Ormond Beach Observer 5-19-22

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ORMOND BEACH

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

HIGH FIVE PAGE 2C

VOLUME 10, NO. 37

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

City OKs more homes for Plantation Oaks The residential development between the Loop and U.S. 1 will now be able to build 1,740 homes. PAGE 2A

He was

‘Bans off our bodies’

BIG

People march on the Granada bridge to defend Roe v. Wade PAGE 10A

Longtime radio host, former county councilman, is one to be remembered

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

He sat in the dim radio booth, his thick notebook in front of him, pages full of handwritten notes concerning only “local stuff.” It’s where Big John spent his weekday afternoons during the last couple of decades – inside the mustard yellow 1,500-square foot radio station at 432 S. Nova Road in Ormond Beach. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it type of building, depending on how fast traffic is moving along the busy road, but the same could never be said for Big, a man who inspired a variety of adjectives about his personality: cantankerous, gruff, meticulous, kind, intelligent, philanthropic. And he loved Volusia County. His GovStuff Live forum (he never called it a “show”) was a “strenuous two hours” of radio, he said, and always opened by saying it was an “educational, informational, inspirational local forum.” It was the only one of its kind in the country, he boasted, because he was trying to teach his listeners about the place they lived. “He was motivated by his love of people and his curiosity about people and our institutions, and his love for this community,” said Jeff Boyle, who co-hosted “GovStuff Live” with Big during the last few months of his life. “I think he realized he was providing an important public service ... It was almost like a powerful love for the community, and that kept him going. I think also, in terms of his health and longevity, I think it was the juice that kept him alive for all these years.” Big died the morning of May 15, at Halifax Hospice. He was 76 years old. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church,

People march in the “Bans off our Bodies” rally at the Granada Bridge on Saturday, May 14.

Happy 126 years, Yacht Club

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

The Halifax River Yacht Club will host an anniversary ball on Saturday, May 21.

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SEE PAGE 3

Campy says, ‘It’s time’

ONLINE SPECIAL SESSION PREVIEW Florida’s Biggest Economic Crisis in History

Anthony Campanella steps away after 29 years as a high school baseball coach

The state’s $3.6 trillion property insurance market is in collapse. Incoming House Speaker Paul Renner of Palm Coast will play a key role in whether the Legislature will rescue Floridians or cave once again to the state’s plaintiff attorneys. See the story online at OrmondBeachObserver.com.

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Bringing families together Family Fun Fest 2022 benefits Family Renew Community’s mission to aid homeless families in our community.

INDEX

Public Notices.............PAGE 7C Real Estate................. PAGE 5C

Courtesy photo

The Halifax River Yacht Club was founded in 1896.

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Ormond Beach Observer 5-19-22 by Observer Local News - Issuu