7th annual Ormond Beach Live features local bands, artists.
Bucs, meet your homecoming court for 2025-2026.
Aysia Thompson and Javon Estes were named Mainland High School’s Homecoming queen and king. Wilcox and Thompson were crowned during a
Sept. 25, at Daytona Stadium. Also on the senior Homecoming court were queen candidates Tanala Rayam and Harmonie King and king candidates Javon Estes and Bobbie Roberts. The underclass princes and princesses were: freshmen Danny Sullivan and Alaeja Lopez; sophomores Marquez Hall and Destinee Hines; and juniors Shawn Holmes and Chloe Van Leuven.
Mainland Homecoming
King and Queen Javon Estes and Aysia Thompson.
Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ormond Beach-based band Sober Cafe performs at the seventh annual Ormond Beach Live music festival on Saturday, Sept. 27. Photo by Michele Meyers
NEWS BRIEFS
Fugitive sex offender arrested in Flagler County
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a fugitive wanted in Lee County who knew he had an active warrant and fled across the state in an attempt to avoid arrest, according to an FCSO press release.
12-year-old arrested for threatening to stab another child
A 12-year-old boy was arrested on Sept. 25 for threatening to stab another child during an argument in a group chat.
On Sept. 19, the FCSO was contacted by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office that they had reason to believe a fugitive from their county was possibly residing in Flagler County, a FCSO press release said. The LCSO Fugitive Unit requested assistance to locate Christopher Connors, 50, who had an active arrest warrant out of Lee County. Connors has been a registered sex offender since 2022, when he was convicted of two counts of lewd or lascivious battery and two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition, the press release said.
COPS CORNER
SEPT. 9 THE COST OF IMPATIENCE
3:32 p.m. — First block of North Yonge Street, Ormond Beach Vandalism. An employee of a local car repair shop called police after a customer broke two glass awards after becoming upset that his car had yet to be serviced.
According to a police incident report, the customer dropped off his vehicle that morning and returned in the afternoon, appearing “very disgruntled” and expressing frustration at how busy the shop had been all day. The employee and the customer
The FCSO’s Fugitive Unit and K-9 Unit deputies located Connors at a gas station on North Ocean Shore Boulevard in Palm Coast. There, deputies watched Connors get into the passenger seat of a white convertible and followed the convertible to a residence on Shady Lane North in Palm Coast where Connors got out.
When he was arrested, FCSO said, Connors told deputies he had fled to Flagler County because he was scared to go back to prison. He was taken to the Flagler jail, where he is awaiting extradition to Lee County.
got into a verbal argument, which escalated when he swiped the two glass awards off the counter, causing them to break. He also chipped the laminate desk.
The awards were worth about $75 each, the police report states; the damage to the desk was valued at $50.
While this was going on, a bystander was eating lunch on a nearby couch and he discovered a piece of glass in his food. He reported to police that he believed the glass had cracked his tooth, but was not sure.
The car repair shop wished to pursue charges.
SEPT. 11 SHOPLIFTERS
11:02 a.m. — 1500 block of West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to the threat when a concerned parent reported a threat their son received over text, an FCSO press release said. The victim told deputies the suspect was arguing with him when the suspect sent the victim a picture of a box containing 15 knives and a brass knuckle followed by text threatening to stab the victim.
FCSO deputies then went to the suspect’s home and interviewed him and his parents.
The 12-year-old admitted to sending the text messages and said he did so because he was angry, the press release said. Deputies searched his room and found the box of knives that was pictured.
The 12-year-old was arrested on a felony charge of
Petit theft. A 61-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman, both of Daytona Beach, are facing misdemeanor charges after police reported that they attempted to steal $26 worth of merchandise from a local big box store.
The man was seen putting 14 food items into an empty shopping bag in the basket of one of the store’s mobility scooters, which he was using. Then, the couple went to the self check-out area and paid for a candy item before attempting to leave the store, according to a police report.
The couple was stopped by a store employee, and, after a quick argument, they left the items in the mobility scooter and left.
The store wished to pursue charges and the couple was trespassed from the business.
sending a written or electronic threats to kill or commit bodily harm, the press release said. He was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Sheriff Rick Staly urged parents to make sure their children know the consequences of threatening someone. It is no joking matter, he said.
“This is an unfortunate situation where we had to arrest a child, but we take threats like this very serious,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “It is important for parents to be aware of what their children are saying to each other on social media and monitor their activity.”
$1,200 and 60g of drugs recovered from Daytona warrants
The Daytona Beach Police Department took eight individuals into custody on Sept. 24 after executing two narcotics
SEPT. 28 ON THE PROWL 1:32 p.m. – Intersection of Grand Landing s Parkway and Seminole Woods Boulevard, Palm Coast Loitering, prowling. A man from Davenport was arrested after attempting to enter people’s homes in a local subdivision.
The Sheriff’s Office received multiple phone calls that a man carrying plastic grocery store bags was going door to door in the development. When a deputy arrived to investigate, he saw a man matching the suspect’s description walking out of the development.
The suspect told the deputy he was a resident, but couldn’t remember which home was his, according to an arrest report. He said his
search warrants. The warrants were served at 1305 S. Ridgewood Ave., the American Inn Motel, and targeted two neighboring rooms occupied by suspected drug dealers, according to a DBPD social media post. The search warrant was executed by the DBPD Crime Suppression Team. The DBPD recovered the following from inside the rooms: one firearm, 4.5 grams of fentanyl, 29.9 grams of cocaine, 22.6 grams of meth, 0.2 grams of heroin, 5.5 grams of marijuana and $1,294 in U.S. currency, the posts read.
Five arrested in Ormond Beach on drug charges
Detectives with the East Volusia Narcotics Task Force arrested five people on drug charges at a home in the 1700 block of Carolina Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 25. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported that this
phone was dead also so he could not find his address.
The deputy directed the man to a nearby gas station to charge his phone and let him go for the time being.
After the suspect left, though, the deputy received complaints from several residents that the man had tried to open their front doors without permission, including two residents with video evidence.
The deputy caught up to the suspect to complete a trespass form against him.
After reviewing the video evidence, the suspect was arrested.
is the second time in two years law enforcement has shut down a drug sale operation at the home, which was deemed unsafe for occupancy due to multiple code and inspection violations.
There were nine people at the home when law enforcement executed the search warrant. The five people arrested were:
Tyler Adams
Daniel Culbreath
Rochelle Edick
Joseph Meeks
Jennifer Meeks
According to an arrest report, two members of the task force conducted a ruse at the front door in order to speak with someone. After two people, one of whom was Edick, came outside, detectives announced themselves. After hearing no response, they entered the home.
Detectives recovered almost 0.19 grams of fentanyl, 0.59 grams grams of heroin, over 8.5 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
The suspect said he attempted to enter the homes to see if, by the layout and furniture, he could tell if the home was his. SEPT. 24 ASH WEDNESDAY 8:16 a.m. –
of Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast Trespass. A Palm Coast man was arrested when he was caught going through the ashtrays near the front doors of a supermarket. The suspect was issued a trespass warning by Sheriff’s Office deputies from the property just seven hours earlier, according to the suspect’s arrest report. Employees called deputies back when the man returned to dig through the ashtrays and garbage cans. Deputies searched the suspect and found a pipe, an unopened can of beer and multiple lighters. The suspect was taken to the county jail.
Lee County fugitive Christopher Connors was arrested on Sept. 19. Courtesy of FCSO
‘IT CAN HAPPEN HERE’
Flagler Schools to discuss installing metal detectors. Volusia has already started.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Thursday, Sept. 4, was already a stressful day for Katherine Cheek. It marked the oneyear anniversary of a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where two teachers and two students were killed. Apalachee High is Cheek’s alma mater. Winder, Georgia, is her hometown.
Adding to her stress that day was learning that a lockdown was issued at 12:50 p.m. at Flagler Palm Coast High School, where her son is a student. The school was under lockdown for an hour after the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call.
“It was just really terrifying,” Cheek said at a Flagler County School Board workshop on Sept. 23. Cheek spoke during the public comment periods at both the workshop and the board’s business meeting that night, urging the board to approve the installation of metal detectors in the schools.
While the lockdown appeared to be a false alarm, an FPC student later revealed that he had brought a gun to school on Sept. 4. He was charged with pointing the pistol at a fellow student in a nearby McDonald’s restroom after school.
“According to the sheriff department’s report, a student was on our campus with a weapon all day walking the halls with our kids, and nobody knew,” Cheek said during her remarks at the School Board’s evening meeting. “And how could they, because currently we do not have weapons detectors at the entries of our campuses.”
That could change. On the same day that Cheek made her passionate pleas in Flagler County, Volusia County Schools was implementing new metal detectors at Mainland High School. It is the fourth high school Volusia has equipped with detectors utilizing artificial intelligence to recognize contents within students’ backpacks. The district is planning to install detectors in all 10 Volusia high schools.
FCSO RECOMMENDATION
Flagler Schools held an executive session with the School Board on Tuesday, Sept. 30. While the meeting was not open to the public, David Bossardet, the district’s safety specialist, said last week that metal detectors would be part of the discussion.
The district worked with the FCSO developing a risk assessment for each campus using the Florida Safe School Assessment Tool, Bossardet said. The district will submit a priority list with a timeline for implementing the FCSO’s recommendations.
Installing metal detectors was one of the recommendations, Bossardet said.
Colt Gray, then a 14-yearold student at Apalachee High School, was charged with four counts of murder. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Gray brought an AR-15-style rifle to school hidden in his backpack on Sept. 4, 2024.
The Barrow County, Georgia, school district did not install a weapons detection system at Apalachee and the district’s other two high schools until Jan. 13 of this year, more than four months after the shooting.
In fact, the board approved the weapons detectors one day after another Apalachee
Katherine Cheek, the parent of a Flagler Palm Coast High School student, urges the School Board to install weapons detectors. Image from Flagler Schools video
student was caught with a gun at the school.
The Flagler School Board is scheduled to have a workshop — open to the public — later this month to discuss installing metal detectors. The workshop was initiated by board member Janie Ruddy, who wants to explore metal detectors in lieu of a potential guardian program. After her own research, Ruddy said that adding trained, armed security won’t improve outcomes.
“So, I would rather try to explore technology, and there’s been a lot of advances,” she said.
Ruddy said the advantage of a weapons detection system is not just to find a weapon before it is brought into a school, but also to act as a deterrent.
“In the most recent incident of that student at FPC, thank goodness, nothing happened,” Ruddy said. “And in the investigation, the information shared was that the intent was not to cause harm on the campus. But I think about if we had a weapons detection system of some sort, that child, who made a very poor choice that day, could have (thought), ‘OK, I know I have to go through some sort of metal detection. I need to make sure I do not have this item on me when I go to school.’ And his future hopefully would have been much different.”
FACTORING IN LOGISTICS
There is a lot to consider when deciding to install metal detectors, Bossardet said. There is the cost. Every Volusia County high school is receiving at least two at a cost of $110,000 each. Flagler has two high schools.
Logistics can also be a challenge. “FPC has almost 3,000 kids,” he said. “How do you get them all through the metal detectors prior to the first bell? And what do you do if the metal detector goes off? What’s the standard operating procedure? Where do we take that student, and who takes them?”
“What I do like about it,” Bossardet said, “is it’s truly taking a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach. We’ve done school hardening — locking doors, locking gates, adding fences, securing main entrances.”
Also through state statute, Bossardet added, all teachers have a lanyard with a Centegix mobile panic button that when pressed notifies law enforcement and administration simultaneously.
“Now we’re ready for a proactive approach,” he said.
MAINLAND HIGH NOW EQUIPPED WITH AI METAL DETECTORS
Mainland High School is the latest Volusia County school to be equipped with new metal detectors. The new screening process went into effect on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The metal detectors have been implemented in four high school campuses so far, including Atlantic, Pine Ridge and Taylor. Plans are in the works to equip the district’s six remaining high school, with Seabreeze being next.
The metal detectors utilize artificial intelligence to recognize contents within students’ backpacks, said Capt. Todd Smith, VCS director of safety and security.
“It really makes it where the kids can wear their backpacks, bring in their Stanley cups, bring in all of the devices that they normally use throughout the day to get them through the educational experience, and then from there, they just walk right through,” Smith said. “... So we’re able to get the thousands of kids into the campus within the timeframe allotted so that we don’t disrupt instructional time.”
VCS piloted two systems with different companies for about nine weeks last school year to see which one was more effective and efficient, said Mike Micallef, VCS executive director of graduation assurance and student services. In the end, the district chose the Xtract One system, and the implementation of the metal detectors has made Volusia the first school district in the state with plans to implement this in all of its high schools.
“Everybody has their eyes on Volusia County right now to see if it’s possible and if the devices can do what they’re supposed to do,” Micallef said. “So far, everything is matching up. It’s going really well.”
Last year, the Volusia County School Board added a new randomized screenings policy where a district team used a random generator to select a school, and then a specific classroom, to be screened with a portable metal detector.
But the addition of these AI-assisted metal detectors at every high school means every student is screened.
“I think this is something that’s needed with what goes on in today’s society, and it’s our job to keep these kids safe and put them in a good mind frame to where their learning can take place and they can focus all their time and attention on learning.” Micallef said. “This is just another layer of security and support that we are adding.”
VCS hopes to add metal detectors to middle schools next year, provided it can generate enough funding; each metal detector costs about $110,000, and every high school is receiving at least two.
The metal detectors aren’t the only way VCS is using AI to increase campus safety. Cameras have been embedded with ZeroEyes, a firearms detection software which notifies Smith, local law enforcement and the school in realtime if a firearm is brought on campus.
So far this school year, there have not been any firearms recovered, Smith said. There weren’t any last year, either. That shows, he added, that the safety improvements are working.
The new metal detectors are just the latest measures.
“There’s questions throughout the country on whether or not it can be done, and we’re showing that it can be done,” Smith said. “We are getting the kids in. They’re not losing their instruction time, and we’re making our campuses safer.”
— JARLEENE ALMENAS
In her public comments to the School Board, Cheek said Winder, Georgia, is very similar to Palm Coast. It’s a small town growing faster than it can keep up with, she said. If a mass shooting can happen at a school in Winder, it can happen here, she said. Weapons detectors are not a fix-all, Cheek said. But they are a start.
“It’s not going to be easy,” she told the Observer. “Nothing worthwhile is. But I’ll take an inconvenience to make sure our children are safe.”
Lori Tolland is running for Ormond mayor seat
Tolland has represented Zone 1 on the City Commission since she was first elected in 2022.
JARLEENE
ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Ormond Beach City Commis-
sioner Lori Tolland has filed to run for mayor.
Tolland, who has represented Zone 1 on the commission since she was first elected in 2022, filed for the mayoral seat on Wednesday, Oct. 1. A retired registered nurse, Tolland previously served on the city’s Planning Board and Leisure Services Advisory Board, the latter of which she did for over 20 years. She has lived in the city since 1989.
Tolland said she first thought about running for mayor in 2024, after her first term in office, but reconsidered due to timing.
“I realized that another term as commissioner might better prepare me for for the position of of mayor,” she said. “Running as a mayor candidate shouldn’t be taken lightly, and requires one to be prepared for the daily challenges. I decided to run for mayor because I’m 100% invested in our community. I have the willingness and the time it takes to know the issues and concerns and the desire to provide strong leadership through listening and consensus building.”
Now in her second term as commissioner, Tolland said this has prepared her for the mayoral seat by providing experience in dealing with contracts, budgets, residents’ issues and working with staff.
“I think the more time that you do serve as commissioner, you get more comfortable and you understand how to navigate a little bit better and easier,” she said. “I think being a commissioner first certainly prepares you for the middle seat.”
The next commission may face possible property tax reform, should the state head in that direction, Tolland said, and that will be one of the biggest future challenges for municipalities, in addition to stormwater management and flooding. Tolland also serves on the storm mitigation committee for Volusia County’s Transform 386 program. If elected, Tolland said she’d like focus on balancing growth and natural resources, protecting parks and recreation and furthering economic development. “I would love to continue that discussion on how to support Ormond Beach, balancing our growth and the growth around us, while protecting our natural resources and working together to ensure a thriving, sustainable future for all,” Tolland said. Email jarleene@observer localnews.com.
Light the Way gives hope to local cancer patients
After sharing the story of a single mom with stage 3 breast cancer, the Ormond Beachbased nonprofit raised $3,500 in gift cards.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
As founder and director of Light the Way Volusia, Angela Heaster is constantly working with local social workers to help cancer patients with basic daily needs, ones that fall out of the realm of insurance.
Meals. Rent and utility assistance. Care packages. Recently, one social worker told her the story of a 28-yearold single mom. The mom, who has a 3-year-old daughter, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. That would have been scary enough on its own, but having lost her own mother to breast cancer when she was 14, the diagnosis hit home for this patient, Heaster said.
On top of that, her car had broken down, so she had been
YOUR TOWN
Ormond Beach’s Gianna Capri takes part in Girls in Aviation Day
Ormond Beach’s Gianna Capri, 11, the first Miss Florida Junior All American, held a meet-and-greet at the 11th annual Girls in Aviation Day at on Saturday, Sept. 20, hosted by SheltAir at the Daytona
could they help this patient, but they could also help others in the community currently battling cancer in one go.
Heaster said she was thrilled. The community’s support is vital to the nonprofit.
ing out about the nonprofit, she helped out with a bowling fundraiser.
walking to and from her chemotherapy appointments, and she had little family support, as they live out of town.
“So the social worker came to me and we just talked,” Heaster said. “How could we help?”
They decided the best thing would be to get her quick financial help: Gift cards she could use for groceries, necessities for her daughter and transportation.
Heaster put out of a call to her network of about 75 Light the Way volunteers, and within a week, they collected about $3,500 worth of gift cards — an amount $2,500 over the nonprofit’s typical goal.
This meant that, not only
Beach International Airport. Gianna is connected to the local aviation community through her mother, Jennifer Capri, a pilot.
“It’s inspiring to see so many positive women role models for these young ladies,” Capri said in a press release. “To be able to attend an event of this magnitude when I was growing would have been incredible. Daytona Beach is rich with aviation opportunities and bringing professional people together these young girls can see anything is possible with hard work and doing well in school.
Girls in Aviation Day, hosted by the Women in Aviation International Daytona Beach Chapter, is designed to inspire young girls to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace. Attendees had the opportunity to meet female pilots, engineers, air traffic controllers and other professionals, as well as look through interactive exhibits, participate in hands-on activities and watch demonstrations.
“Girls in Aviation Day in Daytona Beach is more than
“Light the Way would never exist ... if it weren’t for the local community caring and taking the time to help people that they don’t know — that they just know the basic situation that they’re struggling,” Heaster said. “To me, it’s just incredible what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
Kristin Deaton was one of Light the Way volunteers who answered Heaster’s call for help. Within two days, Deaton, an Ormond Beach City Commissioner, had collected $2,000 worth of gift cards.
“I love to see the locals rally around each other,” Deaton said. “I really do love it. I think that if our community needs something, we have got the people to go in big for our community.”
Deaton has been a volunteer with Light the Way since 2018. That’s when her little sister was first diagnosed with colon cancer, and after find-
just an event,” said Daytona Beach Chapter President Vanesa Miksa. “It is an opportunity for young girls to step into the world of aviation, meet role models, and discover that the sky is not the limit but just the beginning. Every year, we see their excitement grow, and it reminds us why representation and mentorship matter so much in this industry.”
Library to host ‘Paranormal 101’ program
The Coastal Atlantic Paranormal Association invites curious minds and skeptics alike to explore the unknown at the Ormond Beach Library auditorium at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. Founded by Kevin Leonard, CAPA. is dedicated to uncovering the truth behind paranormal phenomena using a scientific approach. In this program, “Paranormal 101”, the team will discuss types of hauntings, actual cases, equipment used in the field and the difference between ghosthunters and paranormal investigators. A Q+A will follow. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ormond Beach Library, this free program is open to the public.
Gallery500 presents ‘50 Shades of Payne’s Gray’ exhibit
The Florida Women’s Arts Association has a new group exhibition at Gallery500,
Her sister’s cancer came back in 2023, this time stage 4, and Deaton said she saw firsthand her sister’s need for additional support from their family.
“Luckily, my sister had all of us here, which was beneficial, but this single mom, unfortunately had no help,” Deaton said.
In addition to the gift cards, Light the Way was also able to connect the patient to Gary Yeoman’s Ford to assist with her car’s repairs. Light the Way, founded in 2014, has a constant flow in terms of helping Volusia County cancer patients, Heaster said. It’s not always through gift cards. Sometimes, it’s helping with groceries that meet dietary restrictions. Other times it’s helping with their electric bill.
“There’s always somebody in need,” Heaster said. “... When helping one patient, there’s going to be another one coming right behind it.” Visit lightthewayvolusia. org.
opening on Friday, Oct. 3. The exhibition, titled “50 Shades of Payne’s Gray,” features art in a variety of mediums, all which include this specific shade of gray.
“We’re honored to showcase such a remarkable range of female artists, each offering their own interpretation of a shared theme,” said Amber O’Neal, Gallery Director of Gallery500, in a press release. “This exhibition celebrates the diversity of subjects, media, and styles, while also highlighting and promoting the incredible talent of women in the arts.”
The opening reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3.
Angela Heaster, founder and director of Light the Way Volusia. Courtesy photo
“A Soft Awakening” by Rhonda Richley.
“Beauty for Ashes” by Denise Vezza Maggiore.
Lori Tolland. Courtesy photo
Gianna Capri, of Ormond Beach. Courtesy photos
SMALL SIZE , BIG DEAL
Born out of need: Baby Steps gets endowment through United Way
The nonprofit clinic, led by Dr. Pamela Carbiener to provide early prenatal care, begins with $50,000 endowment.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Dr. Pamela Carbiener has organized a new nonprofit to provide prenatal care in Volusia and Flagler counties, serving expectant mothers who otherwise might not see a doctor until they arrive at the hospital for delivery.
Since April, Baby Steps has served almost 250 women in its clinic, and Carbiener, an obstetrician-gynecologist with Halifax OBGYN, realized the need was greater than anticipated.
Is she bridging the gap?
“Six months later, it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, no.’ We’re going to be able to put a dent in the gap, and we have to focus also on educating our community about what’s going on,” said Carbiener, who serves as the chairman of the Baby Steps board and its medical director.
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Baby Steps, which operates out of the Volusia County Department of Health at 421 S. Keech St., received a significant boost of support: the launch of an endowment in partnership with the Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties.
The endowment begins with a $50,000 seed fund, according to a press release, and has a long-term goal to reach $6 million by 2030. Once it reaches that goal, United Way reports that the fund would generate $250,000 a year to support Baby Steps.
“An endowment is a pow-
erful tool for nonprofits,” said Courtney Edgcomb, president and CEO of CF/UWVFC, in the press release. “It sends a message of stability and vision, reassuring donors that Baby Steps is planning for the future. We’re proud to partner in building this resource and supporting an organization making such a critical difference in the lives of families.”
CARE
IMPORTANCE OF
Florida is experiencing a shortage of OBGYNs that are currently practicing obstetrics, and Volusia and Flagler are not an exception. When she started practicing in the area in 1992, Carbiener, an Ormond Beach resident, said there were about 30 OBGYNs east of the St. Johns River that practiced obstetrics. Now, that number is closer to 12.
While prenatal care is available at local hospitals, the clinics only accept patients
with Medicaid or who can self-pay. Conversely, many OBGYNs in private practice who offer prenatal care don’t take Medicaid, Carbiener said.
“So you have upwards of 40% to 50% of the women who are pregnant in our county, who cannot identify early prenatal care,” she said.
These women are often waiting to receive Medicaid, which can take weeks or months after they apply. Then, there are insured patients who recently moved into the community and may be turned down in private practice if they’re in their second or third trimester because they’re considered “high-risk.” Another group impacted is undocumented immigrants, who don’t have access to Medicaid at all.
This, Carbiener said, results in a large population of women who can’t receive prenatal care, and they often end up going to hospitals for deliv-
ery or during early pregnancy when complications arise. That translates to babies being born without adequate care that reduces risks such as preterm labor, diabetes and hypertension.
As a result, doctors are seeing more C-sections, more babies admitted in the NICU and more social services involvement.
Since the Volusia County Health Department shut down its prenatal care clinics in 2013, Carbiener and other OBGYNs have been searching for an alternative.
But about three years ago, DOH in Daytona Beach was willing to offer space once again for prenatal care.
Carbiener partnered with AdventHealth, which pledged $250,000 a year to start the clinic. Next came Baby Steps.
A SAFE PLACE
Earlier this year, one woman called 911 after recognizing
“You have upwards of 40% to 50% of the women who are pregnant in our county, who cannot identify early prenatal care.”
she was experiencing symptoms of preeclampsia.
She had been educated on the complication two days earlier during her visit to the Baby Steps clinic, and because she noticed the signs early, she and her baby were both saved. Baby Steps also helps expectant and new mothers who need help finding housing, and help with mental health and substance use.
“We connect them to all the services that can make them successful moms and families and reduce the incidence of sheltering babies, basically dissolving families when our foster care system is so overburdened at the moment to
begin with,” Carbiener said.
When people find out about how big the need is for prenatal care, Carbiener has found that they are shocked. They’re also, she said, willing to help. The endowment with United Way will lead to sustainability for Baby Steps.
When Carbiener planned the nonprofit’s initial budget, it was dependent upon Medicaid dollars and state and federal support. But there is a push to reduce that and rely more on local support.
In addition to partnering with AdventHealth and Halifax Health, Baby Steps collaborates with organizations such as the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler & Volusia Counties, Volusia Recovery Alliance and Halifax Urban Ministries. They also collaborate with Bethune-Cookman University and Daytona State College. The important thing, she said, is that patients feel safe in their clinic.
“They’re supposed to feel respected, safe and empowered to take the best care they can of themselves and their babies,” Carbiener said. Visit https://babysteps daytona.com.
Baby Steps staff members Camryn Ryland, Jackie Butler, Shameika Favors-Stalling, Deb Marz and Chloe Singleton
Helena Girouard, Baby Steps Daytona administrator; Kim Brown-Crawford, Baby Steps Daytona board member from Intracoastal Bank; Dr. Pamela Carbiener, Baby Steps Daytona medical director; and Jennie Joseph, midwife and founder of Common Sense Childbirth. Photos by Brian McMillan
The Daytona Beach Planning Board approved a site plan for a seven-story Drury Plaza Hotel on ISB.
Plans for a seven-story, Drury Plaza Hotel and separate sit-down restaurant are in the works to replace the empty Miller’s Ale House and Haverty’s Furniture buildings next to Interstate 95 on International Speedway Boulevard.
The Daytona Beach Planning Board approved a major site plan application for the new hotel in a 5-0 vote on Sept. 25, with board member Michael McLean absent from the meeting. The hotel will have 180 rooms.
“Speaking for myself,” Planning Board Chair Vernon Weatherholtz said, “it’s the entrance way to Daytona, and some of the buildings there are a little rough. I think it’s going to look nice once we get
it started and completed. So, myself, I look forward to it.”
The Miller’s Ale House left that location in 2022 for the new location at Tomoka Town Center on LPGA Boulevard. The Haverty’s Furniture store moved next door into the International Speedway Square shopping center in May.
The 4.64-acre site is located at 2600 W. International Speedway Blvd. on the west side of I-95, sandwiched between the International Speedway Square and the Best Western Hotel adjacent to Indigo Drive.
The developer, Drury Development Corporation, will demolish the buildings on the lot and construct a 126,000-square-foot hotel on 4.01 acres of the lot. It will have 221 parking spaces, to accommodate the potential future restaurant on the lot.
The restaurant is planned for a 0.63-acre portion of the lot, though that will be finalized separately from the hotel’s development. According to the site plan, the restaurant will be on the southwest
corner of the lot adjacent to Indigo Drive.
Jared Barbee, director of development for Drury Development, said during the first phase that outparcel area will be stabilized and grass seeded until the developer gets some offers.
“The long-term goal would be to maintain ownership of that lot area [and] secure a new restaurant user who has a plan that will come before staff in a subsequent site plan approval process,” Barbee said. The Daytona Beach City Commission approved a planned development agreement with Drury Development in August, rezoning the 4.64 acres from a Tourist/ Highway Interchange designation to planned development-general.
Drury Hotels has over 150 hotels in 30 states, according to the company’s website. The new Daytona Beach location will be a Drury Plaza Hotel, which offers an “upscale environment,” “enhanced meeting space” and on-site dining.
A rendering of the proposed Drury Plaza Hotel for 2600 W. International Speedway Blvd. Rendering courtesy of Daytona Beach Planning Board meeting documents
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
City tax dollars used inappropriately for campaigning
Dear Editor:
I am writing as a concerned resident of Palm Coast regarding what I believe to be a serious misuse of public resources. Recently, City of Palm Coast taxpayer dollars were used to host and promote a city-funded “town hall” event that Congressional candidate Charles Gambaro then leveraged for his campaign. Mr. Gambaro himself even posted pictures of this taxpayer-subsidized event on his campaign social media pages, effectively turning a public forum into campaign advertising.
I believe this is not only inappropriate — it may also be a violation of Florida law and federal election regulations. Under Florida Statute §106.15, no person or entity may use public funds to directly or indirectly support or oppose a candidate for office. Additionally, the Federal Election Campaign Act (52 U.S.C. § 30118) strictly prohibits the use of government resources for the purpose of influencing a federal election. Furthermore, the Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 7321-7326), while primarily covering federal employees, reflects the longstand-
ing principle that taxpayer resources should never be diverted to partisan political purposes.
City-funded town halls are meant to inform and engage residents of the city, not to serve as free campaign platforms. Palm Coast citizens should not have to see their hard-earned tax dollars subsidize the political ambitions of any individual — Republican, Democrat, or Independent. This sets a dangerous precedent of blurring the lines between governing and campaigning.
I urge our city officials to immediately review this matter, clarify their policies, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are never again used to advance the candidacy of Mr. Gambaro — or any candidate for public office. Residents deserve transparency, accountability, and confidence that their city is not being used as a campaign tool.
BRIAN SINGER
Palm Coast
Editor’s note: Palm Coast hosts Town Hall events that have featured all of the Palm Coast City Council members, including Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri, who is running for the Flagler County Commission. During
Councilman Gambaro’s Sept. 18 Town Hall event, Communications Director Brittany Kershaw said a couple of the questions during the Q&A portion referenced Gambaro’s campaign, but Gambaro stayed on topic of city business. The photos posted on Gambaro’s campaign Facebook page were not taken by city staff.
Troublesome and hypocritical eye-foran-eye mentality
Dear Editor: The Observer regularly publishes “Letters to the Editor” on a variety of topics and historically has been very good at publishing balanced perspectives. Recently, when the heated controversy arose as a result of the death of right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk, the Observer thankfully continued that tradition by publishing letters in glowing praise of Kirk, as well as those in very adamant opposition to his views.
Knowing it was a “hot” topic full of visceral reactions by both pro- and anti-Charlie sides, and in the face of the emerging brazen attack on the First Amendment by the current administration, with its threats and actual retribution to stifle
free expression, the Observer thankfully didn’t shy away from the constitutional freedom of speech and of the press.
A sitting U.S. president has called the news media “the enemy of the people”, berates reporters and seeks vengeance when anybody isn’t nice to him … or now to Charlie Kirk. The president actually suggested negative press coverage of him was “illegal” and he has repeatedly sued newspapers for coverage critical of him. Further, and reminiscent of 1950s McCarthyism, our vice president recommended “tattling” on others to their employers to get them fired for voicing an opinion relating to Charlie Kirk’s death deemed uncivil or inappropriate. And apparently that message is working. People are getting fired for expressing their personal, usually online, opinions of Kirk and his views.
For many faithful to Charlie Kirk, there is a troublesome and hypocritical “eye-for-an-eye” mentality in play, i.e., Charlie is killed for his freedom of speech, so in retaliation, they want to take that same freedom away from others.
Should the Observer ever have to be worried about getting sued if it chose, for
example, to publish this letter, or any commentary critical of Charlie Kirk, or be concerned about retribution for continuing to print a diversity of viewpoints? Should I also be worried about some form of reprisal by our government for writing this letter? Actually, not me, but only because I’m retired.
BOB GORDON Palm Coast
Endorsing William Sanchez for Ormond City Commission
Dear Editor: Conservative Citizens of Ormond Beach is glad to announce that it has endorsed William Sanchez for Zone 3 commissioner. William’s credentials are lengthy. He brings to the table a level headed approach to city government, he will do all he can to stem the continuing tide of raising taxes, and most of all, William will be a team player, something badly needed at this time on the commission in our City.
AL STEWART, FOUNDER OF CCOB Ormond Beach
Send letters up to 400 words to jarleene@observerlocalnews.com.
10 students get nursing scholarship from AdventHealth
A recent Coke Zero Sugar 400 race weekend at Daytona International Speedway turned the victory spotlight onto local students. Ten high school students were awarded AdventHealth’s Racing to Excellence Nursing Scholarship at the race, a AdventHealth press release said. The high school graduates, from Volusia, Flagler, and Lake counties, were given full scholarships to pursue nursing degrees at AdventHealth University. AdventHealth University
is headquartered in Orlando with additional sites in Denver and Tampa.
“This goes far beyond covering tuition,” said Michele Goeb-Burkett, chief nursing officer for AdventHealth’s East Florida Division. “It’s about opening doors for students who feel called to care for others and, in turn, ensuring our neighbors have more skilled nurses right here in our community.”
Daytona resident collects and donates 21,460 pounds of food
James Roper, of Margaritaville in Daytona Beach, has collected and donated 21,460 pounds of food to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida over the last two years. His most recent donation on Sept. 3 continues his
An article in the Sept. 25 edition on page 6A titled “Palm Coast man finds mini casket with white Navy caps on beach north of Marineland” incorrectly stated the tradi-
Festival beats
Seventh annual Ormond Beach Live brings an eclectic vibe.
MICHELE MEYERS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For the seventh year, the Ormond Beach Live original music and art festival descended on the Casements, Rockefeller Gardens and Fortunato Park. Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda were kind enough to keep the rain to a bare minimum as the grounds erupted with music, dancing and art on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The event was presented by Songwriters Showcases of America, which was founded by Phil Weidner in the 1990s. Weidner created the nonprofit organization after becoming frustrated with the lack of support for musicians. The SSA was born out of a need for bands and songwriters to have the opportunity and space to perform.
Over 100 musicians played 14 stages amid vendors’ tents and the tantalizing smells of food from a variety of sweet and savory delectables. Festivalgoers could imbibe at sponsor S.R. Perrott’s Yuengling tent or grab a bite at the locally owned Wabi Sabi Hibachi on Wheels.
Additional sponsors were the Daytona Auto Mall, Ormond Beach Observer , Southern RV, Sandman Law, Turkey Run and WHOG 95.7.
Over 70 booths were available to peruse including first timers Salty Drip IV Hydration. Owner Heather Vincent recently moved her business to Aliki Plaza where she started a collective which includes Honey Bee Beauty, LA Luxe Co. Lash & Hair, Chill n Glo and Celestial Embers. Owners Melissa Geyer, Lizzy Mons, Chelsea Doyle, Gloria Doyle and assistant William Mons were on-hand to assist at the event.
Return vendor, Palm Coast resident Courtney Catalino, owner of Wick’ed Salem’s Candle Company, said this was her second year at the event. She started her yearround Halloween business five years ago during COVID.
“I love this event,” she said. “I’m in a really good spot this time...by the main stage.”
Kids participated in their
own activities at the festival including Natasha Azari’s Save the Art Movement mural wall where they could add their own artistic flair and a karaoke contest held by Mufasa in the drum circle tent. There was also a youth art contest, which was exhibited in the Casements.
This was Marilyn Welch’s second year entering the contest. She entered in the third through fifth grade category and, for the second year, she took first place. Last year she won with a painting of The Casements and this year she won for her depiction of the Ormond Garage which included a historic race car
and a palm tree in front. Welch said she learned the history about the garage when she was looking up historic cars.
“I wanted to do something old-fashioned,” she said. “Every single day I go to Dance Depot and we pass it (Ormond Garage) every single day.” Ormond Beach-based band Sober Cafe just got together in April. This is their first year performing at the festival. Lead singer Kolbe Cordon credits his mom for getting him involved. “I wanted to do this because of my mom,” he said. “She’s the human juke box. She gave me everything.”
Daytona Beach musician Vange Durst
Musician Frank “Frankadelic” Mammano assists with the drum circle and kids karaoke contest.
Pace Center for Girls Developmental Director Shinece Carr (front) and son, Seabreeze student Christian Floyd promote the first Pace 5K to be held on Nov. 8. Photos by Michele Meyers
Natasha Azari, founder of Save the Arts Movement, prepares the mural wall for the kids.
Daytona Beach-based Wings of Mercury perfoms on the Casements porch stage at the 7th annual Ormond Beach Live music festival on Saturday, Sept. 27.
For the second year in a row, Marilyn Welch took home first place in the youth art contest in the third through fifth grade age group.
Salty Beach Charcuterie Boards took part in the festival. Pictured are Lauren Ott, owner Andrea Ott and Michael Gagnon.
LOCAL EVENTS
THURSDAY, OCT. 2
RECIPES AND READS
CULINARY LAB: THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF FOOD — AFTERNOON TEA
When: 3 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach
Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach
Details: Learn how to make spiced tea, presented by library staff. Free program.
PALM COAST
ASTRONOMY CLUB
When: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Palm Coast
Details: The Palm Coast Astronomy Club will hold its next meeting at the library. The meeting’s topic will be “Halloween Special: A look at the scary faces of nebula from space.” Everyone interested in astronomy is welcome. The meeting room is located to the right after entering the library.
Details: The Florida Women’s Arts Association is presenting this group exhibition all about the color, Payne’s Gray. Meet the artists and see art in a wide range of mediums. Visit Gallery500.art for more information.
PILGRIMS REST
CEMETERY TOUR
When: 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3 and 4
Where: Pilgrims Rest Cemetery, 791 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: Discover the untold stories of Ormond’s past during the annual Pilgrims Rest Cemetery Tour, which will include a Civil War-era cannon firing. Tickets cost $25; kids under 12 are free. Visit ormondhistory.org.
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 an art project. All art supplies provided. No art experience needed. All ages welcome.
‘AVENUE Q’
Details: Over 80 vendors, a petting zoo, a kid’s zone with bounce houses, pony rides, face painting, a Sheriff vs. Firefighters chili cook-off and The Soccer Collies. Tickets cost $10 for adults; kids 12 and under are free.
GOD’S FAMILY BIBLE
CHURCH PANTRY FOOD
DISTRIBUTION
When: 10-11 a.m.
Where: Parking lot across Gods Family Bible Church, 256 Old Brick Road, Bunnell
Details: God’s Family Bible Church distributes food every first and third Saturday in this drive-thru event.
ORMOND ART WALK When: 3-7 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach MainStreet Arts District, 128 W. Granada Blvd.
Details: Join Ocean Art Gallery, Frame of Mind, Art Spotlight, The Studio by Artist Angel Lowden, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and more on the first Saturday of each month for art openings and art events.
ORMOND BEACH ART
GUILD FALL RECEPTION
When: 5-7 p.m.
Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond
Beach
Details: Attend the free fall reception of the Ormond Beach Art Guild There will be hors d’oeuvres and wine, as well as musical entertainment. The exhibit will be on display from Oct. 2-28.
THE LOCALS MIX 2025
MUSIC +ARTS EXPO
When: 5-9 p.m.
Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond
Beach
Details: This celebration of creativity will feature an original music competition, live painting, food trucks, drinks and artisan vendors. No cover to explore the museum, gardens and vendor village. Rooftop music admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Visit thelocalsmix.com.
SUNDAY, OCT. 5
PINK ARMY 5K
When: 7:45-11 a.m.
Where: AdventHealth Palm Coast, 60 Memorial Medical Parkway, Palm Coast Details: Help raise money for breast cancer awareness, education and screening at this 5K and 1-mile pet-friendly walk. Registration costs $40 for adults, $20 for students 18 and under with code FlaglerParent. Visit https:// runsignup.com/Race/FL/ PalmCoast/pink5k.
TUESDAY, OCT. 7
ORMOND BEACH POLICE
DEPARTMENT’S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
When: 5-8 p.m.
Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 25 Riverside Drive
Details: Join the Ormond Beach Police Department for this family-friendly event featuring food trucks, bounce houses, a petting zoo, local vendors, police vehicles and music by DJ tremble. Free.
FILM SCREENING:
‘THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU’ When: 6-8 p.m. Where: Madorsky Theater at the Daytona State College campus, Hosseini Center, 1200 W International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach Details: See this documentary-style Wes Anderson movie of a nautical expedition team lead by Bill Murray’s Steve Zissou, a self-absorbed oceanographer in search of revenge for his fallen friend and longtime partner, Esteban, who was eaten by the elusive “Jaguar Shark.” Story is inspired by undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. Free and open to the public.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8
PLEIN AIR LANDSCAPE PAINTING WORKSHOP When: 9-11 a.m. Where: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreational Area, 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach Details: Capture the beauty of the outdoors. You’ll learn techniques on location. Preregistration required; group is limited to 10. A material fee of $10 cash is required. Park entry fee applies. To register, call the Ranger Station at 386-517-2086.
AARP MEETING When: 10 a.m. to noon Where: Ormond Beach Unitarian Universalist Church, 56 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach
Details: This month’s guest speaker is Mel Stack, an elder law attorney and humane society board member. The public invited. An optional $5 light lunch will follow. For more information, call Jeff Boyle at 386-341-9013.
THURSDAY, OCT. 9
HALIFAX GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY When: 1:30 p.m. Where: Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach
When: 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3-4; and 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5
Where: City Repertory Theatre, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, B-207, Palm Coast Details: See this Tony Award winning laugh-out-loud musical. Not appropriate for children. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $15 for students. Visit crtpalmcoast.com.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4
FLORIDA
TRUCKTOBERFEST
When: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell
Details: Enjoy truck competitions, vendors, food and activities. Tickets cost $7; kids under 12 are free. Presented by the Palm Coast Fire Department. To register for the competition, visit https://trucktoberfest2025.rsvpify.com.
VFW AUXILIARY’S ANNUAL
ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: VFW Post Auxiliary, 47 Old Kings Road N., Palm Coast
Details: This is a free community event featuring arts, crafts, food and fun. There will be a marketplace with over 30 artists and crafters, local food trucks and raffles.
20TH ANNUAL
CREEKSIDE FESTIVAL
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-5
Where: Princess Place, 2500 Princess Place Road, Palm Coast
Details: This festival is a one-day wellness experience featuring yoga, sound healing, crystals, tarot, herbal remedies and more. Admission costs $20; children 10 and under are free. Visit floridabohemianfestival.com.
Details: Take part in this golf tournament where proceeds will benefit Cornerstone 386, a nonprofit. Tournament is set in a four person scramble format, at $200 per player. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. with a 10 a.m. shotgun start, and a lunch reception to follow. Visit /www. takeaswingathunger.com.
Details: Halifax Health educator Annette Tracy, a registered nurse, will discuss flu symptoms, treatment and best practices to reduce risk of exposure. Free program.
Details: This is the monthly meeting of the Halifax Genealogical Society. All are welcome. This month’s topic is “Coming to America: Immigration Prior to the 20th Century,” presented by Bernice Gleason. Free.
PUBLIC WORKS
TOWN HALL
When: 6-7 p.m.
Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast Details: City of Palm Coast invites residents to a town hall where they’ll hear from the Public Works team on infrastructure, current projects and future plans. Register: www.parksandrec.fun.
DSC MUSIC PRESENTS: AUTUMN ECHOES SYMPHONIC BAND CONCERT
When: 7-9 p.m.
Where: News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach
Details: See the Daytona State College Symphonic Band perform. Autumn Echoes brings together rich, vibrant symphonic sounds that capture the colors, moods and spirit of fall.
SATURDAY, OCT. 11
SIXTH ANNUAL VMA
ROBOT BRAWL
When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
BUSINESS
Stan Lee’s United Martial Arts to celebrate 30 years in business
Since 1995, Stan Lee has taught about 4,000 students. An alumni reunion and a free bully proof class, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Thirty years ago, Stan Lee ran into a former student at a grocery store.
A couple years before, Lee had taught the adult student at a martial arts school in Daytona Beach and he told Lee that he had saved his life, referencing an instance when the student had come to class with alcohol on his breath. Lee had pulled him aside, gave him a talk on how that was unacceptable and was setting a bad example for his children and his family.
The student told Lee that changed his life. He stopped drinking, got himself in shape and earned his black belt.
That’s when Lee — who was working odd jobs ranging from construction work and bouncer to a loss prevention officer and running a telemarketing room — realized he needed to get back into the martial arts world.
“At that moment is when I realized that I needed to open my own school and get back into teaching,” Lee said.
“Because when I was a bouncer or running a telemarketing room, no one was thanking me for saving their life. That was like the pivotal moment when I decided, obviously this is what I have a talent for. This
is what I should be doing.”
So in 1995, Lee started teaching martial arts out of the Ormond Beach YMCA.
Within three months, he had 35 students, and that was enough for him to rent his first commercial space for Stan Lee’s United Martial Arts at the former Ormond Tech Center on the beachside.
A few years later, he relocated to the Renaissance plaza on South Nova Road, and following the 2008 real estate crash, he moved to his current location in Ormond Beach downtown district, at 11 S. Washington St.
Now, Stan Lee’s United Martial Arts will celebrate its 30th anniversary from 4-9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4. The event will feature live music, food trucks, a free bully proof class for kids 4-12 years old, an alumni reunion and black belt tests.
Since opening his school, Lee said he’s taught about 4,000 people in his programs for children, adults, afterschool students and summer camps. It’s not unusual for him to pop in as his staff teaches an introductory class and have a parent greet him,
letting him know he or she is a former student of Lee’s.
That’s a significant takeaway of his three decades of teaching, Lee said.
“Five-star Google reviews are great, but what is a more powerful testimonial to your life’s work is when an adult says, ‘I want my child to have the same skills you taught me. It helped me to be successful in life, and I want them to be just as successful,’” Lee said. “That to me is, at this 30-year point, what stands out — how incredible that is that we built this family environment where I’m like a grandfather.”
All of his instructors are former students too.
Chief instructor Tyler Whitby started taking classes with Lee when he was 7. As a kid, he enjoyed martial arts but never envisioned becoming an instructor until after he came back to the school following his high school graduation.
“I decided to take a drive up here and reconnect with my old instructor, and he had said, ‘We’ve been looking to hire somebody to help teach around here,’” Whitby said. “That was the first time I real-
IF YOU GO...
STAN LEE’S UNITED MARTIAL ARTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
When: 4-9 p.m.
Where: Stan Lee’s United Martial Arts, 11 S. Washington St., Ormond Beach
ly considered teaching martial arts and that was, we’re talking almost 12 years ago now that I decided I was going to teach here and train to try and get my black belt.”
Two years after that, he did get his black belt, and teaching has become a passion.
Knowing that United Martial Arts is celebrating 30 years is surreal, Whitby said. The school has been around for as long as Whitby has been alive, he added, and he hopes that the school continues to help instill confidence and discipline in students.
“We want to make sure everybody is who they’re meant to be and has the means to protect themselves as much
Schedule: 4-5:30 p.m. — free open house and alumni reunion
4:45-5:30 p.m. — free bully proof class for kids 4-12
5:30-7 p.m. — First degree black belt test
7-8 p.m. — second degree black belt test
8-9 p.m. — social hour
as they possibly can,” Whitby said.
Self-defense has always been at the core of United Martial Art’s classes. That’s where Lee’s passion lies, and has ever since he was a Pennsylvania kid who turned to martial arts to protect himself from bullies who didn’t like his sarcastic wit.
The martial arts industry saw a rise in popularity with the “Karate Kid” movies in the 1980s, and Lee said that’s when people realized the character development aspect of martial arts was equally as important as the physical moves.
“I felt it was important to have a balance between the two,” Lee said. “I can’t make
somebody good at all these martial arts moves and not teach them philosophy alongside it. If you’re not teaching people to be honest and to be leaders and to be good people, you can’t make them more dangerous — that’s a recipe for catastrophe. So we’ve always done our best to balance our focus on character development and self-protection.”
After 30 years, the legacy of his school is important. He hopes to be remembered as someone who led by example and inspired people to live safer, better lives.
“I want to make sure that this place doesn’t fade from existence without me,” Lee said. “So training our staff to continue to provide that fivestar service to Ormond Beach families, that would be probably the most important thing.” Visit ormondbeachmartial arts.com.
COTTON GROWS, SHADOWS LINGER
The Sound of the Whippoorwill is a moving memoir set in the postWWII deep south. It narrates the struggles of a fourth-generation white family on a cotton farm, wrestling with hard labor, mental illness, and child abuse. The narrative also explores the complex racial dynamics between the family and their black farm workers, delineating the stark inequities of a racially segregated society. A poignant exploration of resilience and the human spirit, it offers a profound reflection on cultural and social issues.
Stan Lee’s United Martial Arts instructor Peyton Raymond, founder Stan Lee and chief instructor Tyler Whitby. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Stan Lee (center) with some of his first students. Courtesy photo
CORPORATE OFFICE - 386-677-SOLD (7653)
900 West Granada Blvd., Ste. 3, Ormond Beach, FL 32174
BEACHSIDE OFFICE - 386-441-SOLD (7653)
2110 Ocean Shore Blvd., Ste. B,
Spacious 4BR/2BA Johnson-built home in Tymber Crossings with 2-car garage & long drive. Features built-in safe room, Generac whole-house generator (2019), storm shutters (2020), termite bond thru 2035, roof & Trane A/C (2019), HWH (2023). Prime Ormond Beach location offering comfort, security & peace of mind! #1218190 $519,900. Patti McKinley 386-235-0462.
Spacious 5BR/3BA with 3 living areas & pond view! Features open layout, island kitchen with SS appliances, granite & pantry, flex room, upstairs primary w/his & her walk-ins, plus loft/playroom. Large fenced yard w/patio & irrigation. Community pool & family-friendly neighborhood. #1216589 $479,000. Pam Harvey 386-846-5051.
Oceanfront 9th-floor condo with unobstructed views! 2BR/2BA, spacious layout, eat-in kitchen, inunit laundry & ample storage. Enjoy oceanfront pool, no-drive beach, weekly rentals allowed & nearby beachside conveniences. Furnishings negotiable; your coastal retreat awaits! #1218080 $474,999. Todd Hammond 386-233-5957.
Well-maintained 2BR/2BA mobile home on corner lot in Ormond Beach! Features split floorplan, open layout, indoor laundry, fresh exterior paint, circular drive & ramp entry. Enjoy large back deck, fenced yard & 2 storage sheds. Offers comfort, space, and convenience just minutes from shopping, dining & the beach. #1213390 $175,000. Kaitlin Hood 386-852-5921.
PLANTATION
Beautiful 3BR/2BA in Halifax Plantation! Features granite, SS appliances, breakfast bar, family & living rooms, dining, hardwood floors & soaring ceilings. Split plan w/spacious primary suite & walk-in. Private backyard, 2-car garage & laundry. Golf, dining & amenities nearby, plus easy access to beaches & I-95. #1215994 $400,000. Bonnie Karet 386-295-2109.
Charming coastal bungalow just steps from the beach! 2BR/1BA w/original hardwood floors, inviting living & dining, plus family room. Features impact windows, new AC, updated carpet & patio (2024). Enjoy a cute front porch, spacious backyard & 1-car garage for surfboards, bikes & beach gear. #1218095 $300,000. Jennifer Himmelstein 386-212-6397.
REAL ESTATE
Hammock Dunes condo sells for almost $3.5M
Acondo in Le Jardin at Hammock Dunes at 28 Porto Mar, Unit 304, was the top real estate transaction for Sept. 13-19 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The condo sold on Sept. 15, for $3,495,000. Built in 2007, the condo is a 4/4.5 and has a fireplace and 4,983 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $2.71 million.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Condos
The condo at 20 Casa Bella Circle, Unit 902, sold on Sept. 15, for $630,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/2.5 and has 2,463 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $509,000.
The condo at 41 Village Circle sold on Sept. 18, for $220,000. Built in 1982, the condo is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace and1,665 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $150,000.
The condo at 13 Hembury Lane sold on Sept. 16, for $185,000. Built in 1988, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,338 square feet. It last sold in April 2025 for $137,800.
The condo at 4600 E. Moody Blvd., Unit 8P, sold on Sept. 16, for $145,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,035 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $154,000.
FLAGLER BEACH
Atlanta Beach
The house at 2740 S. Ocean Shore Blvd. sold on Sept. 15, for $1,375,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool, an outdoor kitchen and 2,120 square feet.
BIZBUZZ
FUTURES Foundation gets $8,000 grant from Florida Power & Light
FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools has received a $7,981 Florida Power & Light Company EmPOWERing STEM Educators grant, a press release announced Thursday.
The grant will support the advancement of STEM-focused professional learning for Volusia teachers.
“The support from FPL allows us to invest directly in our educators’ professional growth
Fuquay
The house at 1708 S. Daytona Ave. sold on Sept. 18, for $697,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,706 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $764,900.
Morningside
The house at 2329 S. Central Ave. sold on Sept. 18, for $1.155 million. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/2.5 and has an elevator and 2,291 square feet.
Shelter Cove
The house at 80 Hidden Cove sold on Sept. 15, for $1,050,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/3.5 and has a pool, a spa, a boat dock and 3,609 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $725,000.
PALM COAST
Belle Terre
The house at 14 Patchogue Place sold on Sept. 15, for $307,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,574 square feet.
The house at 14 Patton Place sold on Sept. 19, for $339,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,716 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $207,000.
Bernard Meadows
The house at 41 Blaine Drive sold on Sept. 19, for $219,443. Built in 1979, the house is a
and sends a strong message that their work matters,” said Shimene Shepard, FUTURES Foundation executive director.
“When teachers feel valued and are given meaningful opportunities to collaborate and innovate, it not only improves instruction — it helps us retain great teachers in our classrooms.”
The grant program is managed by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, which the press release states helps local education foundations across Florida share resources, strategies and support. Since 2018, FPL has partnered with the Consortium to invest more than $600,000 in this initiative.
“For the last 100 years, FPL
2/2 and has 1,081 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for 2017 for $25,000.
Country Club Cove The house at 10 Cooper Lane sold on Sept. 19, for $315,000. Built in 1974, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,900 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $136,000.
Lehigh Woods The house at 57 Rockefeller Drive sold on Sept. 19, for $369,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,829 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $239,900.
Ocean Hammock
The house at 333 Ocean Crest Drive sold on Sept. 19, for $2.5 million. Built in 2018, the house is a 6/8.5 and has two fireplaces, a pool, a spa, an elevator and 5,902 square feet.
The house at 7 Spanish Moss Court sold on Sept. 18, for $1,132,000. Built in 2012, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace, a pool and 3,066 square feet. It last sold in 2018 for $775,100.
The house at 17 Kingfisher Lane sold on Sept. 15, for $1.1 million. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace and 2,438 square feet.
Pine Lakes
The house at 13 Lago Vista Place sold on Sept. 19, for $255,000. Built in 1994, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,586 square feet. It last sold in 2003 for $159,000.
Village at Palm Coast The house at 111 Longview Way N. sold on Sept. 19, for $1,664,000. Built tin 2017, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a fireplace, a pool, a spa, a boat house, a boat dock, a boat lift, an outdoor kitchen and 3,258 square feet.
Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report.
has been committed to powering strong communities,” said Sarah Marmion, FPL senior manager of education outreach. “Our investment in STEM education is a way to spark innovation and opportunity for the next generation. By supporting our teachers through these grants, we’re empowering them with the resources they need to inspire students and cultivate the problem-solvers and innovators of tomorrow.”
FPL also supports teachers and students through its STEM Classroom Makeover Grants, which provides educators with $50,000 to bolster classrooms with new technology and hands-on materials. Applications open Sept. 30. Visit FPL. com/Education.
PALM COAST
House in Riverbend
Acres sells for $1.3M
Ahouse at 227 Treeline Lane in Riverbend Acres was the top real estate transaction in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea for the week of Sept. 6-12. The house sold on Sept. 11, for $1,299,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a fireplace, a pool, an outdoor kitchen and 4,821 square feet. It last sold in 2010 for $470,000.
JARLEENE
BEACH
Carrollwood
The house at 1720 Hope Drive sold on Sept. 10, for $310,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,326 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $210,000.
Castlegate The house at 19 Queen Anne Court sold on Sept. 8, for $483,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 4/3 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,540 square feet. It last sold in 2004 for $320,000.
Cypress Trail
The house at 210 Cypress Trail Drive sold on Sept. 8, for $565,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,735 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $384,500.
Northbrook
$317,900. Built in 1981, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,208 square feet. It last sold in 2018 for $154,000.
Southern Pines
The house at 82 Chrysanthemum Drive sold on Sept. 10, for $391,500. Built in 2008, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,869 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $270,000.
Tanglewood Forrest
The house at 349 Water Oak Lane sold on Sept. 8, for $200,000. Built in 1972, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,306 square feet. It last sold in 1981 for $69,000.
Tomoka Park
Ocean Village The house at 133 Cardinal Drive sold on Sept. 9, for $304,000. Built in 1947, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,350 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $345,000.
Ormond Green The house at 6 Greenvale Drive sold on Sept. 11, for $515,000. Built in 2000, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool, a spa and 2,427 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $440,000.
Plantation Bay The house at 438 Harbour Town Lane sold on Sept. 9, for $340,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,172 square feet. It last sold in 2002 for $184,900.
The house at 952 Northbrook Drive sold on Sept. 12, for $319,000. Built in 1978, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,784 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $360,000.
The house at 1254 Royal Pointe Lane sold on Sept. 10, for $640,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool, a spa and 2,117 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $685,000.
Riviera Oaks
The house at 20 Laurel Oaks Circle sold on Sept. 8, for
The house at 60 Bramblewood Lane sold on Sept. 10, for $430,000. Built in 1978, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,456 square feet. It last sold in 2011 for $180,000.
ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA
Not in subdivision
The house at 147 Longwood Drive sold on Sept. 10, for $235,000. Built in 1960, the house is a 3/1.5 and has 1,198 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $160,000.
Ormond Shores
The house at 40 Juniper Drive sold on Sept. 10, for $495,000. Built in 1964, the house is a 5/2.5 and has a pool, a spa and 1,737 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $450,000.
DAYTONA BEACH
Latitude Margaritaville
The house at 957 Coral Reef Way sold on Sept. 12, for $665,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,158 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $385,900.
The house at 802 Margaritaville Ave. sold on Sept. 8, for $470,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,768 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $433,200.
The house at 585 Lost Shaker Way sold on Sept. 8, for $517,500. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,862 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $327,500.
John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.
The house at 227 Treeline Lane sold on Sept. 11, for $1,299,000.
Photo courtesy of Realty Pros Assured
SPORTS
‘This kid is special’
Simmons sharp as Mainland overcomes halftime deficit to top Matanzas, 34-17.
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Braylyn “Juice” Simmons seems to enjoy playing against Matanzas High School. Simmons accumulated 196 offensive yards and a touchdown in Mainland’s 34-17 victory over the Pirates on Thursday, Sept. 25, at Daytona Stadium. But another dazzling game by the Buccaneers’ junior running back would have been for naught if not for his team’s comeback from a 17-14 halftime deficit.
“We came out thinking, ‘Oh, it’s Matanzas, we’re going to run all over them.’ But they
came out throwing a punch,” said Bucs receiver Kadin Flores, who caught six passes for 94 yards and a touchdown to help put Mainland in the driver’s seat for the District 4-5A championship.
Simmons rushed for 114 yards on 20 carries and caught four passes for 82 yards. It was his third 100-yard rushing game this season.
“The kid is special,” Mainland coach Jerrime Bell said.
“Braylyn Simons is special. We know when we get the ball in his hands, he’s going to make plays. He’s been making plays week after week. Even when things aren’t there, he still makes plays. He’s one of those backs, just with his vision and his patience, he’s going to find a hole.”
Last year, when Simmons played at Flagler Palm Coast, he amassed 276 all-
“At
first I definitely wasn’t prepared for all the hits, all the defensive linemen and linebackers screaming down.”
BRAYLYN SIMMONS, Mainland running back
team district. With a win over 1-5 Belleview on Oct. 24, the Bucs will clinch their 32nd consecutive playoff appearance.
“No disrespect to Belleview,” Bell said, “but we know the best two teams in the district played tonight, so I kept reiterating that to the kids, ‘Hey, this may be a de facto district championship, how are you going to respond?’ That was my message in the halftime. Are you going to lay down and let someone steal your Matanzas (3-3, 0-1) jumped out of the gate quickly.
37-yard Alex Procek field goal. With 9 seconds left in the second quarter, Flores caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Sebastian Johnson to narrow the Pirates’ lead to 17-14. In the second half, the Bucs shut the Pirates down while adding two touchdowns and two David Aponte field goals. Johnson finished with 284 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
game, each practice I feel way more comfortable.”
In the past two games, he’s carried the ball 20 or more times.
“I’m in love with catching the ball and running routes,” he said. “But I got to do what is needed for my team to win.”
DE FACTO TITLE GAME
Mainland improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the three-
Thomas Larywon caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Cole Walker midway through the first quarter to go up 7-0. After Simmons tied the score at the end of the quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run, Larywon scored again on a 7-yard catch from Walker to put the Pirates back on top, 14-7. That touchdown was set up by Cooper May’s interception and 32-yard return to the Mainland 47-yard line.
But the turning point may have come after Pirates defensive back Jez McCoy intercepted another Mainland pass and returned it 72 yards to the Mainland 1-yard line. A bad snap and a penalty pushed Matanzas back to the 19 and the Pirates settled for a
“We had no real adjustments, it was just wake upcall, gut-check time where you actually got some respect for your opponent and realize, ‘I have to play as hard as they’re playing,’” Bell said. Bell said the Bucs did made some lineup changes to inject more energy. One of the players who received extended playing time in the second half was defensive back Ivan Gaines, who intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter. Matanzas coach Matt Forrest said after falling to Seabreeze the week before, the Pirates had a good week of practice.
“This was a big game, and it had a big game feel all week,” Forrest said. “That’s one of the top programs in the state, and they showed it in the second half. I know the game got a little out of hand in the last two minutes, but it was a 10-point game all the way into the fourth quarter, so I’m proud of our guys and the way they fought. I think we just didn’t make enough plays offensively to keep our defense fresh in that second half. We got to do better at executing. It felt like we were an inch off. The ball was an inch off, or a route was an inch off. It’s just something we’ve got to get used to. Matanzas is going to be playing in a lot of big games from now on.”
Matanzas linebacker Rylee Roberts chases down Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson. Photo by Brian McMillan
Matanzas’ Cooper May celebrates his interception. Photo by Brian McMillan
Matanzas receiver Jordan Schendorf (4) catches a pass. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Seabreeze falls to NSB, 28-27, in double OT
The ’Cudas tied the score on Todd Cutler Jr.’s fourth-quarter touchdown, then won on a blocked kick.
MICHELE MEYERS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
After a two-hour lightning delay, double overtime and a blocked extra point, Seabreeze fell just short in a District 6-4A battle, falling to New Smyrna Beach 28-27 on Friday, Sept. 26, at Daytona Stadium.
For nearly two-and-a-half hours, the Sandcrabs and Barracudas fought in a game initially leveraged by Seabreeze’s ground attack and intense defense. A touchdown by New Smyrna Beach running back Todd Cutler Jr. with less than three minutes left, sent the game to overtime.
New Smyrna Beach’s L.J. Parks blocked an extra point
in the second OT to clinch the victory for the Barracudas, who improved to 4-1, 1-0 in the district. Seabreeze (2-3, 0-2) was looking for its second straight upset after knocking off Matanzas 21-11 a week earlier.
“Felt like we gave that one away and that’s why that one hurts so much,” Seabreeze coach Mike Klein said after the game. “Great opponent — not taking anything away from the Barracudas. (They are) a very well-coached team, a very disciplined and tough team. They played a good game tonight and came back and got us. But it hurts because it felt like we were in control of that ball game for most of the game and just kind of gave it away there in the end.”
After Parks took the game-opening kickoff deep into Sandcrabs territory, Seabreeze’s defensive front, led by Tristan Miller, stopped NSB on third and fourth down. Miller led the Sandcrabs with 10 tackles. Junior Simeon Daffin had six tackles, including three for a loss and a sack, and Cash Kurz had seven tackles. Edison Parra added two tackles for a loss.
Seabreeze’s relentless defensive pressure led to its first touchdown. With 3:31 remaining in the first quarter, the Barracudas were forced to punt from their own goal line. The Sandcrabs blocked the punt and senior Owen O’Rourke recovered the loose ball in the end zone.
Seabreeze increased its lead to 14-0 early in the second
quarter when Logan Smith rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. But Parks answered for New Smyrna Beach with a 33-yard touchdown reception. He caught the ball between cornerback Dean Hayes and safety Kurz. With the score tied 14-14, Seabreeze got the ball first in overtime. Miller ran 8 yards to the 2-yard line on the first play. Smith forced his way through traffic for a 2-yard touchdown run.
Cutler, who had 118 offensive yards, scored touchdowns in the first and second overtime periods to put the Barracudas up 28-21.
Seabreeze quarterback Jayce Gainer answered with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jeremias George in the Sandcrabs’ second OT turn. But Parks blocked Luke Zboch’s extra-point kick to clinch the victory for the Barracudas. George ran for 108 yards on 10 carries and caught two passes for 21 yards.
Junior D’Amarion Pompey was instrumental in stopping three key passes that slowed the Barracudas’ air assault. He said he was doing the job his coach taught him — drive to the ball 100%. Pompey said the rest of the season he is going to improve on his breaks and grab interceptions instead of swatting at the ball.
“I love my teammates,” he
said. “They’re taking the loss a little hard. I feel like we just played our hearts out and could have done better. We just got to execute our part, even with the overtime. We blew coverages, but we’re going to get it back next week.”
Seabreeze offensive coordinator Matt Dickmann addressed the players after the game. He said coaching for years has taught him that there are always three to five moments in a high school football game that will cause the outcome to go either way.
“You were a couple plays away in that game from securing the victory — that close,” he said.
“I’m proud of you … Just grow on this. When we come in Monday, everything Coach Klein said about everything matters, every moment matters, every detail matters — that’s the way you have to practice.”
Klein said he is proud to see the improvements his players are making each week.
“We are becoming the team we set out to be,” he said. “I feel like we should be a 3-2 ball club after tonight. ... Good job by New Smyrna Beach to finish the game and take it in overtime. Hats off to them, but hats off to these guys here at Seabreeze.”
The Sandcrabs will host Atlantic (0-5) on Friday, Oct. 3 at Daytona Stadium.
Seabreeze seniors (left to right) Hayden Alexander, Lyla Roberson and Lily Kilic are ready for the start of the game against New Smyrna Beach on Friday, Sept. 26 at Daytona Stadium.
Seabreeze’s Jeremias George scores a touchdown in the second overtime against New Smyrna Beach at Daytona Stadium. Photos by Michele Meyers
New Smyrna Beach’s L.J. Parks (2) blocks Seabreeze kicker Luke Zboch’s (23) extra-point attempt during overtime.
FPC boys win fourth consecutive Five Star cross country championship
The Bulldogs’ Douglas Seth and Arianna Slaughter won individual titles.
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Flagler Palm Coast took home two individual championships and a team championship at the Five Star Conference cross country meet on Saturday, Sept. 27, at New Smyrna Beach High School.
FPC won the boys championship for the fourth year in a row, with freshman Douglas Seth leading the way with a first-place finish. Seth ran a time of 16:43.7, crossing the finish line 18.3 seconds ahead
of runner-up finisher Maddox Kokin, of New Smyrna Beach. FPC senior Arianna Slaughter won the girls race in 19:37.9. She was the only runner to finish the race in under 20 minutes.
The FPC boys smoked the field with 44 points with New Smyrna Beach placing second with 74 points. Seabreeze was fifth with 91 points, and Mainland was seventh with 186 points. Five Bulldogs finished among the top 15. Following Seth were Mateo Almeida (eighth, 17:45.1), Owen Stackpole (ninth, 17:53.8), Brayden Murray (14th, 18:25.9) and Evan Johnson (15th, 18:33.0). Seabreeze senior Hunter
Shuler placed seventh in 17:44.0, while teammate Kai Shirley was 16th in 18:39.1.
FPC’s girls also came into the meet aiming to win a fourth consecutive conference title.
But despite having three of the top four runners, the Bulldogs (59 points) placed third behind
first-place Spruce Creek (38) and runner-up New Smyrna Beach (55). Seabreeze was fifth with 128, and Mainland was seventh with 188.
FPC’s Anna Grigoruk placed
third with a personal-record 20:10.2. Audrey Bowman also ran a personal-record time with a 20:35.3 to place fourth. Mainland’s Azauriah Smith also ran a PR with a 24:06.5 to
finish 13th. Seabreeze freshman Karly Rybicki was 15th with a PR time of 24:14.9. Send sports stories and results to brent@observerlocalnews.com.
FPC golfer wins low medalist honors
The Bulldogs won a playoff for the runnerup spot behind firstplace Spruce Creek.
OBSERVER STAFF
Flagler Palm Coast senior Sophia Stiwich won low medalist honors with a 2-underpar 70 and the Bulldogs won a playoff with New Smyrna Beach to place second at the Volusia-Flagler Girls Golf Championship on Monday, Sept. 29, at Daytona Beach Golf Club’s North Course. Spruce Creek won the title with a 339. New Smyrna Beach and FPC tied for second with a 365. The top two players on NSB and FPC played the par-4 No. 1 to decide the team runner-up. the Bulldogs’ Sti-
wich and Ivey Tsouklaris shot a total of 8 to defeat the Barracudas’ two players who totaled 9.
Seabreeze finished fourth with a 384.
Spruce Creek’s Vanessa Perry and DeLand’s Madison Dusenbury tied for second with a 75, five strokes behind Stiwich. FPC’s top player shot an uncharacteristic 39 on the front nine.
“Sophia had a bad two-hole
stretch but bounced back on the back nine with a (5-under) 31,” FPC coach Patrick Kleinfelder said.
Tsouklaris placed fifth with a 78, two strokes behind New Smyrna’s Elayna Harvey.
“Ivey was solid like always, just a par machine, and had a couple of birdies,” Kleinfelder said.
Seabreeze’s Jillian Heller was ninth with a 90.
Flagler Palm Coast won the Five Star Conference boys championship for the fourth
FPC’s girls golf team: Ivey Tsouklaris, Sydney Adams, Lilah Cool, Sophia Stiwich and Kat Becker. Courtesy photo
CLASSIFIEDS
May 22, 2015 in Official Records Book 7119, Page 4741, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Florida; and WHEREAS, the Mortgage was insured by the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Scott Turner) (the “Secretary”) pursuant to the National Housing Act for the purpose of providing single family housing; and WHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage in that Mortgagor has died, defaulted under the terms of the Mortgage or has abandoned the Property, hereinafter defined and the Mortgage remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this Notice and no payment has been made to restore the loan to current status; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of September 11, 2025 is $1,205,007.40 plus accrued unpaid interest, if any, late charges, if any, fees and costs; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable; and WHEREAS, the Unknown Spouse of Shirley M. Green may claim some interest in the property hereinafter described, as the surviving spouse in possession of the property, but such interest is subordinate to the lien of the Mortgage of the Secretary; and WHEREAS, Unknown Tenant(s) may claim some interest in the property hereinafter described, as a/the tenant(s) in possession of the property, but such interest is subordinate to the lien of the Mortgage of the Secretary; and WHEREAS, Ocean Walk at New Smyrna Beach-Building No.3 Condominium Association, Inc. may claim some interest in the property hereinafter described pursuant to that certain Declaration of Condominium recorded in Official Records Book 5167, Page 1708, and all amendments thereto of the Public Records of Volusia County, Florida but such interest is subordinate to the lien of the Mortgage of the Secretary; and WHEREAS, Ocean Walk at New Smyrna Beach Master Association, Inc. may claim some interest in the property hereinafter described pursuant to that certain Declaration recorded in Official Records Book 4433, Page 4305, and all amendments thereto of the Public Records of Volusia County, Florida but such interest is subordinate to the lien of the Mortgage of the Secretary; and WHEREAS, the Secretary may have an interest in the property hereinafter described, pursuant to that Adjustable-Rate Home Equity Conversion Second Mortgage recorded, in Official Records Book 6393, Page 3958 of the Public Records of Volusia County, Florida but such interest is subordinate to the lien of the Mortgage of the Secretary. NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, 12 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR part 27, subpart B, and by the Secretary’s designation of the undersigned as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on June 22, 2000 in Official Records Book 4563, Page 4679 of the Public Records of Volusia County, Florida, notice is hereby given that on November 18, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. local time, all real and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises (the “Property”) will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder: Unit 605, OCEAN WALK CONDOMINIUM AT NEW SMYRNA BEACHBUILDING NO. 3, a Condominium according to Declaration of Condominium thereof, as recorded in Official Records Book 5167, Page 1708, as amended, of the Public Records of Volusia County, Florida, with an undivided interest or share in the common elements appurtenant thereto Commonly known as: 5300 South Atlantic Avenue, Unit #3-605, New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32169 The sale will be held at 5300 South Atlantic Avenue, Unit #3-605, New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32169. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $1,205,007.40 together with accrued interest from September 11, 2025 (subject to increases applicable under the Note), plus all costs of this foreclosure and excluding costs of an owner’s policy of title insurance or other sums which will be due from any third party purchaser. There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his/her/its pro-rata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale. When making their bids, all bidders except the Secretary must submit a deposit totaling ten (10%) percent of the bid amount in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the Secretary of HUD. Each oral bid need not be accompanied by a deposit. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of ten (10%) percent of the bid amount must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is non-refundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within thirty (30) days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check. If the Secretary is the high bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveyancing fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them. The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for fifteen (15) day increments for a fee equal to Five Hundred and NO/100 Dollars ($500.00) per extension, paid in advance. The extension fee shall be in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of HUD. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due.
If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within, the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder may be required to forfeit the cash deposit or, at the election of the foreclosure commissioner after consultation with the HUD Field Office representative, will be liable to HUD for any costs incurred as a result of such failure. The Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD Field Office Representative, offer the Property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder. There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein. HUD does not guarantee that the property will be vacant.
The amount that must be paid if the Mortgage is to be reinstated prior to the scheduled sale is the principal balance set forth above, together with accrued, unpaid interest, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner’s attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out of pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement.
Tender of payment by certified or cashier’s check or application for cancellation of the foreclosure sale shall be submitted to the address of the Foreclosure Commissioner provided below.
Date: September __, 2025 HUD Foreclosure Commissioner By:_________________________ Michael J Posner, Esquire Lippes Mathias LLP 4420 Beacon Circle West Palm Beach, Florida 33407 T:561.842.3000•F:561.842.3626
Direct: 561.594.1452
STATE OF FLORIDA ) ) ss: COUNTY OF PALM BEACH )
Sworn to, subscribed and acknowledged before me this ____ day of September 2025, by mean of ☑ physical presence or □ online notarization, Michael J Posner, HUD Foreclosure Commissioner who ☑ is personally known to me or □ produced _____________________________ as identification.
My Commission Expires: Notary Public, State of Florida
Unless you, within thirty days of your receipt of this notice, dispute the validity of the debt claimed in this letter, or any portion of the debt, we will assume that the debt alleged in this letter is valid. If we receive notice from you within thirty days of your receipt of this notice that the debt claimed in this notice, or any portion of the debt, is disputed, we will obtain verification of the debt and will forward that verification to you. Also, upon request to us within thirty days of your receipt of this notice, we will provide the name and address of the original creditor of the debt claimed in this notice, if different from the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. See details of your rights on the attached Notice.
FAIR DEBT PRACTICES ACT NOTICE
Lippes Mathias LLP is a debt collector. We are trying to collect a debt that you owe to the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. We will use any information you give us to help collect the debt. How can you dispute the debt? Call or write to us within thirty (30) days of your receipt of this Notice of Default to dispute all or part of the debt. If you do not, we will assume that our information is correct.
If you write to us within thirty (30) days of your receipt of this Notice of Default, we must stop collection on any amount you dispute until we send you information that shows you owe the debt. You may use the form below or write to us without the form. You may also include supporting documents. We accept disputes electronically via email at mjposner@ lippes.com.
What else can you do? Write to ask for the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor. If you write within thirty (30) days of your receipt of this Notice of Default, we must stop collection until we send you that information. You may use the form below or write to us without the form. We accept such requests electronically via email at mjposner@lippes.com.
Go to www.cfpb.gov/debt-collection to learn more about your rights under federal law. For instance, you have the right to stop or limit how we contact you.
Contact us about your payment options.
Póngase en contacto con nosotros para solicitor una copia de este formulario en español.
How do you want to respond?
Check all that apply: Mail this form to: Michael Posner, Esq., Lippes Mathias LLP, 4420
Beacon Circle, West Palm Beach, Florida 33407
□ I want to dispute the debt because I think:
□ This is not my debt.
□ The amount is wrong.
□ Other (please describe on reverse or attach additional information).
□ I want you to send me the name and address of the original creditor.
□ Other (please describe on reverse or attach additional information).
□ I enclosed this amount: $_________ Make your check payable to Lippes Mathias
Trust Account. Include the name of the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
October 2, 9, 16, 2025 25-00460I FIRST INSERTION
□ Quiero este formulario en español.
WEST,
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 7TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 2024 13702 CICI KIAVI FUNDING, INC., Plaintiff, v. 770 CAPITAL VENTURES LLC, a Florida Limited Liability Company; SETH WASSERMAN, an Individual; UNKNOWN TENANT #1; UNKNOWN TENANT #2, Defendant. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment dated July 30, 2025 entered in Civil Case No. 2024 13702 CICI in the Circuit Court of the 7th USA Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County, Florida, wherein KIAVI FUNDING, INC., Plaintiff and 770 CAPITAL VENTURES LLC, a Florida Limited Liability Company; SETH WASSERMAN, an Individual; UNKNOWN TENANT #1; UNKNOWN TENANT #2 are defendants, Laura E. Roth Clerk of Court, will sell the property at public sale www.volusia.realforeclose. com at beginning at 11:00 AM on October 31, 2025 the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to-wit:. THAT PART OF SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 15 SOUTH, RANGE 32 EAST, MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LOT 16, LEWIS SUBDIVISION ADDITION #1 AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 23, PAGE 206, PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA; RUN THENCE SOUTH 89 DEGREES 50 MINUTES EAST, FOR A DISTANCE OF 125 FEET TO A POINT IN THE CENTER-LINE OF LEWIS DRIVE, A 50 FOOT RIGHTOF-WAY AS SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF LEWIS. SUBDIVISION ADDITION #1; THENCE NORTH 0 DEGREES 10 MINUTES EAST. ALONG THE CENTERLINE OF LEWIS DRIVE EXTENDED, FOR A DISTANCE OF 274.97 FEET TO A POINT THEREIN; THENCE RUN SOUTH 62 DEGREES 53 MINUTES 20 SECONDS WEST, A DISTANCE OF 26.77 FEET TO A POINT ON THE WEST RIGHT-OF-WAY OF SAID LEWIS DRIVE EXTENDED; THENCE NORTH 89 DEGREES 50 MINUTES WEST FOR
RE-NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA CIRCUIT CIVIL DIVISION CASE NO.: 2022 30706 CICI HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE HOLDERS OF THE DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES, INC. MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-OA4 Plaintiff(s), vs. JESSE ONEILL; TOWN PARK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS INC. AS A NOMINEE FOR CITIZENS TRUST MORTGAGE CORP.; Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, pursuant to the Order Granting Motion to Reschedule Foreclosure Sale entered on September 18, 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 31st day of October, 2025 at 11:00 AM on the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment of Foreclosure or order, to wit: LOT 237, TOWN PARK P.U.DPHASE 3, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 49, PAGE(S) 151 THROUGH 153, INCLUSIVE OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA. Property address: 1601 Promenade Circle, Port Orange, FL 32129
SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM BEFORE THE CLERK REPORTS THE SURPLUS AS UNCLAIMED. THE COURT, IN ITS DISCRETION, MAY ENLARGE
HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Summary Judgment of Foreclosure dated September 17, 2025, entered in Civil Case No.: 2025 10674 CIDL of the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County, Florida, wherein NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff, and TRACEY MCCLARY; BLUE SPRINGS VILLAS HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC.; STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE; UNKNOWN TENANT(S) IN POSSESSION #1, are Defendants. LAURA E. ROTH, The Clerk of the Circuit Court, will sell to the highest bidder for cash, at www.volusia.realforeclose.com, at 11:00 AM, on the 18th day of November, 2025, the following described real property as set forth in said Judgment, to wit: LOT 8, BLOCK G, BLUE SPRINGS VILLAS, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 51, PAGES 79 THROUGH 81, INCLUSIVE, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA.
If you are a person claiming a right to funds remaining after the sale, you must file a claim with the clerk before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed. If you fail to file a timely claim you will not be entitled to any remaining funds. After the funds are reported as unclaimed, only the owner of
record as of the date of the Lis Pendens may claim the surplus.
REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS BY PERSONS WITH DISABILI-
TIES If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 2576096, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711. THESE ARE NOT COURT INFORMATION NUMBERS SOLICITUD DE ADAPTACIONES PARA PERSONAS CON DISCAPACID-
ADES Si usted es una persona con discapacidad que necesita una adaptación para poder participar en este procedimiento, usted tiene el derecho a que se le proporcione cierta asistencia, sin incurrir en gastos. Comuníquese con la Oficina de Administración Judicial (Court Administración), 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096, con no menos de 7 días de antelación de su cita de comparecencia ante el juez, o de inmediato alrecibir esta notificación si la cita de comparecencia está dentro de un plazo menos de 7 días; si usted tiene una discapacidad del habla o del oído, llame al 711. ESTOS NUMEROS TELEFONICOS NO SON PARA OBTENER INFORMACION JUDICIAL
Dated: September 19, 2025 /s/ Brian L. Rosaler By: Brian L. Rosaler Florida Bar No.: 0174882. Attorney for Plaintiff: Brian L. Rosaler, Esquire Popkin & Rosaler, P.A. 1701West Hillsboro Boulevard Suite 400 Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 Telephone: (954) 360-9030 Facsimile: (954) 420-5187 25-51851 Sept. 25; Oct. 2, 2025 25-00454I
