pace and nature of development. And it appears now, and for at least three years, the city has to pretty much kowtow to developers or face the risk
of legal consequences.
This law also potentially pits the governor and his local supporters against Mayor Mike Norris and his local pro building-moratorium supporters, since it runs contrary to their disdain for developers and development in general.
The mayor’s campaign platform was founded pretty much solely on a feverish anti-development call to action. He bragged and prided himself for not accepting campaign donations from anyone or anything remotely real estate related and inferred that anyone who did, including his fellow council members, was corrupt and was colluding with developers against the best interests of the city.
A local building moratorium was his campaign soapbox stance, his on-going mantra, his claim to fame and an echo chamber for his ardent disciples. His further relevance as mayor also seemed reliant upon it. But with the passage of this new law, with developers now seemingly having the upper hand, the rug appears to have been pulled from under the mayor as well as his supporters.
And further, Norris and company now face a curious dilemma since it is very noteworthy that Gov. DeSantis, before signing the developer friendly law, accepted many millions of dollars in developer and real estate related donations.
How can the “beholden to developers” corruption hysteria and conspiracy theories continue now without, in all fairness, including the governor? Will Norris now have the nerve to take on our Florida governor? Would Norris and his fan base recognize the obvious hypocrisy for failing to now include the
FACEBOOK FEEDBACK
The following stories and lightly edited comments were posted on the Observer’s Facebook pages. What’s your take? Email letters to brent@ observerlocalnews.com.
Flagler Beach demands referendum on sales tax
Joe Fasino People outside of Flagler Beach don’t want to pay a tax, make them pay to go onto the beach. That way, if they dont use the beach,
governor in their corruption conspiracy theories? After all, it should bring to mind the old idiom, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
BOB GORDON Palm Coast
E-bike riders can safely share sidewalks
Dear Editor:
I read in the Observer that Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly would like to propose a regulation on e-bikes. He says they are “somewhat out of control.”
So here we go again. Apparently some kids are bothering people on the sidewalks and we all should suffer for it. I’m 68. I was just about to purchase a pedal assist e-bike so I could enjoy riding again. And I would like to ride on the nice trails in the area, but I don’t want to have to risk getting hit on the roadway to get there.
We have numerous wide sidewalks in the area that link many of the trails. Even when I used to ride my standard bike I never rode beside the roadway (even if there is a bike lane) because it’s too dangerous, in my opinion. Please consider the thou-
it doesn’t cost anything. If they do use the beach, pay for a yearly pass. Resort areas should pay for their own beach and private areas should be required to pay their share.
New law bans cell phones in elementary schools
Jill Workman Woolbright Common sense. Should have never been allowed in the first place.
sands of riders that aren’t bothering people on the sidewalks but sharing them. You can paint lines on them as in some cities with pedestrian and bike divisions if you like but don’t make us (the people that aren’t causing a problem) suffer for a few kids causing problems. That’s not the way we should handle issues.
DON BRENNAN Flagler Beach
We all pay school taxes, so we should all pay the same YMCA rates
Dear Editor:
In your article regarding the YMCA pool from July 24, it states that there could be “potentially reduced rates for families with an enrolled Flagler Schools child.”
Why? Families without children pay the same amount of taxes to fund the schools yet put no demand on the school system. That is an unfair benefit. Fees should be the same regardless of children or employment status.
MIKE VERRAULT Palm Coast
Send letters to brent@ observerlocalnews.com.
High’s head football coach in 2019. Brown was the Sandcrabs’ head coach from 2019 to 2022, leading the team to the playoffs in 2020 and Seabreeze’s first district championship in 14 years in 2021.
FOCUS ON FAITH
Campetella brothers memorize 259 Bible verses for national competition
Ninety-two teams converged on Branson, Missouri, on Sunday, July 13, to participate in the North American Junior Bible Quizzing Finals, and among the seven teams from Florida consisted of two boys from Christian Christian Life Center in Palm Coast.
The BOBs (Boys on Bibles), David Campetella, 12, and his 10-year-old brother Micah, placed seventh at the national competition in the junior category.
They each memorized 259 verses from the Bible and were able to quote and answer questions on their knowledge of those verses.
With this seventh place win, they are now a part of the Bible Quiz Hall of Fame. In order to be included in this exclusive club, they had to make it to nationals five times.
Their father, Pastor Joe Campetella, believes that this competition strengthens their faith. On returning home, he asked the boys, “How could God become a man?”
The immediate reply from both boys was John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.”
Pastor Joe Campetella believes that the “world is
Bridges United Methodist Church in Bunnell hosted an event on July 10th with LSF Health Systems, to help bridge promote mental health and suicide awareness. The event consisted of presentations and vendor booths to bring the secular and faith based communities together to have a conversation about recovery and behavioral health issues.
Maribeth Motosicky from the Recovery Church in Palm Coast attended the event with over 100 other people. To her, the event made it very clear how faith plays a big part in the recovery process for those in need. She enjoyed sharing the space with both secular organizations like
(an organization that gives help to those left behind after
and the
communities. The event was all about “getting together all resources to help recovery,” she said. Send your faith-related news to brian@observerlocalnews. com.
Best Advice I Ever Got: Melissa DeVriese, president of Security First
‘Be open to different opportunities.’
BRIAN
MCMILLAN PUBLISHER
About 15 years ago, Melissa DeVriese was at a crossroads in her career.
She was a Washington, D.C., lawyer, but she had taken a detour on that path, and was staying part-time in Ormond Beach to help her father, Locke Burt, with a lawsuit impacting his company, Security First Insurance Co.
All along, she was planning to return to D.C., where she had graduated from Georgetown Law School, and where she had lived while working for the Department of Trans-
portation as an appointee of President George W. Bush until 2009. While in Ormond, she continued to apply for jobs in D.C. Her cats still lived in D.C.
But the lawsuit was interesting, and she liked Ormond Beach. She was making friends here.
Could she be happy working for Security First permanently? Maybe she was willing to change her vision of the future and let go of the D.C. identity?
Being flexible is part of her path, DeVriese said at an interview this month, at the Security First headquarters in Ormond Beach, where she is now president.
To explain her mindset, she repeated the best advice she ever got, and that was from a mentor, when she was working in D.C.
D.J. Gribbin was her boss,
general counsel for the DOT, and DeVriese asked him one day for advice. How did he
plan out his career?
“Oh Melissa, you can’t plan out your career like that,” she recalls Gribbin telling her. “You just have to do a good job with every job you do, and be open to different opportunities as they present themselves to you, or as you find them.”
That resonated with her, along Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In.” DeVriese learned that you can’t look at your career as a ladder — it’s more of a jungle gym. In other words, you need to be willing to go left and right sometimes, even down, to keep progressing.
“Coming out of graduate school, people have a very linear view of how your career should go,” DeVriese said during her interview with the
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Observer. “But once you get out into the real world, you realize there are a lot of jobs you’ve never heard of, and that you might be good at. So you have to look for opportunities. If you do a good job with the job you have, while keeping your eyes open for opportunities and really stretching yourself, you’ll find you have a really interesting and rewarding career.”
DeVriese decided to move to Ormond Beach permanently and give up on that D.C. identity, in the end. She wasn’t as passionate about her job offers there, compared with what she was doing at Security First. So, she moved her cats, she rented out her D.C. home permanently. She lives here now, along with her hus-
band, Erick DeVriese. “I pivoted,” she said. “It was a big decision. But you have to evaluate yourself and figure out what makes you happy. You’re going to spend most of your waking life at work, so hopefully it’s something you enjoy — or at least don’t hate.” She continued: “For successful people, it’s generally a mix of hard work and a little bit of luck and a little bit of timing. But you find they took whatever little bit of natural ability they had, whether it be art or speaking ability, and they combined it with hard work and looking for timing, looking for the opportunities that would help them.”
What’s the best advice you ever got? Email brian@ observerlocalnews.com.
Melissa DeVriese, president of Security First. Courtesy photo
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YOUR NEIGHBORS
Timeless Gestures
Timeless Gestures showcases the collaboration between photographer Barbara Morgan and modern dance pioneer Martha Graham.
MICHELE MEYERS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Daytona State College’s Southeast Museum of Photography was home to the inaugural, multidisciplinary art event “Timeless Gestures — A Celebration of the Visual and Performing Arts” on Saturday, July 26. Two performances were offered free to the public that highlighted the collaboration between photographer Barbara Morgan and modern dancer-choreographer Martha Graham.
Christina Katsolis, SEMP museum technician and preparator, organized the event held where Morgan’s images were on display from Sept. 3, 2024, through July 31 in the museum’s main exhibition— “Collected: Connecting Past, Present and Future Acquisitions.”
Katsolis wanted to meld the visual element of photography with the physicality of dance to help reveal the complementary nature of Morgan and Graham’s relationship.
“Timeless Gestures underscores the efficacy of Morgan and Graham’s partnership,”
she said, per the event press release. “Using contemporary dance as a creative framework, it broadens our audience’s understanding of the photographic record. Both mediums transcend boundaries, using visual storytelling to encapsulate the complexities of the human condition.”
The relationship between Morgan and Graham began after Morgan attended a performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company and decided to photograph the troupe, according to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Their collaboration led to the creation of Morgan’s book “Martha Graham: Sixteen Dances in Photographs,” published in 1941, which captured dancers in movement using various lighting methods. The book was instrumental in introducing people to modern dance in the United States and internationally.
Jeanna Reiter, owner of the Flagler School of Dance in Bunnell, got involved after Katsolis reached out regarding “Timeless Gestures.” Reiter said since some of Morgan’s images are of Graham she contacted her daughter Aria who has studied the Graham technique.
“I reached out to my daughter who was a lifelong student of the Flagler School of Dance,” Reiter said. “Even though she’s graduated and gone on to Miami, I just felt it was more of an organic connection to reach out to her. I
decided to bring her in to do it.”
Aria is currently a dance student at the New World School of the Arts - Miami Dade College. She and fellow rising senior Luciano Oliviero choreographed and performed “Foundations” at the event. It is an original work that allowed the dancers to demonstrate Graham’s technique. Jeanna said she felt honored to collaborate on such an event.
“Today was such a mom moment for me,” Jeanna Reiter said. “In fact, the second that we walked into the room and she was there before anybody got here, I was immediately emotional. I think the art does that to you. To be in the presence of people’s hearts, then the art on the walls and the dancing — it’s just special.”
Aria said she was taught by NWSA professor Peter London who was trained by Graham.
“She (Graham) was a pioneer — her big thing was change,” she said. “Everybody hated her when she first started. To be able to train with somebody who was trained by her is just a couple steps from the mother. You can just feel the importance. You can feel how powerful it is. I can only imagine how powerful it was for its time.”
Oliviero and Aria are part of the same friend group. Aria asked him to join her because they both shared the same passion for Graham’s work.
“We both have the same passion and love for Martha Graham,” he said. “This is like a great opportunity to show off our love and do a tribute for her technique.”
Both dancers drove from Miami and met the night before the event to choreograph their routine. Olivieri said the analogies London gave them in class along with the excellent training helped them pull the dance together quickly.
“Those kinds of things helped us and stuck with us,” Oliviero said. “We were practicing the night before, in a room with a window and we just felt the moonlight. It was just wow — that energy. We just felt it … then prep in the morning and we were good to go.”
The multifaceted event also showcased DSC art students Ariana Marrero and Michael Grayless who executed live sketches of the dancers as they performed. Marrero, whose artist name is Mars, said she has been drawing since she could hold a pen in her hand.
She said her professor Stacy Reynolds has challenged her to participate in competitions, exhibitions and events that have pushed her to grow as an artist.
“I feel really good about this event — I give it a 10,” she said. “I love doing this kind of stuff and I love talking to people
about it. Art’s all about the process. When I was asked to do live figure drawings, I was like, I would love to do that. That’s right up my alley.”
Caribbean-born and parttime Palm Coast resident Marcia O’Connor said the event brought tears to her eyes. The 74-year-old has been dancing since the age of 3 when she was taught classical ballet. She did not experience the Graham technique until she moved to New York at 27 years old.
“Graham’s technique turned the whole classical ballet world upside down,” O’Connor said. “It was so different and so it was difficult and very, very disciplined. As one of the dancers said, you’ve got to understand her flow, her reason.”
In 2026, it will be the Martha Graham Dance Company’s centennial celebration. Katsolis said the event was a wonderful way to pay tribute to Morgan and Graham.
“She had an Asian, eclectic type of vibe in her—in her whole choreography,” O’Connor said. “You know, she was very different. She’s really a national hero of dance in America.”
Jeanna Reiter, owner of Flagler School of Dance in Bunnell, smiles as the dancers answer the audience’s questions
Joanne Roberson, administrator for the Art League of Daytona Beach, peruses the exhibition
New World School of the Arts - Miami Dade College students Aria Reiter (right) and Luciano Olivieri (left) pose for the sketch artists during the “Timeless Gestures” event held at the Southeast Museum of Photography on Saturday, July 26. Photos by Michele Meyers
Daytona State College studio arts student Michael Grayless sketches dancers.
Daytona State College studio arts student Ariana Marrero’s sketches the dancers as they execute random moves
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REAL ESTATE
Ormond Beach house sells for $3.1 million
Ahistoric oceanfront house in at 33 Ocean Shore Blvd. was the top real estate transaction for Ormond Beach, Ormond-by-the-Sea and Flagler County recently. The house sold on July 8, for $3.1 million. Built in 1918, the house used to be the Villa Mar Oceanfront Bed & Breakfast and is a 8/8.5 and has a fireplace, a pool and 7,248 square feet. It last sold in 2018 for $1,805,000.
ALEXIS MILLER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
Condos
The condo at 2100 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 112, sold on July 7, for $222,000. Built in 1973, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,087 square feet. It last sold in 2014 for $140,000.
The condo at 160 Limewood Place, Unit 1, sold on July 9, for $155,000. Built in 1984, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,124 square feet. It last sold in 1994 for $54,500.
ORMOND BEACH
Banyan Estates
The house at 121 Ellicott Drive sold on July 11, for $386,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,670 square feet. It last sold in 2016 for $167,000.
Fountain View
The house at 1244 Big Bass Drive sold on July 9, for $384,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,828 square feet.
Hunter’s Ridge
The Trails
The townhome at 208 Pine Cone Trail sold on July 9, for $282,000. Built in 1978, the townhome is a 2/3 and has a fireplace and 2,020 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $307,500.
The house at 3 Pine Bluff Trail sold on July 7, for $550,000. Built in 1981, the house is a 5/3.5 and has a fireplace, a pool, a spa, a gazebo, an outdoor kitchen and 3,547 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $370,000.
Village of Pine Run
The house at 127 Oak Lane sold on July 10, for $590,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 5/3 and has a fireplace and 2,490 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $460,000.
ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA
Breakers
The house at 30 Longfellow Circle sold on July 7, for $322,000. Built in 1970, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,500 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $375,000.
Ocean Aire
FLAGLER BEACH Mobbs Subdivision A house at 2242 South Central Ave., sold on July 18, for $795,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,878 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $411,000.
Venice Park A house at 148 Lantana Ave., sold on July 18, for $600,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 3/2 and has a boat dock and 2,182 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $375,000.
PALM COAST
Palm Coast Plantation A house at 40 South Riverwalk Drive, sold on July 18, for $589,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,363 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $640,000.
Palm Harbor A house at 29 Collingwood Lane, sold on July 15, for $650,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a boat house, a boat dock and 2,188 square feet. It sold in 1999 for $21,800.
Pine Grove A house at 8 Pointer Place, sold on July 18, for $330,900. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,635 square feet. Pine Lakes A house at 3 Walnut Place, sold on July 18, for $326,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,338 square feet. It sold in 1999 for $126,500. A house at 50 Woodfield Drive, sold on July 17, for $376,000. Built in 1988, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool and 2,421 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $173,000.
The house at 30 Foxfield Look sold on July 10, for $405,000. Built in 2012, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,077 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $253,500.
Pineland
The house at 370 Sunset Point Drive sold on July 9, for $354,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,760 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $389,300.
Plantation Bay
The house at 1066 Hampstead Lane sold on July 9, for $959,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a fireplace, a pool, a spa and 2,692 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $480,000.
Shadows Crossings
The house at 4 Canterbury Woods sold on July 7, for $400,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,972 square feet. It last sold in 2014 for $181,500.
The house at 114 Ocean Aire Terrace N. sold on July 11, for $410,000. Built in 1976, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,440 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $270,000.
Seabridge
The house at 44 Sea Harbor Drive E sold on July 10, for $530,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 1,745 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $219,000.
BUNNELL Grand Reserve and Golf Club
A house at 815 Grand Reserve Drive, sold on July 18, for $280,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,402 square feet.
A house at 804 grand Reserve Drive, sold on July 16, for $307,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,655 square feet.
Sea Colony A house at 31 Nantucket Drive, sold on July 15, for $375,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace and 1,842 square feet. It sold in 1987 for $115,000.
A house at 38 Avalon Terrace, sold on July 14, for $475,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a boat dock and 1,906 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $455,000.
Seminole Woods A house at 17 Sedgefield Path South, sold on July 18, for $377,525. Built in 2005, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool, a fireplace, a hot tub and 1,806 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $300,000.
A house at 124 Ulysses Trail, sold on July 18, for $320,900. Built in 2024, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,540 square feet.
John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors and Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report
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LOCAL EVENTS
THURSDAY, JULY 31
SMALL BUSINESS
STARTUP TIPS
When: 11 a.m.
Where: Ormond Beach
Regional Public Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach
Details: Learn what it takes to open a small business in the area, presented by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) of Volusia and Flagler Counties. Free event.
PALM COAST CONCERT
SERIES
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: The Stage at Town Center, 1500 Central Ave., Palm Coast
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.
MUSIC + ARTS EXPO
When: 5-9 p.m.
Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond
Beach
Details: OMAM will host The Locals Mix for the first round of their Original Music Competition featuring area song-writers on the rooftop terrace. Beer, wine and cocktails will be available for purchase. Tickets cost $15. Visit thelocalsmix.com.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Free admission. RSVP requested. Visit fbcpc.org.
FLAGLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
SAFETY EXPO
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: European Village, 101 Palm Harbor Parkway, Palm Coast Details: Join Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and the FCSO for their annual safety expo. Learn safety information, meet the FCSO team and enjoy some family fun.
HISTORY IN THE PARK
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Details: See Jimmy Buffet cover band Landfall perform. There will be live music, food trucks, vendors, yard games, and beer and wine. Bring a chair.
FRIDAY, AUG. 1
FREE FAMILY ART NIGHT
When: 5:30-7 p.m.
Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond
Beach
KINDERGARTEN Classroom
Details: Work with your family to make paper lizard sculptures. All art supplies provided. No art experience needed. All ages welcome.
MOVIES ON THE HALIFAX
When: 8:30 p.m.
Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond
Beach
Details: Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a showing of “Inside Out 2,” rated PG. Movies are weather-sensitive. Call 386-676-3216 for rainout information.
SATURDAY, AUG. 2
FLAGLER SCHOOLS
BACK TO SCHOOL JAM
When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Flagler Palm Coast
High School
MONDAY, AUG. 4
HALIFAX HEALTH
EDUCATIONAL SERIES
When: 1 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach
Regional Public Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach
Details:Halifax Health educator Annette Tracy, a registered nurse, will discuss heart health. Free event.
THURSDAY, AUG. 7
RECIPES AND READS
CULINARY LAB: THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF FOOD — AFTERNOON TEA
When: 3 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach
Regional Public Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach
Details: Enjoy iced tea while learning more about the history of tea, presented by library staff. Free event.
FRIDAY, AUG. 8
MOONRISE AT THE BEACH
When: 7:45-8:30 p.m.
Where: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park, 3100 S Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler
Beach
Where: James F. Holland Memorial Park, 18 Florida Park Drive N., Palm Coast Details: The Palm Coast Historical Society is hosting this family-friendly event. Explore the Palm Coast Historical Society Museum, which has free admission. Outside, enjoy yard games and local food trucks.
PIRATE GAME NIGHT When: 6-9 p.m. Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast Details:
Details: Discover everything Flagler Schools has to offer, from clubs and activities to essential services and resources. Free backpacks with school supplies (while supplies last), courtesy of the Flagler County Education Foundation. Bus info. Learn about free breakfast and lunch programs
Planning Print Ads – U.S. & Canada
Details: Take in the view of the moon rising over the Atlantic Ocean. Bring binoculars and a camera for photo opportunities. Entrance into the park is $5 per vehicle. Call 386-517-2086.
When you plan ahead, you can make your final wishes known and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind.
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SATURDAY, AUG. 9
WOMEN’S PRAYER
BREAKFAST
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When: 9-11 a.m.
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ORMOND ART WALK
When: 3-7 p.m.
Where: First Baptist Church of Palm Coast, Activities Center, 6050 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Palm Coast
2. Ensure you've selected the correct location(s).
Where: Ormond Beach
Details: Attend a morning of fellowship, food and faith.
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High School football preview: Bulldogs and Sandcrabs
FPC and Seabreeze are trying to beat the heat as they prepare for the season.
BRENT WORONOFF
EDITOR
ASSOCIATE
High School football teams began preseason practice on Monday, July 28, and it didn’t take long for a heat wave to affect the schedules. Seabreeze coach Mike Klein said excessive temperatures forced the Sandcrabs to move Tuesday’s practice from the afternoon to the morning. Matanzas and FPC are getting an early-morning start during the first week. Here’s a look at the area teams.
FLAGLER PALM COAST
Without a kickoff classic scheduled, first-year coach Patrick Turner reached out to Palatka, his former school, to see if FPC could be a third team at the Panthers’ exhibition with Jacksonville Terry Parker. Palatka accommodated the Bulldogs, who will play in the second and third halves of the Aug. 15 jamboree against Terry Parker and Palatka, respectively.
“Obviously the boys are excited,” Turner said of his former Palatka players. “They want to beat Coach Turner. They have a lot of good guys returning. I’m excited to see them. It will be fun. I’m going to be pulling for them this season.”
LAST SEASON: 9-2 record under former coach Daniel Fish. The Bulldogs tied for the district title with University and Spruce Creek and lost to Creek 36-35 in the first round of the playoffs. On their last drive of the game, a down was errantly taken away from them.
JAMBOREE: Aug. 15 at Palatka, 6 p.m. Palatka and Terry Parker play in the first half before FPC takes the field for two halves.
FIRST GAME: Aug. 22, at Matanzas, 7 p.m. The Flagler County rivals meet in the annual Potato Bowl game in Week 1. It’s the first time since 2020 that the game will be played on opening week.
DISTRICT 2-7A SCHEDULE : Sept. 26 vs. University; Oct. 10 at DeLand; Oct. 24 at Spruce Creek.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: RB Ehimen Ajede and QB LaDarius Sim-
mons both return after playing with the Bulldogs in 2023. Simmons was the starter at Halifax Academy last season. S/WR Kenneth Robinson, a Matanzas transfer, will be pivotal on both sides of the ball.
MOST IMPROVED: TE Stephen Bisulca and DE Regan Melland. Both have had a really good spring and summer, Turner said. “They’re both really coachable, work really hard, bring energy everyday and want to have a deep understanding of their position,” Turner said.
TEAM STRENGTH : The Bulldogs lost a ton of talent, but they return three starters on their offensive line.
DEPTH POSITION: FPC has two senior quarterbacks who started for different teams last year in Simmons and Matanzas transfer Caden Burchfield. “We’re definitely going to look at both of them,” Turner said.
“Leadership will be one factor — who the team rallies behind. I want both quarterbacks to push each other but also encourage each other.” FPC has two running backs to replace alltime leading rusher Marcus Mitchell. Darwin Harris rushed for 130 yards in three games at Matanzas last season and Ajede rushed for 356 yards for FPC as a freshman in 2023. The Bulldogs have three safeties playing at a high level in junior Yamon Jordan, senior Dwayne Webb, and Robinson.
SEABREEZE
Coach Mike Klein was hired shortly before spring practice last year. A year later, the team is much more prepared, he said. “Last year we were very far behind; everything was new,” he said. “I feel like we’re wellprepared now. We had a great summer. This will be an exciting year.”
New Pirates boys lacrosse coach honors fallen friend
Dewey Schoenfelder is the son of a swim coach who fell in love with lacrosse at an early age.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Dewey Schoenfelder, Matanzas High School’s new boys lacrosse coach, is not much older than his players. Schoenfelder, who turns 24 in September, graduated from the University of Bridgeport this past spring.
NEXT WEEK: Matanzas, Mainland or go online to read about the Pirates and Bucs.
LAST SEASON: 2-7 record. The Sandcrabs lost 13-10 in overtime to Deltona in their final game.
KICKOFF CLASSIC: Aug. 15 at Titusville Astronaut, 7 p.m.
FIRST GAME: Aug. 22 at Spruce Creek, 7 p.m.
DISTRICT 6-4A SCHEDULE: Sept. 12 vs. Rockledge; Sept. 26 vs. New Smyrna Beach; Oct. 10 at Deltona; Oct. 24 at Pine Ridge.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH : S/WR Owen O’Rourke. The senior transfer joined the team after the fourth of July and has fit right in, Klein said. He’ll probably play on both sides of the ball and special teams. The freshman class is worth keeping an eye on simply because of their numbers. “We had almost 40 freshmen a day (at workouts) this summer,” Klein said. “Last summer we probably averaged 40 guys a day at summer workouts. This summer, we were averaging 80.”
MOST IMPROVED : CB/WR
Stephen Williams Jr., The senior was in the rotation last year. This season he will be relied upon on both offense and defense. “He really worked his butt off,” Klein said. “He’s going to be major impact player on both sides.”
QB Jayce Gainer has shown that he’s ready to step in and be the starter. “He’s passed every test we’ve put in front of him,” Klein said of the senior.
TEAM STRENGTH: The Sandcrabs return three of four starters on the defensive line, and younger players have been developing. “Our defensive line is going to be the anchor of our defense,” Klein said. “They’re good against the run and they pressure the passer. Coach (Kerry) Kramer has done a great job with those guys.”
DEPTH POSITION: Seabreeze is strong in the trenches with seven to eight players in the mix at defensive line and good numbers on the offensive line as well. “We have so many guys (in all positions) who will have to play a lot of different parts for us,” Klein said. “The battles will be to show who’s ready to to step into a role, whatever that will be. We’re trying to get the most out of our personnel. Our guys are all open to doing what they can for the team (at multiple positions). We’re trying to get two to three guys ready to play at each spot.”
His father, Mark Schoenfelder, is a longtime swim coach. But Dewey fell in love with lacrosse, a sport he has played since he was 5. He was a star attacker at South Carroll High School in Sykesville, Maryland, and went on to play at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland, and Division II Bridgeport in Connecticut.
“He has the background at the next level, so he knows what it takes to get there,” Matanzas athletic director Zach Rigney said. “What stood out to me was his passion for the game, his desire to get into coaching and share that same passion with our students.”
Schoenfelder’s parents have lived in the Hammock since 2020, so he has spent his summers in Flagler County since graduating high school. He helped coach the Flagler Firehawks Lacrosse Club in 2023 and coached a club team in Maryland during his sophomore year at Howard.
“I’m super pumped,” he said of coaching the Pirates. “Obviously I love lacrosse. I’m grateful to Principal Mike Rinaldi and AD Zach Rigney for giving me the opportunity here.”
‘HE WAS A HUGE MOTIVATOR’ Schoenfelder said his love for the sport flagged during his freshman season of high school when his club team disbanded. His friend and high school teammate, Noah Homayouni, reignited his enthusiasm.
Tragically, Homayouni was killed in his front yard on April 2, 2020 while he was practicing lacrosse. According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, a combat veteran who reportedly was struggling with PTSD, fatally shot his estranged wife next door and then shot Homayouni before driving home and committing suicide.
“At first it killed me. Then it set a fire in me,” Schoenfelder said. “He was one of my best friends. He was a huge motivator. I grew up playing club with him. Both of our parents were teachers. I was always riding in the car with him. I used to be better than him, and he just worked and got better.”
At the time, the two friends were seniors and their final high school lacrosse season had been canceled due to COVID.
“I was super lost,” Schoenfelder said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. (Homayouni) was going to Howard. When he died, I had to take his place.”
Schoenfelder played in the JUCO national championship game with Howard in 2022. In his junior season at Bridgeport, he had 25 goals and 26 assists.
Coaching, he said, “is all about getting the guys pumped up,” and the Pirates, he added, are hungry.
FPC’s Ehimen Ajede (24) takes a handoff from LaDarius Simmons (9) during the 2023 Kickoff Classic at Atlantic Coast. Both players are back this year. File photo by Jake Montgomery
Seabreeze quarterback Jayce Gainer has had a great offseason, coach Mike Klein said. Photo by Michele Meyers
FPC wins all three 7v7 summer soccer league championships
The Bulldogs’ girls won their third league championship in four years with a playoff win against Matanzas. FPC also won the boys varsity and JV titles.
BRENT WORONOFF
EDITOR
ASSOCIATE
Flagler Palm Coast secured all three championships — boys and girls varsity and boys JV — in the high school 7v7 summer soccer league at the Indian Trails Sports Complex.
The Seabreeze varsity boys defeated FPC 5-3 on Saturday, July 26, but the Bulldogs had already clinched the title with a tie against Matanzas on July 19. FPC finished with a 4-22 record. The FPC JV team defeated Matanzas 5-1 on July 26 to clinch the JV title.
The FPC girls Hotshots team went undefeated in league play to clinch the regular-season title on July 19 and won the championship playoff game on July 26, with a resounding 12-2 win over Matanzas. This is the second year in a row and the third time in four years that FPC won the girls league title.
“I think there were good games and good opponents. We definitely had fun and played out,” FPC rising junior Ivy Chen said. “I feel like (the summer league is) good conditioning because we’re under the sun. And we’re all learning to play together, learning to play when we’re tired. We’re all coming together before the season starts.”
Said fellow junior Hailey Sammons: “We’re learning to pass more and just trust our teammates. You also get to see what some of the competition is going to be like for the high school season.”
The Matanzas girls had a 5-2 record in league games.
“The girls played a great 7v7 season,” Pirates coach Scott Crooke said. (The league) was structured really well with good competition. It’s good to get out here in this kind of heat, compete in this elements and play together. And
Hit the dek
Flagler Youth Hockey brings all heat, no ice
BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER
With four of the last Stanley Cup winners coming from Florida, it may not be a big surprise to NHL fans that Florida is a hockey state. And for those who didn’t grow up around ice, Flagler Youth Hockey is helping to introduce the sport to a new generation. Can’t skate? No problem: In dek hockey, you run on a concrete rink, rather than skate. Dek hockey in Flagler County was started in 1991 by Larry Tanenbaum and Mike Bowker, in the gym at Buddy Taylor Middle School.
In October 2024, an inline roller skating league was added, and now there are about 40 players in dek and 40 in skate. Adults have teams, too.
“We have kids that start in dek hockey and they don’t know how to hold a hockey stick, and then six months later they’re starting roller hockey,” said Kristyn Steffens, whose fiance, Michael Seifert, is currently director of Flagler Youth Hockey.
Steffens and Seifert spoke to the Observer in a phone interview on July 21, en route to Detroit, Michigan, where Seifert’s children are participating in State Wars, an ice hockey tournament that brings some of the best young players from around the country to compete.
girls have fun doing it. Some of these girls have jobs, they take vacations, so it’s just been nice that they’re willing to show up and play in the summertime on these early Saturday mornings or Friday evenings sometimes.”
Dek and roller hockey at Flagler Youth Hockey was just the beginning.
“It’s made a big difference for them in their hockey journey,” Seifert said. A baseball player in high school in Maryland himself, Seifert decided to give dek hockey a try as an adult in Palm Coast, where he now works as field operations manager for Paradise Landscaping.
“With hockey, you have to make decisions faster,” Seifert said. “It’s a constantly moving game. In between the whistles, it never stops. It’s a fast-paced game — that’s why I like it.”
The previous director of the league was John Douglas, whose son now plays competitive ice hockey as well. Jimmy McGovern, Andrew Fabrizi and other coaches help Seifert run the league now. Since the beginning, the league has played on the
concrete rink at the Flagler County Youth Center, on the southeastern corner of the Flagler Palm Coast High School campus.
For those who want to give it a try, the league puts on clinics, with equipment provided. The next clinic will be 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5, at the Flagler County Youth Center. Cost is $10.
League signups are underway, with dek games starting Aug. 16, and inline skate games starting Sept. 16. It costs $80 for dek (which includes a jersey with the player’s name on it, and an award at the end of the season). Roller hockey costs $95 to join. League signup links can be found on the group’s Facebook page: www. facebook.com/flagleryouthdekhockey.
Jerseys have been sponsored in recent years by Hulbert Homes. For sponsorship opportunities, or to help raise
funds to resurface the court, call Seifert at 443-988-3613, or email flagleryouthhockey@ gmail.com.
Tanenbaum continues to cheer on the league’s progress. He posted on Facebook: “I grew up playing ‘Dek’
Bulldogs goalie does double duty
Natalie Neal was in the net for the St. Augustine boys for the second week in a row after playing with her FPC girls team.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Flagler Palm Coast goalkeeper Natalie Neal had little time to celebrate her team’s victory Saturday, July 26, in the 7v7 high school school summer soccer league.
Immediately after the FPC girls won the playoff championship, Neal was back in the net on an adjacent field at the Indian Trails Sports Complex, stepping in as the goalie for a St. Augustine High boys team. It was the second Saturday in a row she filled in as the goalie for the SAH boys. Ramtin Amiri, the FPC boys coach and the league’s organizer, asked Neal to help out the team which was missing a goalie. But she had misgivings.
“I said, ‘I don’t know if I want to because I’m a little scared of getting hurt,’ but I was trying to make excuses,” she said. “He was like, ‘No, we have a shirt for you, just put your stuff on,’ and I said, ‘OK, sure, I’ll play.’ At first, it was very extreme. I was kind of scared, because the first ball went straight into the top net, and I was like, ‘Great, that’s what I have to deal with.’”
The rising senior has been the Bulldogs’ starting goalie since she was a freshman. She was ranked ninth in the state in Class 7A among junior goalies last season with a 1.795 goals against average. Over three seasons she has 28 shutouts, 362 saves and a 1.422 GAA. And she is now 2-0 playing with the boys. St. Augustine defeated a Matanzas team 5-4 on Saturday. She said she felt more comfortable in her second game.
“I’ve practiced with guys before, but I haven’t really played with them in a game setting,” she said. “So, it was different. It was kind of hard to get used to at first. Like today, there were two (goals) in like the first five minutes, and I was a little scared because this team (Matanzas) was a little better than last week’s (opponent). But last week was very intense.”
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After the first five minutes Saturday, she settled down. The 7v7 games are played on a short field and are normally high scoring, but she allowed just two goals the rest of the way. “I ended up getting used to it pretty well,” Neal said. “It’s a very fast-paced game. The girls kick really hard, but these shots are like curving and like straight down the middle. I enjoy it, though. I find it fun.”
Natalie Neal. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC’s Ivy Chen (right) controls the ball as Matanzas’ Caleigh Walden closes in. Photos by Brent Woronoff
FPC players celebrate their 7v7 boys varsity title.
James Steffens (blue) competes for the ball against Darren Sherman (right) as Noah Christensen ( left) looks on. Courtesy photos
Carmen and Caiden Giordano, with Flagler Youth Hockey.
The Bulldogs’ Eva Sites.
FPC’s Kendall Bibla and Mariah Mills earn All-American honors at Fargo
Bibla placed third, and Mills placed seventh at the elite wrestling tournament.
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kendall Bibla did not have any expectations entering the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals wrestling tournament in Fargo, North Dakota. Mariah Mills decided to set her goal as high as possible. The former Flagler Palm Coast High School wrestlers both earned All-American
honors on July 13 at the largest and one of the toughest high school wrestling tournaments in the world. Bibla, who came into the tournament unseeded, placed third in the 170-pound weight class in the Women’s Freestyle Junior Division. Mills placed seventh in the division’s 110-pound class.
It was the last chance for both of them to reach the podium at the Fargo Dome before heading off to college where they will both continue their wrestling careers — Mills at West Liberty University in West Virginia, where she will be joining her older brother, Tyson, and Bibla at Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky, where she will be joining her older sister, Brielle.
Bibla and Mills were two of just five All-Americans from Team Florida in the Women’s Junior Division.
Bibla won seven of eight matches with her only loss coming to eventual champ Jael Miller of Pennsylvania in the semifinals. Bibla qualified for Fargo last year but tore two ligaments in her knee shortly before the tournament and didn’t get to go.
“I’m so proud of myself after going through a lot of injuries last year,” said Bibla, who won her second high
school state championship in March. “Walking into the Fargo Dome I didn’t think I would place. I didn’t expect that at all. This was my first Fargo tournament. I’m leaving to go to college soon, so I said, ‘Why not, this is last time I’ll be able to go do this.’ I was so happy. I was so proud and blessed to be on the podium.”
Mills came into the tournament as the 16th seed among 128 wrestlers in her weight class. She finished with a 6-2 record, winning the seventhplace match with a 9-0 decision over Oklahoma state champ Addie Morse. Mills was competing at Fargo for the third time. In 2023 and 2024 she set her goal at placing in the top eight to become an All-American. Last year, she finished just short, losing in the blood round (the round before placement).
So, this time, Mills stepped up her goal.
“This year my goal was to win,” she said. “I told everybody I was going to win in Fargo and it made it real. I had been to Fargo twice, and the whole time I was worried about placing, so I set my goal to win and I came out as an All-American. If you aim higher, you’re more likely to reach the original goal.”
Mills broke her nose in two
places in her third match, but it did not weaken her determination.
“It hurt really bad. My nose was swollen. My eyes were swollen. I could barely see, but I had to keep wrestling. (Reaching the podium) was something I wanted to get before college,” she said.
“Throughout (the second day), girls would hit me in the nose. One time I actually saw stars and felt lightheaded
because she hit it so hard. But I knew I had to place. I had to make the podium.”
Her blood-round match was tight, but she prevailed 9-6 to clinch a podium spot.
Bibla beat No. 4 seed Kiley
Dillow of Kansas and pinned fifth seed Maddie Hayden of Michigan and took down Miller early in the semifinal match before losing by technical fall, 15-5 at 3:26. It was the most points scored against Miller
PUZZLED
in the whole tournament. Bibla beat Makayla Vasser of Nebraska 18-12 in the thirdplace match. Both local wrestlers took home “stop signs,” Fargo’s iconic octagonal plaque. Bibla’s is now hanging up on her trophy wall in her room. Mills’ younger sister, Juliana, also competed at Fargo, winning one match in the 105-pound class in the Girls 16U Division.
Mariah Mills (right) placed seventh in her third trip to Fargo.
Kendall Bibla (right) placed third at Fargo with her only loss coming to the champion. Courtesy photos by Daniel Ward
TRIBUTES
Herb Brattlof 1933-2025
Let’s begin along a New Jersey road in 1951. Herb Brattlof is hitchhiking to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Born into poverty during the Great Depression, Herb grew up navigating the streets of East Orange, New Jersey, where sports offered him a path forward. Now, he’s a poor, young man on his way to Lehigh on a football scholarship. From there, athletics, overnight steel-mill shifts, and Army ROTC open the door to a degree in civil engineering. After graduation, he serves two years with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Eventually, Herb’s credentials are sufficient to attract his grammar-school sweetheart, Joan, to marry him for the next 66 years. From a home base in Parsippany, New Jersey, Herb commutes to Manhattan for Turner Construction, working on the 60-story Chase Manhattan building and United Engineering building (40 stories). Then it’s on to Cleveland to work on Erieview Plaza. Then back to New Jersey for Keane Construction, constructing facilities at Fort Dix and various facilities in Picatinny Arsenal.
Amid all this commuting, Herb and Joan have two daughters, Leslie and Nancy. With two young children and growing weary of the Jersey Turnpike, they move to remote Palm Coast, Florida. In 1974, Palm Coast is a new community with about a hundred residents, no grocery store, no gas station, and three-way stop signs at the intersection of Old Kings Road and Palm Coast Parkway. There is no I-95 interchange,
and Old Kings is the only road to the community. Homesites west of I-95 are not yet buildable. Herb has no job. What in the world are they thinking?
Well, not only do they survive, but Florida turns out better than they could have imagined. He takes an early is job as project manager on the Rt 206 bridge construction at Crescent Beach. Think of Herb the next time you drive across it.
Then, within the year, Herb starts a construction company to build homes in this fast-growing community. He digs the footings of his first house by hand. And he continues to build. And builds more. Over 1,500 custom homes. He builds the community’s commercial buildings too, including its first fire station, its first post office, first church, original Community Center (then a YMCA), and the Humane Society’s first building. Herb goes on to build Trinity Presbyterian Church, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, all three phases of St. Mark Lutheran Church, Ellis Bank, Pizza Hut, Flagler Palm Coast High School football stadium and cafeteria, DeLand Cultural Arts Center, Denny’s Restaurant, among many others. And he holds leadership roles in the community, dabbling in local politics. The Palm Coast Parkway stop signs have burst into a major intersection– a palmtreed intersection still a far cry from the gray concrete of the Jersey Turnpike. Palm Coast is now its own city with over one hundred thousand residents. Herb would always say he was at the right place at the right time.
Herb’s daughters come into the business and enable him to retire. He and Joan spend happy years island-hopping the Bahamas on their boat named The Quiet Sun. They travel extensively in Europe and South America. They build their dream home on the Intracoastal Waterway, becoming the first residents in Island Estates. And they later settle in Flagler Beach, where he and Joan have enjoyed drop-by visits from daughters Leslie (Darryl) Thornhill and Nancy (Jed) Gardner; grandchildren Harrison, Morgan, Macie, and Allie; and great-grandchildren Joan-Lucille and Christopher.
Herb’s 92-year abundant life transitioned to God’s next road on July 16, 2025. All those he touched along the way are forever grateful to have been a part of his journey.
His family would greatly appreciate if you would share a memory of Herb with us on the Craig-Flagler Palms memorial page.
Herb loved Flagler County and was very grateful to be a part of the community. In this spirit, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Herb’s honor to Flagler County Humane Society or Stuart F. Meyers Hospice House.
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DIVISION
2024 10407 CIDL U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF2 ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. MATTHEW A. CORBIN AND AMANDA M. CORBIN, et al. Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated August 08, 2024, and entered in 2024 10407 CIDL of the Circuit Court of the SEVENTH Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County, Florida, wherein U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF2 ACQUISITION TRUST is the Plaintiff and MATTHEW A. CORBIN; AMANDA M. CORBIN; REDIBS (FL) LLC DBA REDIBS, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY are the Defendant(s). Laura E. Roth as the Clerk of the Circuit Court will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash at www.volusia. realforeclose.com, at 11:00 AM, on August 14, 2025, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to wit: PARCEL 5 OF THE PROPOSED SMALL MINOR SUBDIVISION, AS RECORDED
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Board with respect to any matter considered at the public hearing or meeting is advised that person will need a record of proceedings and that accordingly, the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which such appeal is to be based. District Manager July
SECOND INSERTION NOTICE OF ACTIONCONSTRUCTIVE SERVICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION CASE NO. 2025 11341 CICI CHASE HOME LENDING MORTGAGE TRUST 2023-RPL3, Plaintiff, vs. CHRISTOPHER SCOTT BRYAN, et. al. Defendant(s), TO: CHRISTOPHER SCOTT BRYAN, UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF CHRISTOPHER SCOTT BRYAN, whose residence is unknown and all parties having or claiming to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the mortgage being foreclosed herein. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property: LOT 33 AND THE NORTHERLY 7.00 FEET OF THE WESTERLY 8.00 FEET OF LOT 32, BLOCK 2, ROOSEVELT PARK, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 11, PAGE(S) 125 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on counsel for Plaintiff, whose address is 6409 Congress Avenue, Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33487 on or before AUG 18 2025 /(30 days from Date of First Publication of this Notice) and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition filed THIS NOTICE SHALL BE PUBLISHED ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO (2) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court at Volusia County, Florida, this 17 day of July,
