Ormond Beach man training to be a Flagler firefighter dies
The Bunnell Police Department is investigating the death of a firefighter/EMT candidate who was participating in pre-employment physical agility testing with Flagler County Fire Rescue.
At approximately 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, FCFR conducted its standard pre-employment physical agility testing at the fire tower located at 655 Justice Lane, Bunnell. The candidate, Fendrick Gabaud, a 40-year-old man from Ormond Beach, recently graduated from fire school and was seeking employment as a Firefighter/EMT with FCFR. He reportedly was in good shape had no prior employment as a firefighter. According to FCFR Fire Chief Michael Tucker and training staff, the candidate successfully completed the required physical agility test, which included climbing three stories of stairs with firefighting equipment, hose lifts, advancing charged
hose lines, spraying targets, and dragging a 150-pound manikin. Witnesses reported the candidate finished well within the allotted time. The temperature in Bunnell at 85 degrees at 10 a.m.
After completing the test and removing his gear, the candidate complained of shortness of breath and feeling unwell. Paramedics on scene immediately rendered aid, but the candidate became unresponsive. He was transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast, where he was later pronounced deceased. His family has been notified.
The Bunnell Police Department, along with the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Seventh District Medical Examiner’s Office, is conducting an investigation. At this stage, there is no indication of accident or foul play.
Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon said: “Our hearts go out to the family of this young man whose life was tragically cut short, as well as to the men and women of Flagler County Fire Rescue who stood beside him during his final moments. This is a heartbreaking reminder of the risks faced by those who pursue a career in public safety.”
and saw that an unknown suspect had thrown “some sort of explosive or incendiary device” out the window of his or her car at 1:28 a.m.
JULY 30
BOMBS AWAY
7:44 a.m. — First block of Plaza Grande Avenue, Ormond Beach Explosives. Police responded to a local neighborhood after a resident reported she had been awakened by a loud explosion in the early morning.
The resident later checked her security camera footage,
The object “violently exploded, causing a large fireball” as the driver continued on, causing a scorched patch of ground. Charred fragments of torn electrical tape covered in duct tape were recovered. Police determined no homes were targeted.
AUG. 10
DUMPSTER DIVE LOSS
10:18 p.m. — 700 block of
Palm Coast larceny suspect and Vermont fugitive arrested Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a Palm Coast woman as a larceny suspect and also a fugitive from Vermont.
Taylor Crowningshield, 27, was being investigated by FCSO detectives as a suspect for a string of larcenies targeting smoke shops. While investigating her, FCSO’s Community Policing Division and Fugitive Unit found Crowningshield had active warrants for her arrest on robbery, assault and probation violation charges from Vermont from May 2024, a FCSO press release said.
A joint investigation between the FCSO, the Barre City Police Department in Vermont and the Vermont Department of Corrections found that Crowningshield had recently moved to Bressler Lane Palm Coast.
On Aug. 18, deputies caught Crowningshield fleeing from a smoke shop in St. Joe Plaza in Palm Coast.
She was taken to the county jail where she is being held without bond, the press release said.
West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach Petit theft. A 49-year-old Ormond Beach man was trespassed from a local retail pharmacy store after he called police to report his ebike had been stolen.
The man had been looking for boxes in the dumpster behind the store when he turned his back on his bike for about three to five minutes, according to a police report.
The store manager, who provided police with security footage that captured the incident, asked for the man to
Palm Coast man sentenced to 14 years in child sex offense case
A Palm Coast man has been sentenced to 14 years in a state prison after accepting a plea deal for multiple childsex offense charges. David Chenowith, 33, was originally arrested on 32 child sex offense charges, according to his original arrest records, including sexual activity with a minor, lewd and lascivious battery and promoting sexual performance of a minor and promoting sexual performance of a minor. As part of his plea deal, Chenowith has a time-served credit of 398 days and cannot have any contact with the victim or the victim’s family. Chenowith is being held at the Flagler County jail until he is transferred to prison. He will have to register as a sexual predator and will be on sex offender probation for 20 years.
Suspect in arrest warrant scam arrested, Flagler Sheriff says
A Palm Coast man running an arrest warrant scam has been
be trespassed, as dumpsterdiving was prohibited.
AUG. 22
FOOTBALL, FIGHTS AND BATH SALTS
11:45 p.m. - 3500 block of Pirate Nation Way, Flagler County Obstruct without violence, possession. A Palm Coast man attending a local football game ended his night in handcuffs after an argument in the stands led to his arrest and drug possession charges.
During a local football game, a school resource
arrested, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
A victim contacted the FCSO on Aug. 18 to report he was being scammed by someone claiming to be from the FCSO. The victim told detectives the scammer said there was a warrant out for the victim’s arrest unless he paid $5,000 to avoid jail, a press release said.
FCSO detectives assisted the victim in communicating with the scammer to catch the suspect. The suspect initially instructed the victim to pay using Bitcoin but, when the victim refused, instead told the victim to place cash in an envelope at a mailbox on Wellhaven Lane in Palm Coast, the press release said.
The detectives, pretending to be the victim, placed an empty envelope in the mailbox and a man, later identified as Tory Harvey, 24, walked up, removed the envelope, and walked away.
The person on the phone — believed to be someone other than Harvey — then began yelling at the victim for placing an empty envelope in the mailbox, the press release said. The victim told the suspect he would place the money in the mailbox this time, and again Harvey
deputy was called out to the stands when an argument broke out between several people in the stands. The deputy told the people they needed to leave, but one 35-year-old man refused.
The deputy managed to escort the man to the bottom of the bleachers, but the man stopped and refused to move again, so the deputy placed him under arrest.
When the deputy searched the man, he found 8.5 grams of bath salts, and another 1.6 grams of marijuana. The man was taken to jail.
walked out to retrieve it. Harvey was placed under arrest.
Lenny’s Pizza owner arrested again on six more drug charges
Lenny’s Pizza owner Leonard Fries Jr. was rearrested on six additional drug charges on Friday, Aug. 22, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported. Fries, who has two pizza restaurants in Ormond Beach, was originally arrested in May after detectives seized cocaine and almost a kilogram of marijuana at his home on Winchester Road. Detectives also seized seven firearms, three vehicles and over $5,000 in cash.
FCSO Special Investigations Unit detectives, who were working with the State Attorney’s Office, obtained two arrest warrants on Aug. 22 “based on the results of controlled narcotics purchases that occurred during the five-month investigation,” a press release stated. Fries, 50, was later released on a $95,000 bond. He currently faces 13 total charges, 11 of which are felonies.
test, she blew a 0.245 on the breath alcohol
the legal limit of 0.08. She was taken to the county jail.
Celtic Festival founder Chuck Spano leaves a legacy of music and service
Chuck Spano, longtime resident and board member of Ormond MainStreet, died at 78 years old on Aug. 12.
JARLEENE
ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Fifteen years ago, Chuck Spano came to the Ormond MainStreet board with an idea.
What if Ormond could host a new festival, one rich in music and honoring the culture of the Celtic nations?
“MainStreet had very little money in the bank,” recalled longtime board member Bill Partington II. “We didn’t know if we were going to make the next payment for our executive director at that time. ... and Chuck came in and proposed that we do this, and he said, ‘We can do it. I’ll cover any cost overruns that we have if we don’t make enough money to pay our expenses.’”
That was who Spano was.
“He was the guy that said, ‘I’ll take care of that,’ and you never heard another word, and it was all taken care of,” Partington said.
Spano, the founder of the Ormond Beach Celtic Festival, died at 78 years old on Aug. 12, two days shy of his birthday. A lifelong resident of the area, Spano was a graduate of Seabreeze High School and Florida State University, where he earned his master’s degree, according to his obituary.
He first worked as an educator, teaching biology at Seabreeze, and then worked as an appraiser in his own company, Southern Appraisal Corporation.
That’s how Partington first met Spano, as he had appraised some of his properties over the years.
Chuck was a quiet man, he said. But he was always friendly.
And, music was a big part of his life.
“I once accused him of being a drummer,” Partington recalled. “... He was a master of all types of rhythm [instruments]. He was a percussionist.”
‘HE WAS UNFLAPPABLE’
Spano had deep connections in the music community, mainly in the folk genre. He played in Barberville often, and regularly went to music festivals around the state. He and his wife Pat used to throw parties in their home and invite traveling musicians, who were friends of theirs, to stop by and jam, and raise money for charity while they were at it.
Spano and Julia Truilo, former executive of Ormond MainStreet, shared that love of music.
The two first met when she started working for MainStreet in August of 2012. Spano was already in the middle of planning for the next Celtic Festival, held every year in April.
Spano was always calm, Truilo said, and was among the longtime board members that took her by the hand and led her forward in her new role, she said.
She could tell him his festival budget was less than expected and he’d tell her he’d figure it out. She could also tell him that he had extra money in the budget and he’d say he doubted he would need to spend it.
“You know, the thing about Chuck is he was unflappable in a lot of ways,” Truilo said.
In the first year of the festival in 2010, Spano practically called all his musician friends and asked them to show up for free. The fact that the festival has grown to include Highland clans, vendors and several bands and music groups is a tribute to Spano’s efforts.
“I think he should be remembered because of the festival — this wonderful festival that he dreamed up and forced into being,” Truilo said.
He did all the musician bookings, ran the website and performed in it too — often seen playing the bodhrán, an Irish frame drum.
Spano was also a state champion washboard player, Truilo said.
BECOMING FAMILY
The first time Becky Parker, current executive director for Ormond MainStreet, met Spano was during a board meeting.
“I will never forget his kind eyes,” she said. “He had just a sweet chuckle that is really warming.”
He was always humble, never the loudest person in the room, but car-
ried a quiet pride, Parker said, in the fact he brought a lot of people joy, and brought them together, for the Celtic Festival.
“We became a family because of this event,” Parker said. “Not just MainStreet, but everyone that goes year after year — the musicians, the clans, the vendors, their families. You watch these kids grow up as well. He is the reason for all of that.”
He’d often tell her not to “sweat the small stuff.” Challenges would come up, as they do in every big event, Parker said.
“And he would always look at me and say, ‘Remember what I said? The small stuff. It’s just small stuff,’” Parker said. “... Nothing really rattled him the way it affected the rest of us.”
The Celtic Festival wouldn’t exist without Spano, Parker said.
MainStreet plans to carry his legacy forward and continue to host the festival, and the music and energy he put into motion, every year, she added.
STEADFAST AND COMPASSIONATE
Partington said he hopes MainStreet will dedicate next year’s festival in Spano’s honor, perhaps name a stage after him. After all, he was a big reason for why many musicians returned year after year.
“He made everyone feel welcome and then at other festivals, people would always be asking him if he had a spot for them to come to Ormond, because they would hear from the other entertainers how good the festival was,” Partington said.
Beyond the festival, Parker said Spano would like to be remembered
School Board member Brosemer member calls staff NDAs
The School Board will discuss the nondisclosure agreements at its next workshop.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
School Board member Donna Brosemer has called for Volusia County Schools to rescind a non-disclosure agreement that about 100 district staff members were asked to sign. What followed her request during the School Board’s meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, was about 30 seconds of silence. School Board Chair Jamie Haynes apologized, saying she was reading the legal memorandum handed to the board. A memorandum written by Brosemer herself, stating that the NDAs were unconstitutional based on Florida’s public record laws.
“The Florida Constitution
details that, in order to add a new category of what is confidential or exempt from public disclosure, a legislator must first file a bill that justifies its public purpose, and that bill has to be passed by a twothirds majority of both chambers,” Brosemer said. “We’ve done none of that and are not even authorized to do it.”
Brosemer said the NDAs are “a naked admission that the district is trying to hide or control information.”
After some brief exchanges by the board and its attorney on how to handle the topic, Brosemer amended her motion to ask the NDAs be discussed at the next workshop.
“I think perhaps if we want to discuss this at a workshop to actually show Ms. Brosemer on where she’s incorrect on several of her assertions here, we could do that,” said School Board Attorney Gilbert Evans.
Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Bal-
gobin said the district has about 8,200 employees, and the estimated 100, or less, employees asked to sign the NDA were due to their duties within the district.
“You and I know, and several of you here, that we have had incidences of employees who’ve left and taken our software with them to other locations,” Balgobin said. “We’ve had employees that have worked in the legal department, and after they left, they discussed cases and specific information regarding (the district), so failure to act also, when you’re seeing such trailing events taking place, could put our organization at risk.”
It’s not unheard of for a district to ask some employees to sign NDAs, Balgobin said.
“I’m fine if that’s the choosing of the counsel and yourself to put it as part of a workshop, or however you choose, but I believe that we have provided ample information regarding this,” Balgobin said. “It’s just
that it was not processed in a way to seek true understanding why it was taking place.”
Haynes asked Brosemer if she had consulted with an attorney to prepare the memo for the board; Brosemer said she hadn’t, but had done legal research and writing for circuit and appellate courts for eight years previously.
Evans maintained that the NDAs were valid.
“As a certified attorney in the state of Florida, I’ve also done research on this and consulted with other districts, and I have not seen any violation of Florida law with this,” Evans said. “That’s why I tink I need to create a memo for the board and for you all at the next workshop to validate the point of the NDA.”
“And that’s why we have a legal system, because there are always dueling opinions,” Brosemer responded.
for being hardworking and joyful.
And, for how much he loved his wife Pat.
“They had a beautiful partnership,” Parker said. “Just living a good life and doing what he loved. That’s what she said — he really stopped at nothing to do what he loved.” Spano was like your favorite uncle, Truilo said. He was smart, always paid attention and was the guy you liked hanging out with.
“If I say he was a nice man, that underestimates how difficult it is to be a nice man in this world,” Truilo said. “He was steadfast and compassionate and just a really nice guy to be around.”
Spano is survived by his wife Pat; his three children Charles, Christoper and Allison; and his granddaughter Isabella.
‘unconstitutional’
Brosemer said this issue was an example of the complication of having the same attorney represent the board and the district.
“There is a natural tension between the two,” she said.
“They don’t always necessarily agree, and for something like this, how do you ask the same the same attorney to sort both of those out? It’s like trying to do an amicable divorce, and you reach an impasse and you can’t have the same attorney. There is nowhere for me
to go as a board member and get an objective legal opinion if Dr. Evans is effectively representing both sides of the function of the district.” Haynes said that VCS has three attorneys on staff, and that Evans represents the School Board; Balgobin has her own attorney for staff and the district.
City utility rate increases could be less than $5 a month for average users
The average user (a household that uses 6,000 gallons of water and wastewater) may see a monthly increase of $4.96 on their bill.
Like
to increase — just not as much as originally proposed.
During the City Commission’s workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 19, commissioners gave staff the green light to proceed on the following rate increases for water and wastewater:
Residential: 62 cents per 1,000 gallons for people who use 3,000 to 6,000 gallons of water a month
Residential: 72 cents for people who use 7,000 gallons or more a month
Residential: 62 cents per
1,000 gallons for people who use over 3,000 gallons of wastewater a month
Commercial: 76 cents for users of 3,000 to 6,000 gallons of water a month
Commercial: 91 cents for users of 7,000 gallons or more of water a month
Commercial: 77 cents per 1,000 gallons for users of over 3,000 gallons of wastewater a month
Residential or commercial users who pay the minimum bill — using less than 2,000
gallons of water or wastewater a month — will see no increase in their bills.
The average user (someone who uses 6,000 gallons) will see an average increase of $4.96 a month in their utility bill, down from the initially proposed increase of $11.59, City Finance Director Kelly McGuire said. Customers who use 3,000 gallons a month will see an increase of $1.25 in their bills.
“That’s not going to fund everything we need, but that
will be a starting point, and that will give us time to implement some of the things that you indicated were of concern,” McGuire said.
Namely, users who receive a minimum bill but are not using 2,000 gallons of water or wastewater. The city plans to address that, and weigh whether the fees are fairly distributed between residential and commercial users, McGuire said. But, to do that, they have to restructure rates.
As the city is in the middle
of a rate study, McGuire said staff was proposing the rate increase go into effect on Oct. 1. Staff will use water and wastewater fund reserves to offset the costs that the initial rate increase would have funded, and over the course of the next couple of months, they will modify the rate study and come back to the commission next fiscal year for a future increase that may not go into effect until fiscal year 2027-2028.
Chuck Spano plays the bodhrán, an Irish frame drum, during the city’s Celtic Festival in 2016. Courtesy photo
School Board members Jessie Thompson and Donna Brosemer. File photo by Jarleene Almenas
Creating efficiencies in local government
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
When Ormond Beach City Commissioner
Travis Sargent first ran to represent Zone
2 about three years ago now, he sent out a survey to residents on changes they’d like to see.
The number one response, he said, was a more proactive code enforcement. The 2025-2026 fiscal year budget has $200,000 set aside to do just that. “We need to have a workshop and really define what we want our code enforcement to focus on,” Sargent said.
The Ormond Beach Observer recently sat down with Sargent to chat about the FDOT changes in downtown, the budget and his ideas for a new nonprofit and a Technology Advisory Board.
TELL ME ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY BOARD.
Commissioner Tolland, Briley, the mayor, and myself, were at the Florida League conference last weekend, and the city of Altamonte Springs received an award on technology, which reinforces what I’ve been pushing — to start a technology board. The reason why I want to do a Technology Advisory Board is so they can advise the commission, obviously, on what they feel will help the city operate more efficiently. And one thing that [Altamonte Springs] implemented was with their permitting department. It went from taking planners roughly three weeks to review plans down to five minutes.
There’s also municipalities that are using AI for infrastructure, so they can predict when pipes are going to burst or when things need to be replaced ahead of schedule, if you will, versus waiting for
that pipe to burst and having an emergency repair. You pay a lot less if you know of the project and you bid it out versus a last minute repair. There’s also AI that you can use for road closures.
If you have it on Google Maps or anything, it’s going to automatically alert you of those things. I just think that we need to embrace technology. It’s here. I know a lot of people are afraid of AI, and a lot of people don’t want it to change, but I think when AI is used properly, you can create the efficiencies and reduce your taxes, and that’s what I’m looking at: How can we be more efficient and not cost our taxpayers money to create these efficiencies?
YOU WERE A BIG PROPONENT OF LIVE STREAMING CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS. ANY UPDATE ON WHEN THAT MIGHT COME LIVE? When I first ran, my first ini-
tiative was to upgrade all the technology within the city. We had to rewire a lot of the fire stations, upgrade technology at City Hall with new smart TVs, cameras, we’re getting an updated website that should be going live soon, and that website is also connected with AI, so it’s going to have a live bot on there at some point where you can ask it questions and it will give you real-time answers without you having to search the whole website for it — another efficiency, another ease of use for our residents.
We upgraded the City [Commission] chambers to new TVs, new cameras and a new sound systems so you can actually hear, and to answer your question, I think we’re going live very soon. I know there’s some technology things that have to be worked out, but all the technology is installed. We just need to work out the internal kinks, if you will, on how to stream it live in a better fashion.
LOOKING AT CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES IN YOUR DISTRICT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE TOP RESIDENT CONCERNS?
Pools on houses that don’t have a proper fence around them, or the screen enclosures may be ripped or torn. Storage containers that are out front or on the side that are visible that have been there for an extended period of time. Commercial vehicles that are parked for long periods of time.
I’m going to be starting a nonprofit. If people don’t have the ability to correct
their violations, if you will, I would like to be able to create that sense of community where people can give back and give a hand up versus a hand-out.
Some people might just not be able to to put their fence back up. Maybe it’s a screw or two. Maybe their yard needs to be mowed, whatever it may be. If we have students that need, for graduation, community service hours, or if we have someone that maybe got in a little bit of trouble and needs community service hours, I’ll be able to help give them hours by also giving back to the community and clean up our community. We have a lot of residents that really want to work together.
SO HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS NONPROFIT FOR A WHILE? I have, and I’m working with some legal just to figure out the terms and how we can get it operating. Hopefully, within the next month or so, we can go live. I want to get it going so when code enforcement does get up and running, they’ll have a resource to give these people an option.
I want to be very clear on that — for code enforcement, I do not want people to go out and just get ticketed. That’s not the purpose this. The purpose of this is we have rules and regulations that need to be followed, and that’s all. We need to work together and respect each other.
Ghyabi. This goes to show you by having good relationships, working relationships, with all parties ... how those relationships pay off to get things completed. Everything that the city has asked for, they have made right and I think that says a lot about our partnership and our relationship with everyone involved with FDOT. They’ve made mistakes, and hopefully when they go to the next community, they realize that, “OK, maybe we need to look at our templates a little bit more.” It’s not a one-sizefits-all for every community, but I think that they’ve done an amazing job with making things correct, and I think that’s the most important thing.
IN THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THEY PASSED A BILL ABOUT SUNSETTING CRAs HOW DO YOU EXPECT THAT WILL IMPACT DOWNTOWN ORMOND’S CRA?
I think our downtown CRA is healthy, and I think our CRA in Ormond Beach is an example that everyone in the state should use of how a CRA should operate. You had some municipalities in the state of Florida that were using the CRA money to do parades. Our CRA money — if you looked at downtown 15, 17 years ago — looks nothing like it does right now. I think that shows that the CRA has paid off to do what they were supposed to do: Take a blighted area and make it what it is today. Some CRA money was used for Cassen Park as well, which, as you can see, is an amazing park that’s finally finished for our residents.
A LOT OF RESIDENTS ARE UPSET ABOUT THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE. DURING THE WORKSHOP, YOU SAID YOU EXAMINED THE BUDGET LINE ITEM BY ITEM. ARE THERE MORE CUTS THAT CAN BE MADE?
I have not seen any. In order to cut — to get flat or to rollback — we would have to cut Leisure Services, we would have to cut somewhere with our public safety, police and fire, Public Works department.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE PROCESS WAS LIKE TO WORK WITH FDOT TO BRING THE CITY’S CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHICANES AND CURB EXTENSIONS THAT HAVE NOW BEEN REMOVED. The credit needs to be given to our City Manager Joyce Shanahan and our transportation consultant, Maryam
It’s important to look at where we came from to where we are today. If you look back five years, we had a police department that had 20-plus vacancies. Retention was not very good. We had our baseball fields for our residents — had big lips on the infield. Kids getting hurt. They weren’t being maintained properly because there was no money.
That’s when Commissioner Tolland proposed a dedicated millage rate for
Leisure Services, so that there is money there to fix the baseball fields. When you look at our baseball fields now, they’re in great shape. They’ve been redone. We were able to get ECHO grants to put LED lights at the quads on Airport Road. Then you look at what Commissioner Selby –back five, six years ago — did a dedicated millage rate for the police and fire police. So I think if we want to get rid of the Leisure Services, get rid of the police and fire dedicated millage rate, that would probably get us down to flat or rollback.
But I think that’s a question that we have to ask ourselves: Do we want to go back or do we want to keep moving forward? And our residents moved here because they like the the services that are being provided to them. Even with these increases ... we will still be the second lowest tax rate out of 16 municipalities in Volusia County for all the service that we provide the residents. The state of Florida put out a “How to DOGE Yourself” and it’s a 13-page document on how we can go through and implement what the state of Florida, their Doge program — we can look at it. I ask that we give this document to our Budget Advisory Board so they can start going through everything and letting us know if there’s anything that we do need to look at.
IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE THE STATE OF THE CITY IN ONE WORD, WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE? I think we are at an exciting point of the city. What I’m excited about and what I think the community should be excited about is we’re real close to hosting some baseball tournaments for travel leagues on the fields that five, seven years ago were not very good to play on, and now we have kids that are gonna be coming from all over — 20, 30 teams to come participate in tournaments at our baseball fields. That’s exciting to me, to know that our parks and recreation are at that level where people want to come and enjoy them.
Our beach. People come to the beach and enjoy that, and visit Andy Romano Park, That’s a park that the residents taxed themselves to build. They wanted it. I’m excited to get that reopened with the new seawall and everything that’s coming from the hurricane damage. I think we’re in great times, and I think Ormond Beach is just a great place to live. Onward and upward.
City Commissioner Travis Sargent. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Horses on the beach?
Volusia Council to hear options for a sixmonth trial at parks in Ormond-by-the-Sea or Neptune Avenue.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Should horseback riding be allowed on a portion of Volusia County Beaches?
The Volusia County Council discussed the matter during its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 19, directing staff in a 5-2 vote to bring back options for a six-month trial period to allow horses on a section of the beach. County Coastal Director Jessica Fentress presented the council with two areas for consideration:
Al Weeks North Shore Park in Ormond-by-the-Sea or at Neptune Avenue beach approach, utilizing the Grace Lutheran Church off-beach parking area. Both sections would span 9 miles.
While there is no recent history on horses on the beach in Volusia, there is a regional precedent, as horseback riding is permitted in the Canaveral National Seashore, which is located in Volusia, as well as areas of St. Johns and Flagler counties, the latter of which allows horses at MalaCompra Park.
Health and safety for the horse and rider, environmental sustainability, possibility for trailer parking and the recommendation for horses to be on a non-driving section of the beach were all factors the county used to choose potential locations.
Councilman Troy Kent, who proposed the discussion at the council’s meeting on May 20, said he “had no horse in this race,” but that adding horseback riding would contribute to the county’s offerings.
“I do think this adds something to Volusia County,” Kent said. “I think that there are people that, it is a bucket list item.”
But, he was only in favor of a trial period if horses were mandated to wear a bag to collect their droppings. He also had concerns with the proposed locations. Choosing Al Weeks North Shore Park would mean eliminating 19 parking spaces — per staff’s recommendation — to incorporate two trailer spaces, and choosing the Neptune beach approach would mean horses and riders would need to cross A1A from the Grace Lutheran parking lot.
Additionally, preliminary conversations with the church, according to Fentress, indicated that the church could ask the county for a higher fee to continue to offer their lot as off-beach parking with the needed horse trailer parking.
“They are not opposed to the idea,” Fentress said. “They would like some more information. They would like to limit the number of trailers.”
Kent said he’d rather go with Al Weeks North Shore Park, and only doing one trailer space (eliminating nine parking spaces), or using the grassy area in front of the parking lot next to A1A for horse trailers, therefore eliminating no parking spaces.
His preference, he added, was that horse riders use the
dirt ramp at Roberta Road to travel north.
Kent said he’s received some emails with “some fearmongering” about horses turning the sand over with their hooves or running through fishing lines.
“You’re just trying to scare people because you don’t want something like that,” Kent said.
If implemented by the county, there would be seasonal restrictions on horseback riding during sea turtle nesting season (May 1 to Oct. 31), as well as limited capacity, an online permit/reservation system, required wildlife protection training, restriction of use during only daylight hours and mandatory waste removal by horse owners.
Ormond Beach resident Jennifer Miko, owner of Equestrian Adventures of Florida, spoke before the council at the meeting. She has been offering horseback rides on the beach since 2011 in Flagler County, and said it would be advantageous for Volusia to allow horses on the beach as well.
“Volusia County is already a top tourist attraction,” Miko said. “People from all over Florida and the United States come to this county just for the beaches. Clientele that come ride with me are topnotch, very responsible, and they are amazing people. It could only add to the amount of people coming into Volusia County.”
Responsible horse owners, she added, will also take this seriously.
“No one wants to put their horses or community in dan ger,” she said. “I’m sure they would be willing to follow the rules that Volusia County puts in place for this privilege.”
Councilmen David Santi ago and Matt Reinhart voted against bringing options for a trial period.
“When we have some popular event and big holi days, those beaches are full and they’re jam-packed with cars,” Santiago said. “I don’t want to take away more beach from the folks.” He also didn’t think it would increase tourism substantially, and was concerned that horse manure may litter the beach, regardless if horses are wearing a bag or not.
Fake Gambaro and Fine websites redirect to Furry’s campaign site
US House race heats up, as Will Furry’s campaign manager says Furry’s campaign does not own or control the sites; Gambaro calls the tactic ‘deceptive.’
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Websites that appear to be from the congressional campaigns of Randy Fine and Charles Gambaro are not what they seem.
If you typed in the domains randyfineforcongress.com or charlesgambaroforcongress. com on Wednesday, Aug. 21, you were redirected to the site, willfurryforcongress.com.
Will Furry, the Flagler County School Board chair, and Gambaro, a Palm Coast city councilman, are both running against incumbent District 6 U.S. House Rep. Randy Fine in 2026.
Chase Russell, the campaign manager for Furry, said his candidate’s campaign does not own or control those websites and they do not know who does.
Gambaro released a statement accusing Furry’s campaign of being behind the false Charles Gambaro for Congress domain.
“These are the types of sleazy, deceptive political tactics that disgust all voters,” Gambaro said. “It is disappointing that a local public official would stoop to this level. It is a desperate maneuver that I personally find appalling by a man that claims to be a person
of faith.”
Randy Fine campaign spokesman Bryan Piligra later released this statement: “Certainly a bold move using a cheap trick on voters to increase your name ID — but that seems to be this guy’s only move whenever he runs for office. And since he’s a failed politician who can’t come close to matching Randy’s record, it’s not too surprising he feels the need to pretend he is him either. Maybe he’s taking a page out of Gavin Newsom’s playbook.”
But Russell denied that Furry or his campaign had anything to do with the fake domains.
“Anyone with a basic understanding of websites knows they can be redirected with ease,” Russell said. “This situation reflects the strength of our grassroots support, as individuals across the community are stepping forward in creative ways to show they stand with Will to be their next representative to Congress. At the same time, the fact that these domain names were not secured in advance by other campaigns suggest a lack of preparation and strategic planning.”
Fine’s real campaign website is voterandyfine.com. Gambaro said his real campaign site, gambaroforcongress.com is currently being designed. Clicking on that site will give you the message: “This site has not yet been published.”
Russell said he is unaware who purchased the domains that redirect to Furry’s site.
“To be clear, the Will Furry for Congress campaign does not own or control these other domains,” Russell said. “Our campaign is built on profes-
sionalism, excellence and organization at every level. As we move forward over the next year, voters will see these values consistently reflected in how we run our campaign and how Will intends to serve the people of Florida’s 6th Congressional District.”
When Furry ran for the School Board in 2022, his campaign at the time was also the subject of controversy.
A flyer produced by a political action committee supporting Furry appeared to come from supporters of his opponent, Courtney VandeBunte.
The mailer read, “Thank you Flagler School Board Candidate Courtney VandeBunte for standing against Ron DeSantis and his harmful education agenda.”
Furry told the Observer shortly after the November 2022 election that he did not know about the mailer. “That was sent out by a PAC which I have no control over,” he said at the time. “That’s their message.”
Furry announced he is running for the District 6 seat on Aug. 12. Gambaro announced his candidacy on July 31. Both are running against Fine for the Republican nomination.
Fine won a special election for the seat on April 1 by a margin of 14 percentage points over Democrat Josh Weil. Michael Waltz had vacated the seat to serve in President Donald Trump’s administration.
Email Brent Woronoff at brent@observerlocalnews. com. A letter to the editor from a local reader also addresses this issue. See Page 12A.
Scott A. Selis, Esq.
Scott A. Selis is an estate planning 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.
Estate planning doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, sometimes the simplest tools can save your family a lot of time, money, and stress. One of those tools is called a “Lady Bird Deed.” And no, it has nothing to do with birds or ladies.
So, what is it? A Lady Bird Deed is a special kind of deed you can use in Florida to transfer your home or other real estate after you pass away. Here’s the best part: you still keep full control of the property while you’re alive. That means you can live in it, rent it out, take a mortgage on it, or even sell it without asking anyone’s permission. You’re still the boss.
Then, when you pass away, the property automatically transfers to the person (or people) you named in the deed—without going through probate court. Probate is the legal process for settling estates, and while it sounds fancy, most families find it slow, stressful, and about as fun as waiting in line at the DMV. A Lady Bird Deed skips that headache. Another bonus: a Lady Bird Deed usually won’t mess up your Medicaid eligibility. In Florida, keeping your home out of probate can help protect it from certain Medicaid recovery claims. That means more peace of mind that your house stays with your loved ones instead of being sold to cover nursing home
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“I see the negative more than the positive, and I don’t see it as a necessity to the success of our tourism,” Santiago said.
Reinhart said he came into the meeting as a “firm no” on the issue, but after hearing Miko’s remarks, he thought she brought good points forward.
Still, she is one person. When the council brought the dog beach proposal forward, there were many people and community groups who spoke in favor of the initiative.
“I don’t see a group, per se, coming before us for this,” Reinhart said.
While County Council Chair Jeff Brower voted in favor of seeing options for the trail period, he remains on the fence on whether horses should be allowed on the beach.
“There’s a lot of variables that we would have to find a way to manage just for the safety of the people that are there enjoying the beach, and that aren’t for this,” Brower said.
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Of course, like most good things, Lady Bird Deeds aren’t perfect for every situation. If you own property in multiple states, or you want to put special rules on how the property is used, a trust might be a better choice. That’s why it’s important to talk with an estate planning attorney before making changes.
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When you plan ahead, you can make your final wishes known and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind.
In short: if you want to keep control of your property during your lifetime but make things easier for your family after you’re gone, a Lady Bird Deed can be a simple, cost-effective solution. And unlike its name, you don’t need feathers—or pearls—to make it work.
Patrick Gardiner leads his family at Mala Campra Beach during an Equestrian Adventures of Florida tour as Terry Marr watches over the group. Photo by Michele Meyers
United Way spotlights food insecurity at 22nd annual Power of the Purse
Provision Packs
founder Carrie Torres was the keynote speaker. She also announced the launch of Feeding Soles.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
EDITOR
MANAGING
As Provisions Packs founder Carrie Torres stepped up to the podium to give her keynote speech at the 22nd annual Power of the Purse, she took a moment to pause and look out at the 350 people in the audience.
Since 2015, Torres has been working to ensure local children do not go without food. Her nonprofit supplies food items to children and families in need on the weekends and during extended school breaks. It started with one school, Pathways Elementary.
Provision Packs now reaches over 1,000 children a week at over 20 schools in Volusia and Flagler counties. That equates to 10,000 meals a week.
But she wasn’t at Power of the Purse on Friday, Aug. 22, to just share her nonprofit’s story. Torres said she wanted to invite the community into their story.
“This mission is my heart, but it is not mine alone,” Torres said. “It has always been about this community, and what I knew we were able to do, and what we continue to do: Love our neighbor.”
It takes half-a-million dollars a year and countless volunteers to help fulfill Provision Packs’ mission, Torres said. The nonprofit doesn’t
“This mission is my heart, but it is not mine alone,”
CARRIE TORRES, founder
ask families to provide documentation for proof of need.
“Week after week, we’ve grown, feeding children, helping families, and doing it all without red tape,” Torres said. “... When a parent feels safe to say yes, they can say yes to food on the table, yes to peace of mind and yes to hope, and that’s why we exist.”
Earlier this year, thanks to help from the CF UWVFC, Provision Packs launched the Lightnin’ Legacy Endowment Fund.
“Once people know they do,” Torres said. “And the greatest thing about all of that is hunger may never disappear, but we can reduce it, and we’ll be doing it for as long as it takes.”
In 2024, 13.4% of people in Volusia County experienced food insecurity.
Every dollar raised at the Power of the Purse, held this year at The Shores Resort and Spa, and expected to bring in over $50,000, goes to help families who fall under United Way’s ALICE population — those who are asset limited, income constrained and employed.
“This event is more than a fundraiser,” said Power of the Purse co-chair Goddess Lawrence. “It’s a celebration of strength, resilience and a leadership of women in our community. Every dollar raised represents a step forward for someone who may
be struggling.”
As volunteers with Women United, Power of the Purse co-chai Carleen Leffler said the group isn’t just about charity work.
“It’s about creating lasting change in the lives of women and families right here in our community,” she said. “Power of the Purse is a celebration, but it’s so much more. It is a call to action.”
Last year, CF UWVFC invested over $2.4 million in 112 nonprofits in the community, including Provision Packs.
“We’re grateful that we’re able to invest in solutions for families right here at home, thanks to the support of local businesses, generous individuals and participants and events like today,” said Courtney Edgcomb, president and CEO of the CF UWVFC.
With Provision Packs having an endowment, Edgcomb
said that is a “giant leap” into their mission.
“By committing to their future and investing in an endowment, they’re making
sure that kids 10 years from now will still have the benefit of the work that Provision Packs is doing,” she said.
Thanks to community support, Provision Packs is taking another leap this year.
During her speech, Torres announced the start of a new umbrella organization, Feeding Soles, an initiative to provide well-fitting shoes to the children served by Provision Packs.
“A child who can walk into a classroom with shoes that fit will walk taller, learn better, dream bigger and all with a full belly of food, because each of you care,” Torres said.
European Village
Courtney Edgcomb, president and CEO of the CF UWVFC.
Women United Committee Chair Emily Elliott speaks.
Provision Packs Founder Carrie Torres.
Women United Co-Chairs Goddess Lawrence and Carleen Leffler. Photos by Jarleene Almenas
Resident solves sticky sand problem
The Sand Dude is a sand removal brush designed by local resident Lindsay Tietje.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Flagler Beach resident Lindsay Tietje said she used to avoid going to the beach.
“Because the sand – it was just such a hassle to clean up,” she said.
It’s a common feeling in her family and in Florida. The Hammock’s iconic coquina sand is notoriously sticky and near-impossible to remove.
One day, Tietje said, she saw a man trying to remove the sand using a toilet brush.
The encounter stuck with her and led her to create The Sand Dude: a hypoallergenic, silicone-bristled sand removal brush designed.
The brush has two sets of bristles, Tietje said, one for hard-to-reach places like between the toes or in the cracks of the car and firmer bristles to remove the sand from larger areas. The Sand Dude retails at $24.99 and is multipurpose brush for people, car seats, mats, beach gear and even pets.
Despite only selling the brush since June 9, The Sand Dude is already in seven stores in or near Flagler County:
starting with Debra Jean’s in The Hammock, and then adding Ohana Food Co., the Beverly Beach Camptown store, the 7/11 in Flagler Beach, Sip & Surf Coffee Co., Big Al’s Bait and Tackle, The Inlet Beach & General Store and Yellow Dawg Fishing. Veterans Title in The Hammock even placed a bulk order to use as part of closing gifts, she said.
Now two months on, Tietje said she’s had orders through her website, thesanddude. com, from as far away as California and she’s already looking to expand with a distributor. According to her website, The Sand Dude made $2,000 in sales in its first week.
“It’s exciting to just see something through that you didn’t think that you would be able to do,” she said. “And people like it.”
Tietje said it started with a post on her personal Facebook page, which was shared by her friends, and then their friends and on to local Flagler Facebook pages until strangers were recognizing it.
“When I started going into stores, people already knew what it was,” she said. “Which was really cool.”
Tietje’s background is in real estate and teaching; She’d never tried her hand at something like this before. And it can be hard, she said, to go into stores to sell the product, but the Flagler County community has been very welcoming
Flagler issues PSA on MSBU notice
County is not levying a tax through the MSBU this year; notice was a requirement to keep the MSBU active.
OBSERVER STAFF
A public notice was mailed to Flagler County residents in the barrier island’s unincorporated area regarding the proposed Municipal Service Benefit Unit for Flagler County’s beach management.
Flagler County formally established an MSBU taxing district for beach management in December 2024, a county press release said. The legally required public notice was to inform residents that no tax is being levied this year at the Sept. 11 public hearing.
of the brush’s “smiling” face. Tietje said she doesn’t think The Sand Dude would have been this successful without God and The Hammock and Flagler Beach community.
“When I started this journey, I didn’t know anyone that I could talk to about the steps to take to make this become a reality,” she said. “It was a steep learning curve in so many ways, but God answered every prayer.”
The notice stated the MSBU will appear on property owners’ tax bills as zero dollars ($0.00). In order to keep the MSBU active, the county was required to send out the notice, the press release said.
The MSBU will be a future part of the county’s beach management funding strategy, but a required apportionment study will need to be completed first. An engineering consultant will “evaluate the appropriate cost allocation of the MSBU based on the needs of beach management,” the press release said.
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A separate public notice will be mailed affected homeowners in the future before any new tax is levied, stating the specific amount for that homeowner’s property, the date of the public hearing and how to object.
The beach management plan will be a “blend of potential sources” of funding, from dedicated ad valorem millage, the MSBU, grants, a sales tax and the tourist development tax.
Some portions of this funding may require a voter referendum, the press release said.
Over $8 million has been set aside for beach management in the 2026 fiscal year budget and the county will be reaching out to residents for feedback on “a sustainable, long-term funding stream.”
No final decisions have been made, the press release said.
Q: Why did I receive a public notice about a Beach Management MSBU?
A: The MSBU (Municipal Service Benefit Unit) district was created in December 2024. Even though no assessments are being levied this year, state law requires that a notice be mailed annually to keep the MSBU active.
Q: Does this mean I have to pay something now?
A: No. Nothing is being levied in 2025. The notice was informational only.
Q: WILL THE MSBU BE
USED IN THE FUTURE?
A: Yes. The MSBU will be part of the funding plan for Beach Management, but the amount to be assessed must be determined by an engineering study that is currently underway.
Q: HOW WILL BEACH MANAGEMENT BE FUNDED?
A: The plan has always been to use a blend of potential funding sources—including ad valorem (dedicated millage), tourist development tax, MSBU, local option sales tax, and state/federal grants. Some of these may require voter approval.
Q: HOW MUCH MONEY HAS THE COUNTY COMMITTED SO FAR?
A: The Board of County Commissioners has already set aside $8.1 million for Fiscal Year 2026 to support Beach Management efforts.
Q: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
A: Over the next year, the County will continue hosting public forums and discussions to shape the final funding strategy. No final decisions have been made—we want and value public input.
Q: WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
A: Protecting and preserving Flagler County’s beaches benefits residents countywide—supporting tourism, property values, storm protection, habitat, and quality of life.
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Debra Jean’s, a coffee shop in The Hammock, was the first place Lindsay Tietje placed The Sand Dude for sale. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Tietje
Nuisance wild hogs mar grave sites at Craig Flagler Palms cemetery
Director Sal Passalaqua is ‘committed to maintaining grounds,’ is working to trap the wild hogs.
OBSERVER STAFF
Wild hogs at the Flagler Memorial Gardens have upturned dirt across multiple grave sites on the cemetery grounds.
“It kind of happened overnight,” said Funeral Home Director Sal Passalaqua Jr. “They just hit like a bad hurricane.”
The problem has been ongoing for a few weeks as the hogs search for food in the soil, causing damage to the grounds in the process, according to a statement from Craig-Flagler Palms Funeral Home. The funeral home is working to fix the damage and trap the hogs.
“The damage has understandably raised concerns from families and the community who care deeply about this sacred space,” the statement said. “We share those concerns.”
Passalaqua said four of the eight Gardens sections have damage from the hogs, all along the original north side of the cemetery. He and his staff were on the grounds on Monday, Aug. 18, digging grave markers out from under the turned up dirt.
“This is something that does not get fixed overnight,” he said.
In the statement sent to the media, Passalaqua said Craig Flagler Palms “is committed
to maintaining our grounds with dignity, respect, and care. We take this issue very seriously and have already put solutions in motion.”
Craig Flagler Palms has hired a licensed trapper who was on site earlier in the week.
The trapper has begun baiting the hogs with corn outside of the cemetery grounds to draw them away from the burial sites, the press release said. Cameras are being used to monitor the hog activity to properly trap and relocate them.
Passalaqua told the Observer that for now the funeral home is waiting on the trapper to have a free trap available to eliminate the wild hogs.
The group of hogs around Craig Flager Palms seems to be composed of around 12-15 animals, he said.
“They [the trapper] are inundated,” he said, “because this is obviously an issue in the county.”
In the meantime, the Craig Flagler Palms team is working to restore the damaged areas “so the cemetery continues to
reflect the peace and respect it deserves.”
“We know how upsetting it is for families to see this type of damage, and we are being fully transparent about the challenges and the steps we’re taking to address them,” the press release said. “This is our community cemetery, and protecting it is a responsibility we do not take lightly.”
Passalaqua said there have been comments made that the cemetery does not care about maintaining the grounds or that the destruction is from vandalism.
Wild hogs have been a nuisance across Flagler County for years, causing property damage from across the county. The hogs have caused enough problems that Flagler County has looked into different methods of capturing and studying the invasive species. The county eventually created a dashboard so residents can report wild hog sightings, and most of the reported damage and sighting is centered on the neighborhoods along Colbert Lane.
Wild hogs are digging up dirt across dozens of graves at Flagler Memorial Gardens cemetery. Courtesy photo
Sex abuse allegations torment Riverbend Community Church
Elders of Riverbend Community Church have condemned the abuse, saying they had not been aware it.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
Ormond Beach Police have opened an investigation into Riverbend Academy and Riverbend Community Church after sexual allegations, some dating as far back as the early 2000s, recently came to light.
OBPD announced on Tuesday that an investigation was opened on Aug. 18 by its Criminal Investigation Unit on the church, located at 2080 W. Granada Blvd. Detectives are seeking to speak with anyone who may have information or believes they may have been a victim.
“Please remember this is an active and ongoing investigation,” Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said. “We take these allegations very seriously and are committed to supporting potential victims and protecting this community, all while conducting a thorough and impartial investigation.”
An open letter dated Monday, Aug. 25, to the victims from the Riverbend Survivors Coalition was submitted to the Observer
Volusia County Emergency Management collaborates with the Private Sector Preparedness Group, a workgroup of the Volusia Community Organizations Active in Disasters, to strengthen community readiness. As part of that effort, the group recently received a donation from employees of Teledyne Marine to support shelter comfort initiatives.
When residents are rescued from high-water situations or evacuated from their
taught us to keep quiet,” the letter states. “They told us silence was holy, that obedience was survival. But silence only protected those who harmed us — never the children, never the truth, never the brokenhearted.”
The letter goes on to request victims come forward, saying they will be surrounded by other survivors.
The Elders of Riverbend Community Church published a public statement on the church’s Facebook page on Aug. 22, stating they had not been aware of the allegations and are “brokenhearted to learn about egregious sin in our church’s past.”
“We as elders, and we as a church, are deeply saddened and grieve for all who have been abused in any way,” the elders stated. “We condemn abuse, and we stand against any actions to cover up or conceal sin. We desire to humbly listen to anyone who would like to speak with us.
“We desire to know the truth and set things right,” the statement continues.
“We continue to pray for those who have suffered abuse. We are committed to keeping all in our ministry safe from abuse. We believe that the church above all should be a people who clearly demonstrate Christlikeness in every way. We acknowledge that the things we are learning do not reflect Christ. We condemn them with deep conviction.
homes, they could arrive at shelters with little more than the clothes they are wearing. The donated items, including clothing and basic hygiene supplies, will provide immediate comfort and reassurance to evacuees during disaster events.
Through COAD, the Private Sector Preparedness Group supports Volusia County’s efforts to ensure shelters meet the needs of its residents during difficult times.
The next Private Sector Preparedness Group meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 29, at the Volusia County Emergency Operations Center, 3825 Tiger Bay Road, Daytona Beach. Businesses interested in supporting community preparedness are encouraged to attend or contact Volusia County Emergency Planner Holly Winhoven
These things are all very new to us, and we are humbly committed to truth, safety, transparency, and justice as we work through this.”
On Aug. 21, a letter was published on the media platform Substack which shared anonymous accounts of the abuse that victims say took place at Riverbend by church members in positions of authority. This letter, published anonymously, states that 63 women within the Riverbend community were surveyed. In the survey, almost 30% of the women reported they had been manipulated or coerced into sexual behavior by an adult male church member or youth leader when they were minors.
Over one third alleged they felt like they received romantic or sexual attention from an adult man at the church when they were minors.
Among the stories shared in the letter is one about a woman who, at age 16, was sexually assaulted by a member of the church six years older than she was; another who at age 17 says a youth leader groomed her into a sexual relationship; and a woman who said she was manipulated at age 15 into a physical relationship with a 26-year-old church member.
“We want to be clear: this is not an attempt to destroy the church,” the Substack letter states. “Some have even chosen not to name specific individuals, fully aware of the per-
at hwinhoven@volusia.org for more information.
sonal and social consequences that can follow. We also recognize that harmful behaviors often stem from systems that normalize and enable them, especially young men raised in these environments.
“Our compassion, though, is not incompatible with
accountability,” the letter continues. “It is because we care about the truth, about future generations of girls and boys, and about the integrity of the church that we are speaking out. Our hope is not to tear down but to help rebuild.”
In 2021, a former elder at Riverbend Community Church was arrested on child pornography charges. The elder, John Robert Griffin II, was relieved of his duties when the church discovered the allegations. He had been a “non-staff, non-vocational” elder of the church, Riverbend told the Observer in 2021. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Teledyne Marine employees make a donation for shelter comfort initiatives by Volusia Community Organizations Active in Disasters. Courtesy photo
Make yourself at home
Kennedy’s new fish and a gallon of holy water
had a 1-gallon tank at home, so in my mind a new tank was not part of the plan.
The employee explained that the water needs to be conditioned for the fish. How is that accomplished?
BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER
A few days after my 10-yearold daughter, Kennedy, asked if she could buy a pet fish at home, I found myself surrounded by floor-to-ceiling aquariums in the back corner of a local pet store. Our mission: Don’t leave until you have a fish in a plastic bag. Should be simple enough. Just pick out the least expensive betta and go.
“What you want to do,” a store employee explained, “is set up the tank — ideally about 5 gallons — and then wait for two weeks before adding the fish.”
“Two weeks?” Kennedy said in horror.
“Five gallons?” I asked in disbelief because we already
LETTERS
Sleazy campaign politicking emerges
Dear Editor:
The U.S. House of Representatives District 6 race is off to a start already, but not in a good way. Already, sleazy campaign politicking has emerged. And it’s not the first time concerning the campaigns of Will Furry.
In the race so far, Mr. Furry, our county School Board chair, is facing Randy Fine, currently holding the House seat, and our City Council member, Charles Gambaro. In 2022, Will Furry’s School Board opponent was mercilessly trashed with mass mailed campaign fliers of false information that may have actually cost her the election. Furry denied any responsibility for the mailings. Now, campaign websites that appeared to belong to Fine and Gambaro, were brazenly redirected to Will Furry’s official campaign site by someone or some entity unknown.
As disturbing and sordid as this is, Furry and his campaign manager offered little in the way of righteous condemnation. There was no appropriate outrage, only the expected denial of involvement.
But Chase Russell really crossed the line when he stated that the sordid incident “speaks to the power of the people that stand behind Will and are willing to help out where they can.” Russell, who is tasked with speaking on behalf of Will Furry,
Nitrites naturally turn into nitrates thanks to natural bacteria, if you just drop in some fish food and wait. One gallon of water is extremely difficult to keep clean and healthy for a fish, so a larger tank is the best practice.
The store was about to close, so I tried to help Kennedy see reality: No fish tonight.
But she wasn’t giving up.
Another employee walked by, and he reiterated the advice we’d already received, but he showed an alternative. The store does sell one-gallon jugs of pretreated water for $15.
I swallowed. I averted my eyes from Kennedy’s hopeful, plaintive expression. I tried to come to terms with what I was hearing: Our tap water, which costs about half a penny, was no good, so if we
actually seemed proud and pleased that it occurred.
Curiously, Chase Russell is not averse to some unsavory politics in his campaign management style with some tricks not dissimilar to this website commandeering matter. In a podcast interview, he explained and bragged about tactics he uses, aided by his tech savvy and marketing skills. For example, he took pride in harvesting and copying a political opponent’s Facebook page friends and inundating them with his guy’s ads to such an extent it became so mentally embedded, they were eventually convinced to switch sides. Chase Russell was not just offering a different view, he was wearing them down into submission. He conceded during the interview that some may question the ethics behind that kind of campaign tactic. Yes, we do. Even in the messy world of political campaign ethics, “the end justifies the means” has its limitations. Hopefully, Mr. Furry and his campaign gets that message, as well.
BOB GORDON Palm Coast
Editor’s Note: The 2022 mailer was not issued by Furry’s campaign but by a political action committee called “Flagler Forever,” which was linked to a Tallahassee address. The flyer was designed to look like it was sent out by supporters of Furry’s School Board opponent, Courtney VandeBunte, thanking her “for fighting against Ron DeSantis.”
wanted a fish, we needed this fishy holy water with built in bacteria, for $15? Meaning, we’re overpaying 3,000x?
And by the way, we also need a filter so the fish doesn’t die from stagnant water. And a heater so the fish doesn’t die from the temperatures dropping below 75. And aquarium pebbles so the fish doesn’t die from inadequate breakdown of bacteria. And enrichment elements such as silk plants, so the fish doesn’t die of boredom.
Let’s just say this was going to cost a lot more than my budget of $5.
But of course, if you’re a parent, you know that at this point, there is no turning back. At the checkout, the extremely kind and patient employee said, “You might want to keep this receipt. It shows the return policy.”
“Return policy?” I asked.
“If something happens in the next seven days, you just bring in the body, and a sample of the water, so we can test it to see what happened, and you can pick out a
Palm Coast mayor’s lawsuit is not noble
Dear Editor:
An assessment of the rationale for Mayor Mike Norris’ unprecedented lawsuit against the city and its eventual outcome, puts into question any altruistic or public-spirited motives for suing.
Less than two weeks after the City Council unanimously voted to censure Norris and went on record as having “no confidence” and moved towards getting him removed from office, the mayor reacted. In what appeared to be a “tit for tat” move, he struck back by suing the city for an alleged City Charter violation for what the mayor claimed was an illegal appointment of Councilman Gambaro.
And he did so with the added bravado that it was so righteous he didn’t care what it costs the taxpayers. Saving the city from Gambaro and upholding the sanctity of the City Charter was so important, so principled, even a million dollars of taxpayer money spent was OK.
Norris always contended his lawsuit was an altruistic gesture, strictly a matter of principle … a righteous, selfless act of civic duty and nobleness.
The lawsuit fizzled, as he was warned multiple times it would, but the mayor was not deterred and proceeded with an appeal process. However, his intention of continuing any such lawsuit appeal was swiftly dropped like a hot potato when the city’s attorney put Norris on notice that
replacement.”
I didn’t want to contemplate this fish’s chances of survival.
About 15 minutes after the store was supposed to have closed, we checked out, and I carried the bag of supplies to the car, while Kennedy carried a long, cylindrical plastic bag, filled two-thirds with air, tied in a knot on top. It was about the size of a long sleeve of carnival popcorn. The bottom third of the bag was full of water — straight from the store’s aquarium. And in that water was one blue-and-red betta fish happily frolicking, to Kennedy’s delight.
The delight was so pure and so wonderful that I felt rebuked for my anti-pet curmudgeonliness. With the exception of a fish, pets have never appealed to me because of the amount of work and money required. A pet can teach a child to be responsible, but I have always assumed that, in the end, the parent ends up getting stuck doing all the work. Indeed, I was the one to change the
the city would pursue financial sanctions against him if the lawsuit continued.
Norris ending the legal proceedings was not out of deference to taxpayers paying the ever increasing legal bills, which he refuses to reimburse, or to stop the unwelcome City Council drama it caused, or because he finally realized the lawsuit was simply a mistake. He quit because it could personally cost him big bucks to continue. His high road took an off-ramp when the tolls were too much. As such, is it reasonable to suggest that the whole affair was not a result of the selfless and noble civic duty after all, but rather was foremost a reprisal and a purposeful distraction from the council’s efforts to remove him from office?
ED GARDNER Palm Coast
Lack of leadership from Ormond mayor
Dear Editor:
For over a year I’ve been withholding judgment about our mayor. I assumed the coverage of his missteps, misstatements, and mismanagement was probably on target, but I was open-minded. I wanted to check things out for myself, so I attended the city Budget Workshop Aug. 19 and was blown away by his lack of leadership and budget skills. I had not been to an Ormond budget workshop in 28 years, when I was on the City Commission.
My quick take: The mayor is immovable and in way over his head. He clearly
water of the last fish Kennedy had.
But as we drove home, I felt some of Kennedy’s joy vicariously. Maybe, I thought, even if I do end up taking care of the fish sometimes, Kennedy’s joy was a good enough reason to have it. Maybe, when Kennedy is feeling alone or sad, she can sit in her room and feel some comfort emanating from the light in the tank.
At home, I helped Kennedy rinse the aquarium pebbles, and I poured into the tank the nitrate-rich gallon of water, and finally, after draining the store’s aquarium water, as instructed, we let the fish squirm out of the bag, ruffling its feathery fins, and plop into its new home. The fish also now had a name: Finny McCringle. Just like that, we had a new family member.
Before I went to bed, I stood outside Kennedy’s room and was about to knock when I overheard her saying, in a sweet, quiet voice, “Good night, little fishy.”
signaled what he plans to do in September when it is time to vote on the budget: He will vote no. He was asked many times at the workshop for new ideas or new solutions and he had nothing substantive to add.
The best way to deal with an immovable object is to just go around it and thank goodness in our city the mayor only gets one vote. If he wants to vote in September on symbolism instead of substance, that’s his choice. What he’s doing is a dereliction of duty.
When asked to provide practical solutions, he retreats to more sloganeering, sarcasm, and cagey, vague promises. He acts like he has a secret plan and will fill us all in when he’s ready.
In contrast, the rest of the elected officials and the senior staff could not have been more professional and thoughtful in their deliberations. To the four commissioners: Thank you for standing up for the city in a way that the Mayor just doesn’t understand. You were not afraid to make hard choices, but I felt you were doing so with compassion.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid the mayor is set in his ways and I don’t expect him to have any epiphanies anytime soon.
DAVID SCHECTER
Ormond Beach
Editor’s note: Mayor Jason Leslie was given a chance to respond. He wrote: “The city’s operating budget has grown from $110 million in 2022 to just over $170 million in 2025, according to the
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Publisher Brian McMillan, brian@observerlocalnews.com
An article on 1A of the Aug. 21 Palm Coast Observer incorrectly stated the parameters of roadwork on Belle Terre Parkway; it will be from Royal Palms Parkway to Pritchard Drive.
city’s transparency portal — a jump of more than 55% in only three years. This comes despite less than 1% population growth and higher property tax revenues from rising values. Just three years ago, the city provided the same services with nearly a third less in the budget.
“As mayor, I hold one of five votes on the commission. At this year’s budget workshop, I suggested costsaving measures like leasing vehicles and carrying insurance to reduce litigation and replacement costs. Those suggestions were later followed by an extensive Q&A in the Observer. I also directed staff to identify ways to lower the millage rate. What came back was a 7.66% increase — with no actual reductions in spending. The rest of the commission was prepared to approve a 10.3% increase.
“Residents elected me to find solutions, build consensus, and resist unnecessary tax hikes. With the possibility of a statewide property tax repeal and proposed utility rate increases, we must act now to stabilize spending.
“I hope my efforts to reduce your tax burden are recognized and appreciated.”
Editor’s note: The city’s transparency portal reflects the current working budget, said Finance Director Kelly McGuire, which reflects adjustments for capital projects approved by the commission that were budgeted last year and need to be reappropriate to the current year. The commission will vote on a proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 of $143M in September.
YOUR NEIGHBORS
From farm to classroom
The Ormond
Chamber leadership class and FUTURES Foundation donated over $17K to OBMS.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING
EDITOR
The future of agriculture is taking root at Ormond Beach Middle School.
“It’s been, overall, really inspiring. And, [it] ended up being a project not just for the leadership class, but for the entire community to get involved with.”
The Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class XXI and the FUTURES Foundation presented OBMS with a $17,600 donation on Friday, Aug. 22, to support the school’s new agriculture program. It’s the largest donation made by a leadership class to a school to date — the class raised $8,800 and the FUTURES Foundation provided a School District Education Foundation Matching Grant.
“It actually took off faster than we could have expected,” said Leadership Class Leader Cassie Dixon. “There were a lot of local companies that
either went through leadership and were passionate about that program, or went to Ormond Beach Middle School, or even just were a member of an agriculture program somewhere else. So it seemed to touch people, and we got an outpouring of support from the community.”
Every year, the chamber’s leadership class is tasked with choosing a community project, with different groups and organizations having the ability to pitch their needs to the class. This year, OBMS Principal Heather Iannarelli came and said the school was interested in bringing back its agriculture elective, one that would feed into Seabreeze High School’s.
OBMS was seeking about $1,200 to start a student garden, as well as start construc-
tion on a pole barn to house animals.
When Iannarelli found out the school would be receiving over $17,000, she was shocked.
“It just shows how much the community really wants to be a part of supporting our students and their educational growth,” Iannarelli said.
Some parents initially believed the program meant students will be learning only about farming, but Iannarelli said it’s much more than that.
“They’re learning about agricultural literacy, the role of science, math and reading and history and technology, and the history of how agriculture has changed over time, and plants and animals, consumer goods,” Iannarelli said.
“So much. It’s not as basic as everybody thinks it is.”
And, when the school starts its Future Farmers of America chapter, it’ll be about leadership skills too, she added.
OBMS is offering six classes this year, and they’re all full. Students have already put together their classroom’s hydroponic towers and composting bins.
The covered classroom structure is already built. The pole barn began construction on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Iannarelli said they hope to start moving in the animals by the end of October.
Being able to present OBMS with such a significant donation has been a “satisfying accomplishment” for their 23-member class, Dixon said. It’s about helping younger generations and giving them a passion as they look forward to their high school years.
It’s also, she added, a way of instilling a sense of pride that the community supports them and wants them to succeed.
“It’s been, overall, really inspiring,” Dixon said. “And, [it] ended up being a project not just for the leadership class, but for the entire community to get involved with.”
In a press release, Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Debbie Cotton said that the chamber was proud of the class’ commitment to giving back.
“With FUTURES Foundation’s match, this project will enrich educational experiences and help launch an exciting new program that benefits both students and our community,” Cotton said.
Not only did the leadership class and the FUTURES Foundation provide OBMS with the financial means to start the program, but Iannarelli said they’ve also gotten a lot of volunteer help.
“What’s crazy is a lot of them aren’t even parents at our school —they don’t have kids here,” she said. “... That says a lot about our community.”
OBMS Principal Heather Iannarelli listens as Agriculture teacher Amie Smith explains the school’s new agriculture program.
Beach
FUTURES Foundation Assistant Director Stephanie Parks walks toward the new barn at OBMS, with Chamber Leadership Class member Erika Barger, Volusia County Schools Director of Secondary Schools Bill Ryser and Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Cotton.
Chamber Program Manager Patty Tropea, the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class XXI and Chamber President Debbie Cotton.
Photos by Jarleene Almenas
The barn is currently under construction. Once complete, it will be home to goats, sheep and chickens.
CASSIE DIXON, Leadership Class leader
THURSDAY, AUG. 28
ATLANTIC FEDERATION
REPUBLICAN WOMEN
MEETING, FEATURING
RANDY FINE
When: 11:30 a.m.
Where:The Palmetto Club, 1000 S. Beach St., Daytona Beach
Details:Attend the August meeting of the Atlantic Federated Republican Women. This month’s guest speaker will be Congressman Randy Fine. Meeting fee of $28 includes lunch. For more information, or to register, visit https:// www.atlanticrepublicanwomen.com.
Details: Learn all about vanilla and its uses in this cooking demonstration, presented by library staff. Free event.
PALM COAST
CONCERT SERIES
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: The Stage at Town Center, 1500 Central Ave., Palm Coast
Details: See the Southern Rock Revival band perform. There will be live music, food trucks, vendors, yard games, beer and wine. Bring a chair.
FRIDAY, AUG. 29
JIMMY BUFFETT DAY OF SERVICE
When: 8-10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 29 and 30
Where:Veterans Park, 105 S. 2nd St., Flagler Beach Details: Honor the life of Jimmy Buffett while helping to keep the beach clean.
There will be coffee and donuts each day at 7:30 a.m. at the lobby of the Compass Hotel, 111 S. Daytona Ave. Presented by Keep Flagler Beach Beautiful and Compass by Margaritaville.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30
LOW-COST
PET SHOT CLINIC
When: 9:30-11 a.m
Where: First Baptist Church Bunnell, 2301 Commerce Parkway, Bunnell
Details: Rabies shots will cost $5 for 1-year vaccinations. Other shots offered. All vaccinations are administered with a licensed veterinarian. No appointment needed. Proceeds benefit abused animals. Call or text 386-748-8993 or visit spcavolusia.org.
FLAGLER WOMAN’S
CLUB TRIVIA
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Flagler Woman’s
Club, 1524 S. Central Ave.,
Flagler Beach
Details: Join the Flagler Woman’s Club for an evening of trivia with Travis Thomas, of Thomas Media Solutions. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. A $10 per person donation is requested. Please bring an appetizer to share. For more information, contact Debbie at 312-607-8200 or Mary at 386-569-7813.
SUNDAY, AUG. 31
HAPPY WANDERERS
FLAGLER BEACH WALK
When: 8:30-10 a.m.
Where: Flagler Beach Library
Details: Join the Happy Wanderers for a walk around Flagler Beach. Costs $4. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.
OVERDOSE AWARENESS WALK
When: 5:15 p.m.
Where: Wadsworth Park, 2200 Moody Blvd., Flagler Beach
Details: The Flagler County Drug Court Foundation is acknowledging International Overdose Awareness Day with a walk over the bridge, starting at Wadsworth Park to Veterans Park. If you aren’t able to walk, join in for some fellowship at 6:15 p.m. at Veterans Park.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3
WET CYANOTYPE
PHOTOGRAPHIC
PRINTING WORKSHOP
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Art League of Day-
tona Beach, 433 S. Palmetto
Ave., Daytona Beach
Details: Attend this workshop with Janet Bernardini. For tuition cost and to register, visit artleague.org/ allworkshops.
ART AND WINE WALK
When: 6-9 p.m.
Where: European Village, 101 Palm Harbor Parkway, Palm Coast
Details: Enjoy an evening of wine, live music, raffles and local art, with proceeds to benefit Family Life Center. Tickets/wristbands are $20. Includes a souvenir cup and 10 tasting tickets.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 4
RECIPES AND READS
CULINARY LAB:
AFTERNOON TEA
When: 3 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach
Regional Library, 30 S. Beach
St., Ormond Beach
Details: Enjoy Lady Grey tea while learning more about the history of tea. Free event.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5
VFW AUXILIARY 8696
TACO BAR
When: 5-7 p.m.
Where: VFW Post 8696, 47 Old Kings Road N., Palm Coast
Details: Benefit local veterans and their families with this $10 taco bar.
FREE FAMILY ART NIGHT
When: 5:30-7 p.m.
Where: Ormond Memorial
Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: Work with your family to make paper lizard sculptures. All art supplies provided. No art experience needed. All ages welcome.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 6
ORMOND BEACH CIVIL AIR PATROL OPEN HOUSE When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Ormond Beach Composite Squadron, 760 Airport Road, Ormond Beach Details: See Civil Air Patrol’s new facility and airplane, and learn
YOUR SCHOOLS
Matanzas High to host mattress fundraiser for chorus program
The Matanzas High School cafeteria will be transformed into a mattress store on Saturday, Sept. 6, as the chorus program raises money for a trip to New York in March to perform at the Lincoln Center.
Custom Fundraising Solutions will host the sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with mattresses, adjustable bases, mattress protectors and pillows for sale. CFS will also deliver.
This is the fourth year the Matanzas chorus program will hold a mattress sale fundraiser by CFS, chorus director Jens Oliva said. The mattresses are top quality and sold at a reduced rate, he added.
The Matanzas chorus has been invited to perform in the Octavo Series presented by Manhattan Concert Productions with other Central Florida high schools under the direction of Stetson University music professor Timothy Peter on March 16, 2026, at Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center. Peter, one of the guest conductors in the series, will direct a 300- to 400- member choir including Matanzas students, Oliva said. The students will
depart for New York on March 13 and return on March 17. In addition to the concert and rehearsals, other activities will include sightseeing and a Broadway show.
The Flagler County Education Foundation has announced the renewal of senior scholarships to Flagler Palm Coast High School graduate Jill Prime from Quantum Electrical Contractors and the Girl Up! Foundation. Scholarship renewals are extremely rare, the Ed Foundation said.
Joseph Wright of Quantum Electrical Contractors said in an Ed Foundation press release: “The gift of the David Wright Scholarship is always heartwarming to me as my father’s love of flying can be seen in each of the recipients, but in Jill’s case it is especially emotional as Jill‘s positivity, work ethic and drive are the beliefs in our family and our company’s foundation. Jill is the first of the scholarship recipients to receive a second due to her dedication. We wish her the best moving forward and look
to continue to support her.”
A representative of the Girl Up! Foundation said, “Empowering girls through scholarships is more than support, it’s a statement of belief in their strength, brilliance and right to lead.”
Scholarship applications for the class of 2026 will open in November. Eligible seniors are encouraged to apply through the Flagler County Education Foundation’s scholarship portal at flaglerschools.awardspring. com.
“These scholarships are a powerful example of how community partnerships drive opportunities for students,” said Maryiotti Johnson, the Ed Foundation’s assistant director of finance and operations.
For more information, contact the Flagler County Education Foundation at asbillm@ flaglerschools.com.
Gold’s Gym
Ormond, Daytona raises $500 for local school
Gold’s Gym Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach raised over $500 for Champion Elementary as a result of the gyms’ recent Back-to-School Supply Drive and dance fundraiser.
The Gold’s Gym locations collected school supplies from July through August, and held a “Zumba-thon” workout fundraiser on Aug. 23.
“This community continues to show up strong on the dance floor and for a great cause,” Gold’s Gym Ormond Beach wrote on its Facebook page.
New B-CU president welcomes students back to campus
Bethune-Cookman University started the fall 2025 semester celebrating a new president along with an uptick in enrollment for another year, marking a “pivotal moment in the university’s ‘B-CU Rising: All of Us, All In’ strategic initiative,” according to a news release.
Classes started Aug. 18, marking Dr. Albert Mosley’s first full term as the university’s eighth president — a role he assumed on July 7. He brought students, faculty and staff together in prayer during his first Presidential Convocation on Aug. 20.
“We are writing a new chapter at Bethune-Cookman — one that honors the bold legacy of Dr.
and the
Mosley said.
Bethune-Cookman University also received nearly $900,000 from the National Science Foundation to upgrade its technology infrastructure.
FOCUS ON FAITH
Ormond Beach’s Prince of Peace celebrates garden groundbreaking Prince of Peace Catholic Church recently celebrated the groundbreaking for a new addition to its parish campus: A “Mary’s Peace Garden,” featuring a 5-foot-tall Virgin Mary statue on a 5-foot base.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Aug. 6, came after about two years of planning for the garden, which will also have 14 Stations of the Cross — pillars depicting the events that led to Jesus’
death. The garden will also be composed a 170-foot-long, 16-foot wide sidewalk and several benches.
“Mary is a big thing for Catholics,” said Dominic Bui, parishioner and project coordinator. “... The area that we’re getting ready to build is a very nice piece of property, and that’s why we looked into building a new one — a bigger, nicer one — so that everybody can come and reflect in themselves and pray, and don’t have to go inside the church.”
The garden will be located east of the church’s main parking lot, the same location as the existing smaller garden honoring Mary. The space will allow for the church to hold special services outdoors.
Bui said that, to his knowledge, there’s nothing like this garden project in the greater Volusia area.
Going through the city’s permitting process took about a year, and in the meantime, the church was also getting permission from their
diocese in Orlando. The garden project receiving significant financial support. Many of the components in the project, Bui said, have been sponsored.
The church asked for 14 sponsors of $5,000 each for the Stations of the Cross, as well as four sponsors for the base of the statue of Mary, at $2,500 each. Sponsorships for light poles and the walkway are still available.
The statue of Mary, made in marble in Italy, is ready to be installed. So are the Stations of the Cross, made from natural stone from Vietnam.
“We have it in-house,” Bui said. “So now, it’s just the construction process to put all the pieces together.
The church contracted Luxury Builders, of Daytona Beach, for the project, which Bui said is expected to be complete by the end of November.
Mary McLeod Bethune while preparing the next generation of leaders to shape our communities
world,”
Gold’s Gym held a Zumba-thon fundraiser on Aug. 23 at its Ormond Beach location. Courtesy photo
B-CU President Albert Mosley greets students during campus move-in. Photo courtesy of Bethune-Cookman University
Jill Prime (center) received renewals for her senior scholarships from Quantum Electrical Contractors and the Girl Up! Foundation. Courtesy photo
Brought to you by:
Stephenson, Wilcox and Associates
Prince of Peace Pastor Justin Vakko (second from left) celebrates the groundbreaking of the new Mary’s Peace Garden.
Photo courtesy of Prince of Peace Catholic Church
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BUSINESS
Ocean Art Gallery leaves Ormond Beach
Owner Frank Gromling is still looking for a new location to house a downsized gallery in Flagler Beach.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
After seven years in Ormond, Ocean Art Gallery is returning to its original home, Flagler Beach.
“We want to be a part of the vibrant rejuvenation that’s going on in Flagler Beach,” said owner Frank Gromling, a 26-year resident of Flagler County.
The gallery officially left the 3,000-square-foot space at Granada Plaza Shopping Center on Aug. 15 and is still searching for the right location for its new Flagler Beach home. But there is a possibility, Gromling said, that the gallery becomes 100% online.
“I need to find a space,” he said, adding that he should know for sure by October what direction the gallery is taking.
Ocean Art Gallery was first opened in 2012 and moved to Ormond Beach in 2018. Over the years, Gromling said, he and his wife Bibi Gromling have hosted over 300 artists, from local residents to those of international acclaim, ranging across a variety of mediums.
Gromling said it was time to leave the Ormond Beach space after seeing a decrease in visitors. In his first year at the Ormond Beach location,
he said, the gallery saw over 8,000 visitors.
“There were 2,300 last year,” Gromling said. “That’s a problem.”
In a press release sent out by the gallery, Gromling said he believes the Compass Hotel by Margaritaville was “the perfect opportunity for Ocean Art to return to its roots.”
“We want to be part of the vibrant rejuvenation of Flagler Beach,” he said.
But regardless of turning Ocean Art completely into an online business or finding a site suited to their needs, Gromling said the gallery will be downsized. He said he and his wife are looking for locations that are around 1,000 square feet in size, which would eliminate the space for workshops.
Gromling said he also intends to narrow his focus on the number of artists presented at the gallery at one time. He plans to focus on “greater talent” with artists and only host a few at a time.
It won’t be until the fall that Gromling said the gallery would reopen, in some capacity. For now, the gallery’s website — www.oagart.com — is available and the Gromlings are taking the time off to relax.
“I want this to be a part of my wife and I spending more time together,” he said. “We both came to the same agreement: We need to spend more time together, even if it’s just at the beach where we live.”
Frank Gromling can be contacted at frank@oagart.com or 386-317-9400.
BIZ BUZZ
Flagler Bike Shop under new ownership
After nearly a decade in business, Flagler Bike Shop has announced a change in ownership.
The shop is now owned and operated by manager Mark Vickers, who has been with the business almost from the beginning. Vickers has overseen the shop’s day-to-day operations for the last several years, a Flagler Bike Shop press release said.
Flagler Bike Shop, located at 109 Flagler Plaza Drive, was founded in 2016 by Tom and Kelli Nugent and serves bike riders of all skill levels. The shop has experts in repairs, bike sales, group rides and community event and is known for its personal service, knowledgeable staff and dedication to growing the cycling culture, the press release said.
Former owners Tom and Kelli Nugent said running the Flagler Bike Shop was “more than a business” but was a where friendships were formed, experiences shared and “a vibrant cycling community was built,” the press release said.
The Nugents intend to focus on spending more time with their two young children.
“We’ve had the unique opportunity to make a living doing something we love,” he said.
“We’ve learned so much, had a lot of fun, and met so many incredible people along the way.”
The Nugents may be stepping away from the business but will remain active in the local cycling community, the press release said. Vickers said he looks forward to continuing the shop’s legacy.
“This shop is special, and I’m honored to have the chance to carry it forward,” Vickers said. Pink Army 5K scheduled for Oct. 5 in Flagler
Early bird registration for the 2025 Pink Army 5K is open.
The annual event hosted by the city of Palm Coast and AdventHealth is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 7:45 a.m. at AdventHealth Palm Coast. The Pink Army 5K raises money for breast cancer awareness, education and screening.
All of the funds remain in Flagler County supporting residents with early dedication screening, cancer-related education materials and cancer diagnostics and screening. Additional will funds support the purchase of AdventHealth Palm Coast’s new da Vinci 5 robotic system that assists in complex cancer-related surgeries.
Participants and spectators alike dress in pink at the event, which also includes a petfriendly 1-mile fun walk and a pinkest pet costume contest.
“There’s something powerful about seeing a sea of pink winding through our streets,” said
John Subers, executive director of the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation. “It sends a message louder than words. It tells every person facing breast cancer that this community shows up, stands beside them and stays in the fight with them.”
To register, visit runsignup. com/Race/FL/PalmCoast/ pink5k. Those using the code “EARLYBIRD” will receive a $5 discount. A discounted student rate (18 and under) is $20 with the code “FlaglerParent.” Both codes are valid through Aug. 31. For sponsorship or group information, call 386-986-2323.
Coast’s
Esq.
A rendering showing the conceptual design for the new White Castle restaurant in Daytona Beach. Courtesy of White Castle
Mark Vickers the new owner of Flagler Bike Shop. Courtesy photo
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REAL ESTATE
House in Beach Haven tops sales list at
$1M
Ahouse at 5 Beach Haven Parkway in Beach Haven, was the top real estate transaction for August 9-15 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The house sold on August 15, for $1,050,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/3.5 and has 2,883 square feet.
ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Condos
A condo at 3600 South Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 320, sold on Aug. 15, for $147,500. Built in 1984, the condo is a 1/1 and has 693 square feet. It sold in 2012 for $80,000.
A condo at 20 Ocean Palm Villa North, Unit 20, sold on August 14, for $218,000. Built in 1979, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,184 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $175,000.
A condo at 102 Yacht Harbor Drive, Unit 470, sold on August 13, for $618,000. Built in 2006, the condo is a 3/3 and has 1,918 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $340,000.
FLAGLER BEACH
Painters Walk
A house at 3079 Painters Walk, sold on August 15, for $950,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 5/3 and has a fireplace and 3,622 square feet. It sold in 2007 for $900,000.
River Oaks
A house at 1511 Lambert Ave., sold on August 15, for $849,900. Built in 1998, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool, a fireplace and 2,938 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $530,000.
PALM COAST
Belle Terre
A house at 145 Palmwood Drive, sold on August 15, for $315,000. Built in 2025, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,504 square feet.
Hammock Beach
A house at 647 Mahogany Run, sold on August 15, for $725,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a pool and 2,268 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $429,900.
Indian Trails
A house at 8 Burnham Lane, sold on Aug. 15, for $355,000. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,873 square feet.
A house at 11 Bannbury Lane, sold on August 13, for
$260,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,450 square feet.
Palm Harbor A house at 146 Fenimore Lane, sold on August 15, for $310,000. Built in 1997, the house is a 4/2.5 and has 2,100 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $238,500.
A house at 12 Fernwood Lane, sold on August 15, for $365,000. Built in 1977, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 1,709 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $72,000.
A house at 40 Cloverdale Court North, sold on August 14, for $665,000. Built in 1982, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a boat dock and 2,384 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $394,000.
Pine Lakes A house at 7 Westgate Lane, sold on Aug. 14, for $310,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,640 square feet. It sold in 2024 for $288,000.
A house at 42 Wentworth Lane, sold on Aug. 15, for $345,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a hot tub and 1,960 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $117,500.
Seminole Woods A house at 6 Seoane Court, sold on August 15, for $358,000. Built in 1997, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,052 square feet.
Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report.
Top sale: Neptune Ave. home sells for $1.3M
Ahouse at 113 Neptune Ave. was the top real estate transaction in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea for the week of Aug. 2-8. The house sold on Aug. 8, for $1.3 million. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/3.5 and has two fireplaces, a pool, a spa and 2,869 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $1,175,000.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Ann Rustin Estates
The house at 92 Ann Rustin Drive sold on Aug. 6, for $740,000. Built in 1970, the house is a 6/3 and has a pool and 2,983 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $308,000.
Banyan Estates
The house at 106 Banyan Drive sold on Aug. 6, for $400,000. Built in 1963, the 4/3 house has a fireplace and 2,450 square feet. It last sold in 1992 for $125,500.
Cypress Trail
The house at 239 Cypress Trail Drive sold on Aug. 4, for $575,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,735 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $401,500.
Halifax Plantation
The house at 1491 Hohe Lane sold on Aug. 7, for $810,000. Built in 2005, the house is a
6/4 and has a pool, a spa and 3,530 square feet. It last sold in 2008 for $475,000.
Hunter’s Ridge
The house at 19 Abacus Ave. sold on Aug. 5, for $500,000. Built in 2014, the house is a 5/3.5 and has 2,809 square feet. It last sold in 2014 for $244,829.
Lakes of Pine Run
The house at 300 Sawmill Creek Court sold on Aug. 6, for $285,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,086 square feet. It last sold in 2018 for $180,000.
The Trails
The townhome at 7 Appaloosa Trail sold on Aug. 7, for $308,000. Built in 1983, the townhome is a 4/3 and has a fireplace and 2,401 square feet. It last sold in 1999 for $115,000.
Tomoka Oaks
The house at 320 Rio Pinar
Drive sold on Aug. 4, for $450,000. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace and 2,408 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $460,000.
Trails North Forty The townhome at 140 Deer Lake Circle sold on Aug. 7, for $380,000. Built in 1988, the townhome is a 4/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,591 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $260,000.
Trails South Forty The townhome at 210 Sage Brush Trail sold on Aug. 5, for $375,000. Built in 1984, the 3/2 townhome has a fireplace and 1,743 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $212,500.
Twin River Estates The house at 19 Twin River Drive sold on Aug. 6, for $493,363. Built in 1974, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool and 2,625 square feet. It last sold in 1996 for $165,000.
ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA
Ormond Beach Plaza The house at 8 Tarpon Ave. sold on Aug. 5, for $430,000. Built in 1956, the house is a 2/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 1,288 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $340,000.
Peninsula Winds The house at 128 Peninsula Winds Drive sold on Aug. 8, for $355,000. Built in 1994, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,496 square feet.
John Adams, of Adams Cameron, contributed.
PALM COAST
ORMOND BEACH
CREEK TRIPS UP SANDCRABS IN SEASON OPENER
‘I’m proud of how our guys played,’ Seabreeze coach Mike Klein said after the loss to a talented Creek squad.
MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Spruce Creek dominated the season opener against rival Seabreeze with a 33-0 win on Friday, Aug. 22, at the Hawks’ stadium.
Creek wide receiver Cameron Oxendine got the game rolling with a 62-yard catchand-run for a touchdown from quarterback P.J. Miller. Minutes later, Miller tossed a 39-yard pass to Javonte Horton to the Seabreeze 5-yard line. Junior Keenan Nephew ran in the touchdown to give Creek a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
The Sandcrabs defense held the Hawks with consecutive stops in the second quarter. Just before halftime, Seabreeze safety Cash Kurz tipped a pass by Miller intended for Oxendine which was subsequently intercepted by fellow Seabreeze senior Zach Voltaire.
Spruce Creek won a portion of the District 1-7A championship last season and advanced to the regional semifinals, finishing with an 8-4 record. Seabreeze went 2-7 in Coach Mike Klein’s first season last year.
Klein said he was very excited to see how well his team began the season played against a top-level team like Spruce Creek. The Hawks have several college commits and players who are being considered by multiple Division I schools. Defensive lineman Chadwicke Cannon has committed to Duke University, lineman Freddie Wilson has committed to Georgia Tech and defensive back Xavier Lucas has chosen BethuneCookman.
“(Our) defense played lights out,” he said. “We got a lot of guys that play both ways and you could tell we started to wear down a little bit as the game went on. So, I just chal-
“Defense played lights out. We got a lot of guys that play both ways and you could tell we started to wear down a little bit as the game went on. So, I just challenge our guys — let’s keep iron sharpening iron at practice. Let’s keep busting it and getting after it.”
lenge our guys — let’s keep sharpening iron at practice, let’s keep busting it and getting after it. Once we get in shape, we’re going to be solid. We got to keep working, but I’m proud of how our guys played. I thought we fought hard.”
The Hawks were successful with their running game and on special teams in the second half. Junior Keenan Nephew ran for a touchdown. Oxendine grabbed a bouncing punt by kicker Luke Zboch in the fourth quarter for a 77-yard touchdown return. With close to three minutes left in the game, Creek running back Elisha Tillman scored on a 14-yard run up the middle.
Klein said some great leadership emerged for the Sandcrabs during the game, especially out of the seniors.
“Dean Hayes was the one that had his hand on a few possible (interceptions) tonight,” he said. “Our twoway guys — Zach Voltaire, Matthew Wells and Stephen Williams — played their butts off all night on both sides of the ball. Logan Smith played a really good game on defense and never tapped out. Cash Kurz has been playing very high level football. We can get there with that. If we just keep working and get in shape, I think we’re going to be really good.”
Voltaire said he likes his team’s chances in District 6-4A, which includes Rockledge, New Smyrna Beach, Deltona and Pine Ridge. Seabreeze is off this week. It will visit Halifax Academy on Aug. 29.
“It was a tough game,” he said of the opener. “Coach Klein wants to start us off strong to see where we’re at — give us some great competition to begin the season. We have a decent district. I think there is a high possibility we can win our district. We just got to come ready to play. We’ll be ready for Halifax.”
MIKE KLEIN, Seabreeze head football coach
Seabreeze defensive tackle Zebediah Martin (55) attempts to block the extra point by Spruce Creek following the first touchdown of the game on Friday, Aug. 22. Photos by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze kicker Luke Zboch
Seabreeze wide receiver Stephen Williams Jr. gains some yardage before Spruce Creek’s Baron Kocchi makes the tackle.
SIDELINES
Volleball season underway
Seabreeze’s volleyball team has opened the season with two victories heading into its home match against Father Lopez on Wednesday, Aug. 27. The Sandcrabs defeated Atlantic 3-2 and Deltona 3-0.
Seabreeze visits Menendez on Thursday, Aug. 28, and hosts Pine Ridge on Tuesday, Sept. 2. After two matches, Haven Price led the Sandcrabs with 11 kills. Alexandria Dingman had nine kills, 21 digs and 16 serve receptions and Carley Bandell had 16 total blocks. Flagler Palm Coast began its season with a 1-1 record heading into the Nike Tournament of Champions in Gainesville Aug. 29-30. The Bulldogs return home Sept. 3-4 against Deltona and Seabreeze, respectively. Matanzas was scheduled to open its season on Wednesday, Aug. 27, against Mainland.
Seabreeze’s Danny Spada (center) is tackled by Spruce Creek’s Kaden Wooden (7) on a punt return.
Seabreeze’s Logan Smith drives through the line before Spruce Creek’s Daniel Blake (9) comes in to make the tackle.
Seabreeze cheerleaders and fans gather at the season opener between the Sandcrabs and the Hawks at Spruce Creek on Friday, Aug. 22.
Seabreeze linebackers
Tristian Miller (10) and Cash Kurz (7) tackle Creek’s Tryce Mills.
FPC freshman Seth, senior Slaughter place second at Spikes and Spurs
Douglas Seth said he was trying to figure out how to pace himself in a 5K race at his first high school meet.
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Flagler Palm Coast freshman
Douglas Seth was running in his first high school cross country meet, and he said he was trying to figure out how to pace himself over a 5-kilometer distance.
“In middle school we ran 3Ks. I didn’t know how to work 5Ks,” he said.
It would be hard to convince his competitors of that as Seth placed second among 341 boys finishers in FPC’s 14th annual Spikes and Spurs Classic on Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Flagler County Fairgrounds.
His time of 17:09.8 probably won’t remain his high school personal record for long as times were slow on the muddy course after about two inches of rain drenched the fairgrounds the night before.
What impressed FPC coach Dave Halliday was who Seth beat out to take the runnerup medal.
“Cross country is really about beating people, and that gets lost nowadays,” Halliday said. “Douglas beat out a couple of kids who ran 15s last year, kids who ran 16:10. He beat out some pretty strong kids.”
Told to hang back early, Seth bolted from seventh place at the first split to second place by the second split.
Creekside junior Eli Scharf won the race with a time of 17:01.0. Seth and sophomore Owen Stackpole (18th at 18:10.6) led the Bulldogs to a
fifth-place team finish behind Oviedo Hagerty, Creekside, Nease and Sanford Seminole.
FPC senior Arianna Slaughter finished second in the girls race behind Creekside’s Eva Delaney, who ran the only
sub 20-minute time with a 19:39.3. Slaughter’s time of 20:15.3 was less than a second off her 2024 Spikes and Spurs time of 20:14.7 when she finished third to help the Bulldogs win the team title and times in general were faster.
“Ari’s workouts have been lights out. In comparison to last summer, she’s improved a bunch,” Halliday said, adding that she had a head cold the night before Saturday’s race.
Two other FPC girls finished in the top 20 to help the girls match the boys with a fifth-place team finish. Creekside won the girls team title, followed by Beachside, Ponte Vedra and Hagerty.
FPC’s Anna Grigoruk placed eighth in the girls race in 20:49.6, while Audrey Bowman was 16th in 21:47.5.
“None of us PR’d, but we ran really well for the condition the course was in,” Grigoruk said.
“Going in I was not supposed to place anywhere near where I did,” Bowman said.
Halliday said he was really happy with the trio’s performance.
“I think Anna is going to surprise people this year. I think our top three can run with anybody’s top three in (Class) 4A,” Halliday said. “They’re probably all going to be improving by close to a minute this year.”
Slaughter said the Bulldogs knew the course was going to be tough after Friday’s downpour, but they weren’t daunted.
“We were mainly going after placing, and I think we all did
Matanzas’ Cerasi seventh at Cecil Field season opener
Matanzas sophomore Peyton Cerasi placed seventh out of more than 300 runners at the season-opening Cecil Field Summer Classic cross country meet in Jacksonville.
Cerasi ran a 19:09 in the Girls Elite 5K to break a school record that had stood since 2011.
Senior Megan Rhee ran a time of 21:26 for 101st place and Sara Van Buren ran 21:59 for 135th on the fast Cecil Field course.
Blaine Vogel led the Matanzas boys with a personal-record 16:24 for 35th place in the Boys Elite 5K to help the Pirates place 13th among 42 boys teams.
Freshman Dylan Ciardi ran a 16:36 in his varsity debut to place 43rd. Senior Brant Tarsitano was 89th in 17:05.
Junior Enzo McGovern ran a personal-record 17:27 for 120th place.
that,” she said. “We all tried the hardest and that’s what matters the most. We have a small team this year, but we’re definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
Seabreeze placed 13th among 21 boys teams and 14th among the girls.
Senior Hunter Shuler led the Sandcrab boys with a time of 18:47.1 for 33rd place.
Freshman Karli Rybicki led the Seabreeze girls with a time of 26:41.3 to finish 101st.
Also finishing among the top 50 in the boys race were FPC freshman Brayden Murray (38th, 18:51.1); Seabreeze junior Joseph Davis (49th, 19:10.1) and FPC junior Evan Johnson (50th, 19:13.9).
FPC sophomore Mateo Almeida placed 53rd with a time of 19:16.5 despite slipping and falling on the wet course.
The Bulldogs were missing some runners due to sickness, minor injuries, SAT exams and other conflicts, Halliday
“For many of the Pirates, this was their
“The team’s performances against elite competition showed promising depth and potential for the season ahead.”
said.
Seth, who is team-oriented, was bummed about the Bulldogs missing some of their top runners, Halliday said. But Seth and Stackpole, close friends and former teammates with Imagine School at Town Center’s club team, were happy to be reunited.
“Last year, I was saying, ‘Next year we’ll have Douglas,’ Stackpole said. “I’ve been dreaming about this race since last year.”
“We want to be the best duo in 4A by the end of the season,” Seth said. Halliday said it was a successful meet with about 2,000 runners and spectators on and around the course for the high school and middle school races.
“I thought we pulled off a heck of an event,” he said. “Our coaches and parents put on a great meet. It was a huge turnout. Everyone was very appreciative. I think it was a good season opener.”
Seabreeze’s Madison Wilson.
Seabreeze’s Joseph Davis (711) placed 49th out of 341 boys finishers.
Seabreeze’s Hunter Shuler holds up his medal after leading the Sandcrabs with a 33rdplace finish.
FPC’s Arianna Slaughter (right) placed second overall and stands next to winner Eva Delaney.
FPC’s Audrey Bowman (right) placed 16th out of 245 finishers in the girls race.
FPC sophomore Owen Stackpole (left) and freshman Douglas Seth are middle-school club teammates back together on their high school team. Photos by Brent Woronoff
first official 5K,” Matanzas coach Katie Hoover said.
Matanzas sophomore Peyton Cerasi placed seventh with a school-record time at the Cecil Field Summer Classic on Aug. 22 in Jacksonville. Courtesy photo
John’s
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Yard Sale
Cabinet shop closing Friday August 22, 9:00 AM-4:00
A/K/A ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELACE (DECEASED) RESIDENCE: UNKNOWN
FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025 12268 PRDL Division 10 IN RE: ESTATE OF MERLE B. JOHNSON, JR., aka MERLE BERNARD JOHNSON, JR. Deceased. The administration of the estate of Merle B. Johnson, Jr., also known as Merle Bernard Johnson, Jr., deceased, whose date of death was April 30, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Post Office Box 6043, DeLand, FL 32721. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is August 28, 2025.
Personal Representative: Rebecca L. Ziegenbein
c/o Legacy Law Associates, P.L. 313 S. Palmetto Ave. Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Attorney for Personal Representative: Robert M. Holland
S. Smith Deputy Clerk of the Court
Tromberg, Morris & Partners, PLLC attorneys for Plaintiff 600 West Hillsboro Boulevard, Suite 600 Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 Our Case #: 25-000137/2025 11959 CIDL/BOA Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 2025 25-00398I
Attorney Florida Bar Number: 938998 Legacy Law Associates, P.L. 313 S. Palmetto Ave. Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Telephone: (386) 252-2531 Fax: (386) 868-5371 E-Mail: holland@legacylaw313.com
Secondary E-Mail: linda@legacylaw313.com
Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 2025 25-00399I
FIRST INSERTION
NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2025 11415 PRDL DIVISION: 10 IN RE: ESTATE OF: RENEE CLAIRE CASE, DECEASED.
The administration of the estate of RENEE CLAIRE CASE, deceased, whose date of death was February 4, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 101 North Alabama Avenue, DeLand, Florida 32124. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served, must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. A personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: August 28, 2025. Signed on this 19th day of August, 2025. Patrick Harner-Reid, Petitioner 146 Pine Crest Drive Newport, NC 28570 Adam Warren, Esquire Florida Bar No.: 940501 Hawkins, Hawkins & Burt, LLP 501 S. Ridgewood Avenue Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Telephone: (386) 252-4499 adamwarren@hawkinsandburt.com nicole@hawkinsandburt.com Attorney for Petitioner Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 2025 25-00400I
FIRST INSERTION
NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025 12475 PRDL Division: 10 IN RE: ESTATE OF WILLIAM C LAULER, Deceased.
The administration of the estate of WILLIAM C LAULER, deceased, whose date of death was May 8, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Post Office Box 6043, DeLand, FL 32721-6043. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served, must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: August 28, 2025. Signed on this 21st day of August, 2025.
STUART ANTHONY LAULER
Personal Representative 1505 Riveredge Ct Astor, FL 32102 R. KEVIN KOREY, ESQUIRE Attorney for Personal Representative Florida Bar No. 89108 ROBERT KIT KOREY, P. A. 595 W. Granada Blvd., Suite A Ormond Beach, FL 32174
Telephone: (386) 677-3431
Email: Kevin@koreylawpa.com
Secondary Email: dwargo@koreylawpa.com Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 2025 25-00401I
FIRST INSERTION
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO. 2022 10723 CIDL MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. MICHELLE PERRY, et al. Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated July 17, 2025, and entered in 2022 10723 CIDL of the Circuit Court of the SEVENTH Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County, Florida, wherein PHH MORTGAGE CORPORATION is the Plaintiff and MICHELLE PERRY; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHERS WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF MICHELLE PERRY, DECEASED; SANDRA M EMMANOUILIDES; STEVE R. ENCK 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 September 18, 2025, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to wit: LOTS 6 AND 7, BLOCK 1786, DELTONA LAKES UNIT SIXTY-NINE, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 28, AT PAGE 140 THROUGH
142, INCLUSIVE, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA. Property Address: 918 N ATMORE CIRCLE, DELTONA, FL 32725
Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens must file a claim in accordance with Florida Statutes, Section 45.031. IMPORTANT AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste D-305, Deland, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096. Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. Dated this 25 day of August, 2025. ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC
Attorney for Plaintiff 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487
Telephone: 561-241-6901
Facsimile: 561-997-6909
Service Email: flmail@raslg.com
By: \S\Danielle Salem
Danielle Salem, Esquire Florida Bar No. 0058248 Communication Email: dsalem@raslg.com 22-024399 - NaC Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 2025 25-00405I
FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025 12651 PRDL Division 10 IN RE: ESTATE OF MARY H. GOLGOWSKI Deceased. The administration of the estate of MARY H. GOLGOWSKI, deceased, whose date of death was June 22, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 101 N. Alabama Ave., DeLand, FL 32724. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served, must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: August 28, 2025. BRUCE GOLGOWSKI Successor Trustee Heidi S. Webb Attorney for Personal Representative Florida Bar No. 73958 Law Office of Heidi S. Webb 210 South Beach Street, Suite 202 Daytona Beach, Florida 32114 Telephone: (386) 257-3332 Email: heidi@heidiwebb.com Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 2025 25-00402I
FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF ACTION IN THE CIRCUIT COURT, SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 2025 12174 CICI AJIT DODANI, Plaintiff, vs. ANTHONY MANN, ET AL, Defendants. TO: RONALD JIMENEZ LISA JIMENEZ YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property in Volusia County, Florida: Lot 61, Timbers Edge II, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Map Book 34, Page 127, of the Public Records of Volusia County, Florida. Property Appraisers Parcel Number: 421704000610 Property address: 161 Pine Cone Trail, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Ajit Dodani c/o Attorney Robert Robins, whose address is 1206 S. Ridgewood Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32114 on or before Oct. 6,
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE
THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR
SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA CIRCUIT CIVIL DIVISION CASE NO.: 2024 11838 CIDL LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC Plaintiff(s), vs. EFRAIM RIOS; VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA; VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA, CLERK OF THE COURT; THE UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF EFRAIM RIOS Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, pursuant to Plaintiff’s Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered on July 22, 2025 in the above-captioned action, the Clerk of Court, Laura E Roth, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash at www. volusia.realforeclose.com in accordance with Chapter 45, Florida Statutes on the 24th day of September, 2025 at 11:00 AM on the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment of Foreclosure or order, to wit: THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE COUNTY OF VOLUSIA, FLORIDA: LOT 5 AND 6, BLOCK “B”, CORRECTED PLAT OF BLECK`S SUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 150, 160 AND THE SOUTH 1/2 OF BLOCK 159 OF THE CORPORATION MAP OF THE CITY OF DELAND, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 5, PAGE 157, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA. Property address: 624 East Howry Avenue, Deland, FL 32724
