Palm Coast Observer 04-03-25

PALM COAST

Debate about fuel terminal begins

Calf pint

Flagler County Cracker Day celebrates cowboy culture and tradition PAGE 1B

Project X-Ray could land near airport.

SPECIAL ELECTION:

Randy Fine wins U.S. House district 6 race

Republican Florida Sen. Randy Fine has been to represent Congressional District 6 in the U.S. House.

Fine beat his Democratic opponent and public school educator, Josh Weil, in the April 1 election, earning 56.66% of the vote. Weil earned 42.71%.

While Fine won comfortably in Flagler, Putnam, Lake and St. Johns, he won Volusia’s vote by a margin of just over 1,000 votes — 31,878 to 30,702. In Flagler County, Fine won 56.97% to 42.38%.

President Donald Trump, who endorsed Fine in the competitive race, celebrated Fine’s win on X.

“Because of you, Mr. President,” Fine responded on the social media platform. “I won’t let you down.”

said. The festival featured live performances from the local bands Soulfire, Southern Chaos and The Bye Band.

Johnson said the fundraiser “showcased the power of community and the importance of supporting our rescue efforts.”

S.M.A.R.T.

its

The “Jam’n 4 Paws” festival brought together music lovers, animal advocates and the local community in support of S.M.A.R.T., a press release from the nonprofit

S.M.A.R.T. also showcased many of its adoptable dogs and puppies, allowing attendees to meet and play with them.

Some animals were adopted at the event, underscoring S.M.A.R.T.’s mission to connect dogs with loving homes, the press release said.

S.M.A.R.T. founder and Executive Director Caroline

“We are so grateful to everyone who came out to support Smart and help us continue our work,” Johnson said. “The turnout was amazing, the music was fantastic, and seeing so many of our adoptable dogs finding new homes or connecting with potential adopters was incredibly rewarding.”

For more information or to learn more about how to adopt, donate, or volunteer, please visit smartflagler.com or visit the Lost Pets of Palm Coast & Flagler County on Facebook

SMA Healthcare to offer primary care services in Flagler beginning in April

SMA Healthcare will begin offering primary care services in Flagler County beginning in April.

The services will include health assessments, diagnosis and treatments through the Flagler County Health Department, located at 301 Dr. Carter Blvd. in Bunnell, an SMA

Healthcare press release said. The collaboration with the Flagler DoH for primary care services will also include collaboration with other community partners for additional health services like OB-GYN, dental, and chiropractic care.

“The purpose of SMA’s expansion of primary care services is to provide greater health care access for citizens in the community,” said SMA Healthcare CEO Ivan Cosimi. “It is our mission to provide exceptional substance abuse, mental health, and primary care services, and this expansion will open another door for individuals to receive quality care.”

Flagler County has been designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration as an underserved area for primary care, the press release said, and the clinic will help to serve the county’s uninsured or underinsured population. The clinic will also later add a pharmacy delivery program.

SMA Healthcare currently operates out of two facilities in Flagler County: The Flagler Access Center is at 103 E. Moody Blvd, and the outpatient services and Women Assisting Recovering Mothers, at 301 Justice Lane.

Copsey. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh

Ana Reyes-Ouzts, Caroline Johnson and Vanessa Cole. Courtesy photo

Palm Coast to put pressure on airport regarding noise Dentists urge Ormond to restore fluoride

Mayor Mike Norris went one step further, saying the city should be in control of the airport, not Flagler County.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

With citizens continuing to voice concerns about the noise around the Flagler Executive Airport, the Palm Coast City Council agreed on April 1 to put legal pressure on Flagler County. Mayor Mike Norris went a step further.

“I think we should pressure the county into turning the airport over to us,” he said.

Other council members didn’t respond.

In response to citizens’ complaints, City Councilman Ty Miller said the city is at the mercy of the county as well as the Federal Aviation Administration.

In addition to the noise that is beyond the city’s control, Norris added: “We are losing a lot of economic opportunity by not having the airport. … Really, it should be under city control. That’s just my perspective.”

Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri said the citizens’ noise concerns represent “a quality of life issue.”

Based on prior discussions with the city attorney’s office, Pontieri proposed filing a complaint under the Code of Federal Regulations Part 13 with the FAA. She explained it as a dispute resolution tool that helps to avoid arbitration. She hopes it will be a message to the county saying, “Hey, let’s all get around the table and talk.”

The discussion follows a presentation by Flagler County staff, at the Feb. 25 City Council meeting. Flagler County is proposing the adoption of an airport overlay ordinance, a statutory requirement for airports

to ensure safety through zoning regulations regarding potential hazards or obstructions, which is scheduled for its first public hearing on April 7.

All four of the council members agreed to pursue the CFR procedure.

Also at the April 1 city meeting:

FINAL PLATS

The City Council approved the final plat applications of three developments on April 1. The final platting is the last step in establishing legally recognized lots for sale and development. The infrastructure is largely in place, funded by the developers, and the developments have already been declared in compliance with city codes. The final plat is typically a formality. The votes of the developments were each 3-1, with Norris dissenting. For more details, see this story on observerlocalnews.com.

COUNCIL CANDIDATES

The council members conducted interviews on April 1 of 10 remaining candidates vying to be appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the health-related resignation of Ray Stevens. One candidate, Scott Pillath, has withdrawn, according to Mayor Mike Norris. The field will be narrowed further on April 8.

Despite dentists’ warnings, the commission voted unanimously on a second reading to remove fluoride from the city water supply.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Though local dentists cautioned the Ormond Beach City Commission that removing fluoride from the city’s water supply would have detrimental effects, commissioners on Tuesday, April 1, didn’t waver from their decision against community water fluoridation.

The commission voted unanimously at its meeting to amend its code of ordinances for the removal of fluoride on a second reading, a choice that dentists said would cause increased rates of tooth decay, particularly in children. The city stopped fluoridating its water on in mid-January, based on guidance by State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who cited health risks due to fluoride exposure.

Ladapo’s guidance goes against that of health organizations such as the American Dental Association, Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association all support community water fluoridation.

Citing the ADA, pediatric dentist Dr. Sean McDonnell said a 25% overall decrease in tooth decay is a result of community water fluoridation.

In his Ormond Beach office alone, McDonnell said, families spent $291,713 in 2024 treating dental decay. Without fluoride in the city’s water, he estimated families could see an increase of $72,928 per year in his office, based on the ADA statistic.

The city had been fluoridating its water supply since 1957. Removing fluoride is saving the city about $14,800 a year.

“On the macro level, this vote is about whether we want to continue to live within a health care system

that profits from disease, or do we want to hold the line and start to shift to a system that profits from prevention,” McDonnell said.

Amid dentists’ statements, there were also citizens who urged the commission to continue keeping fluoride out of the city’s water.

Ormond Beach resident Michelle Edwards said that, while fluoride has been widely accepted as a preventative measure for tooth decay, there are also studies linking it to various health risks.

“I strongly believe that the city’s responsibility is to provide clean, safe water, not medicated water,” Edwards said. “There are no barriers for those who wish to still use fluoride. Mass medicating the entire population without informed consent is both a medical and ethical issue.”

Commissioner Lori Tolland thanked local advocates and dentists for sharing their views on fluoride. She’s been fairly neutral about the topic, she said, and has seen flawed studies on both sides of the argument. Tolland shared she has received calls from constituents wanting fluoride back in the city’s water supply, and personally, she chooses to use fluoride in her dental care, and her children have had good success with it regarding prevention of cavities.

“I was elected to serve the residents and represent them,” Tolland said. “These residents shared their local experiences tonight compelling us to reconsider community fluoridation.”

Though a Senate Bill may lead to a statewide ban on fluoride in city water supplies, Tolland proposed placing the decision in citizens’ hands by putting a referendum on the 2026 ballot.

“This is a local issue for us,” Tolland said. “It’s not a political issue, and I would think it would make sense for us to consider putting it on the ballot.”

Commissioner Harold Briley said he agreed with Tolland. His grandfather, he shared, was the city’s

engineer in the 1950s when Ormond began fluoridating its water.

“I do support removing the fluoride from the water at this point,” Briley said. “Beauty is, we can always put it back, if down the road, we find there’s an issue.”

Commissioner Travis Sargent — who was the one who proposed removing fluoride from the city’s water supply earlier this year — called fluoride “a medicine” and said he’s not willing to put it in the city’s water.

“I don’t take this lightly,” he said. “I appreciate all the medical professionals and all the scientific data, but at the end of the day, I am here to provide safe water to the residents of Ormond Beach.”

Having grown up on city water, Commissioner Kristin Deaton, who shared that both her orthodontist and son’s dentist were in the room, said both she and her son have dealt with dental issues despite community water fluoridation.

“I’ve had an overwhelming amount of constituents reach out and ask for fluoride to be removed,” Deaton said. “Overwhelming. I had a few constituents reach out and say they would be a proponent, most in the dental industry. While I very much respect all of you being here, I am in favor of keeping the fluoride out of the water.”

Sargent asked Leslie, who shared at the first reading of the amendment in March that two dentists in his family were in favor of removing fluoride from the water, if they still felt that way.

“Have they changed their mind on this, or have you had any discussions further?” Sargent asked.

Leslie didn’t give a clear answer, speaking instead on not being sure if his hometown in New Jersey fluoridated its water. He said he found out it did, but that it didn’t help him with cavities.

“I go twice a year, so the effectiveness of fluoride didn’t work for me, for some reason,” Leslie said. Email jarleene@observerlocal news.com.

The Flagler Executive Airport is located in the center of Palm Coast. It is under the control of the Flagler County government, as are some other parcels, such as the library. County image

Belvedere Terminals plans $75 million fuel storage facility in Palm Coast

After intense opposition in Ormond Beach, the company has shifted its focus to Palm Coast, paying $800,000 in annual taxes.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

With $10 million of aid from the state of Florida, startup Belvedere Terminals plans to develop a $75 million fuel storage facility near the railroad tracks west of U.S. 1, in northern Palm Coast, by the end of 2026. The company faced tremendous backlash in 2023-2024 — from residents and elected officials alike — when it proposed building the facility in Ormond Beach.

“We still have a site in Ormond, but we decided not to develop there,” Belvedere’s chief financial officer, Timothy Schwarz, said in an interview on March 27.

In Flagler County, he said, “We found this a much more welcoming climate because of the need for industrial development.”

Residents and elected officials in Palm Coast reacted to the plan during the April 1 City Council meeting. See the box to the right for the report. The facility, planned on land that’s already zoned for industrial use, would generate nearly $800,000 in local tax revenue per year, according to Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito.

Considering the lack of industrial development in the community, this project fits with the county’s strategic plan, she said.

“These are areas we need to focus on, maintaining that quality of life, and to reduce the tax burden on homeowners,” Petito said. “We’re trying to prioritize sustainable growth.”

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE?

While gasoline and diesel fuel are currently hauled by ship and longhaul trucking to Florida, Belvedere’s strategy is to haul it most of the way by rail instead. Its $500 million overall plan is to build terminals in Jacksonville, Palm Coast and Fort Pierce simultaneously, to supply fuel to the state with much less of a reliance on long haul trucking. That would reduce emissions, the risk of accidents on highways, and the dependence on ports during storms, Schwarz said.

Schwarz said Belvedere’s plans would all but eliminate supply disruptions that lead to gas stations running out of fuel during hurricane evacuations.

‘Sigh

WHERE IS THE LAND?

The proposed property stretches from Peavy Grade south along the railroad tracks. The fuel terminal itself would be on the southern end of the property, in the red polygon on the map to the right. It’s adjacent to the KB Home development called Somerset. At the northern end of the property, along Peavy Grade, about .7 miles north of the fuel storage, is a water treatment facility and a wastewater treatment facility.

“We’re connecting a lot of dots that haven’t been connected,” he said. The distribution costs would be cut by about 10%, he estimated. Although that doesn’t determine the cost of gas per gallon, he predicted that Palm Coast gas could drop about “a nickel.”

The proposed facility in Palm Coast would cover almost 80 acres, employing 30-40 people with salaries around $100,000.

It would comprise five or six tanks that would be refilled about once per week by train. Short-haul trucks would then transport the gas to local gas stations in Flagler and surrounding counties.

IS IT SAFE?

Security will be strong, according to Schwarz, with locked gates and key card system accessible to a small staff of about 30 people with badges.

“No one other than our people are allowed in the tank facility area,” he said.

Every time fuel is transferred from a rail car to a tank, it would be coupled, with minimal emissions. The state allows 0.1 parts per million, he said, and Belvedere’s technology would be just 0.01 parts per million of emissions.

In the event of a “catastrophic event,” Schwarz said, meaning an explosion, no impact would be experienced outside of the Belvedere property.

The property would have berms and landscaping, as well as a nonpermeable membrane underneath the bedrock to prevent any leaks.

“Every tank has both visual and electronic inspections,” he said. “Even if tanks ruptured and spilled, it not leave the containment system.”

When the rail cars leave the railroad and enter the Belvedere spur, they would slow down to “walking speed,” he said.

NEXT STEP?

The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners will hear a presentation on April 7 about the Florida Department of Commerce’s $10 million grant that would enable the Belvedere Terminals deal to move forward.

WHAT DO THE CITY COUNCIL AND PALM COAST RESIDENTS THINK?

Should the City of Palm Coast welcome Belvedere Terminals’ proposed 300,000-barrel fuel terminal to the city? Maybe, but the location needs to be right, Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri said on April 1. Mayor Mike Norris, has advocated for the facility behind the scenes and believes the terminal has strategic value not just to the city but to the state.

“All our fuel comes in by ocean,” Norris said. “So if we don’t have that fuel capacity, if we have a major hurricane … we are setting waiting for fuel. We are talking about a strategic asset for the state.”

That’s why the Florida Department of Commerce is offering a $10 million grant to Flagler County to facilitate the project, Norris said.

In addition, it’s a rare opportunity to add economic development in Palm Coast, he argued.

“I would prefer the space industry, but we have to do what we can,” he said. Unless we take advantage of projects like this, he said, “your taxes keep going up. I just want our city to know what’s going on here.”

The parcel is about 1.7 miles south of Sawmill Branch, so those residents shouldn’t be too concerned, Norris indicated.

The proposed Belvedere parcel is, however, adjacent to a KB Home development called Somerset, on U.S. 1. Still, “those developers knew full well that was an industrial site,” Norris said. In fact, the developers requested a zoning modification in 2020, enabling homes to be built closer to the industrial land.

Norris feels convinced that the fuel terminal will be safe.

“The technology and all the regulatory agencies that go into approving these sites are still in place,” he said, noting that, in Jacksonville, KB Home is also building homes next to a fuel storage site.

The good outweighs the bad, in Norris’ mind. “We have to diversify our tax base.”

A BETTER LOCATION?

Norris’ comments came at the end of the meeting. Earlier, Pontieri said she agreed with many

residents’ safety concerns regarding the fuel terminal.

Rather than accept the proposed site, Pontieri said the city should conduct a site selection survey — hopefully to be paid for by Belvedere.

Considering the state’s $10 million grant has a deadline, Norris said he was concerned about losing the fuel terminal with a delay for a site survey.

“Well, mayor,” Pontieri retorted, “the fuel depot might not be happening here if we don’t figure something out.”

The audience applauded Pontieri for challenging Belvedere and Norris.

RESIDENT OPPOSITION

Several residents spoke out, at the April 1 Palm Coast City Council meeting, against Belvedere Terminals’ plan.

One resident, Wayne Bruce, said he formerly lived in Ormond Beach, when Belvedere had proposed the fuel terminal there. Bruce then moved to Palm Coast, only to find that the fuel terminal’s possible location had also moved — near his new house.

“I’m very concerned about what’s going to happen to our beautiful city,” Bruce said.

Another resident of Sawmill said: “You couldn’t ask for a worse project for the city with the possible exception of a nuclear waste site.” The projected tax revenue isn’t worth the risk of an accident, she said.

Yet another resident of Sawmill said: “We’re not saying, ‘Don’t put anything there,’ we’re saying, ’Don’t put anything there that’s toxic.’”

WIN-WIN?

At the conclusion of the April 1 city meeting, City Councilman Charles Gambaro and Pontieri appeared to be influenced by Norris’ advocacy for the site.

“If this is the spot, this is the spot,” Pontieri said, “but I don’t think we need to sell ourselves short.” She again advocated for a site survey, but added: “We need to diversify our tax base.” Gambaro was persuaded by the point that Belvedere project could make the fuel supply more secure in the state. And yet, he concluded: “Belvedere needs to answer the concerns of our citizens. So we’ll continue to weigh the pros and cons. … How do we make this a win-win?”

of relief’ from Ormond Beach residents and elected officials alike

Florida Sen. Tom Leek pushed for state funds to help relocate Belvedere.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

Belvedere Terminals is planning to relocate its proposed fuel farm away from Ormond Beach, to Palm Coast instead.

For residents, many of whom had been opposing the project since they became aware of it in August 2023, the news brings a sigh of relief.

“This one-and-a-half year fight that we had, it truly was worth it,” Ormond Beach resident Elena Krafft said. “But, it’s a testament of just the perseverance of our community. We never gave up. It took dozens and dozens of meetings with our county and city officials, and hundreds, if not thousands of letters, petitions, everything in between, just to make this happen.”

Krafft and other citizens, specifically those residing in the Ormond Lakes and Bear Creek neighborhoods, vehemently voiced their opposition to the project at both Ormond Beach City Commission and Volusia County Council meetings. Originally slated to be constructed at 874 Hull Road, in an incorporated area of Volusia County next to Ormond Beach city limits, Belvedere Terminals’ fuel farm proposal faced significant hurdles since 2023: The city of Ormond Beach refused to provide utilities or allow for annexation, county officials discussed a moratorium (which ultimately failed to pass) for properties with a heavy industrial zoning district — delay-

ing the processing of their submitted conceptual site plan — and local beverage distributor S.R. Perrott, whose headquarters abut the 874 Hull Road property, legally challenged a permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to Belvedere Terminal.

A lawsuit was also filed against Volusia County in early 2024, which was voluntarily dismissed by Belvedere Terminals on Feb. 29, 2024.

In June 2024, the governor’s signed budget included a $10 million allocation to relocate the fuel farm to a more appropriate site in Volusia, Brevard or Flagler County.

Months of silence ensued.

Then on March 27, the company announced it would construct its $75 million fuel storage facility on a property at Peavy Grade, near the railroad tracks west of U.S. 1, in northern Palm Coast.

“This land is already zoned industrial in Flagler County,” Acting Palm Coast City Manager Lauren Johnston said in a press release. “We’ve heard from our community that economic vitality is a top priority, as it will help us diversify our tax base. This project will help us start to balance our tax base more evenly and minimize the burden on residential homeowners.”

INCENTIVIZING THE MOVE

Florida Sen. Tom Leek pushed for state funds to help relocate the fuel farm.

“They were pretty fixated on the Ormond Beach site,” Leek said. “So if you wanted to get them to look elsewhere, you had to break that fixation on the Ormond Beach site. The only way to do that was to incentivize them to look elsewhere, which is what I did

WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF 874 HULL ROAD?

Now that Belvedere Terminals is looking to construct its fuel terminal in Palm Coast, what will happen to the property at 874 Hull Road near Ormond Beach?

Should the county pursue a zoning change? Should it, with help from the city of Ormond Beach, purchase the unincorporated property from Florida East Coast Railway?

Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent brought the discussion to the council at its meeting on Tuesday, April 1.

“I do think that it is definitely trending in the right direction, and my goal is for this council ... to stop it from happening again with the same company or a different company,” Kent said. “We’re in the same boat again. We need to fix it. Right now, it’s on our shoulders.”

Kent initially made a motion to add a discussion to the council agenda within 60 days, but later

through the budget process.”

Once they had the incentive, Belvedere Terminals started to look for another site, Leek said.

“And they found one,” he said. “They found one where they both wanted to be and where people wanted to have them.”

That was a problem in Ormond Beach. People didn’t want the fuel terminal, and Leek said the community banded together and made their voices heard. And resident opposed

withdrew it after two councilmen expressed trepidation due to Belvedere not yet having pulled its filed conceptual site plan application with the county.

Councilman Danny Robins asked whether the county has had any contact with Belvedere to indicate they would be willing to sell the property. County Manager George Recktenwald said the county has made “multiple attempts” to contact the company, including certified letters and phone calls, none of which have been acknowledged.

Councilman David Santiago said: “I would like to see the Ormond Beach city council step up and let them vote and say, ‘Hey, we want this property.’”

County Council Chair Jeff Brower said he recently spoke with Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie, who said he had spoken to City Manager Joyce Shanahan and that there was interest in working with the county to purchase the property.

the project because of its proximity to neighborhoods and the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

In a statement, the City of Ormond Beach thanked Leek for his leadership in relocating the project, as well as former mayor Bill Partington, who was elected to the Florida House in November.

“Thanks to their actions, the project is now moving forward in a location that better aligns with community needs,” the city stated.

In a Facebook post, Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower acknowledged the project’s relocation.

“Congratulations to the people of Volusia County led by Ormond Beach and especially Bear Creek and Ormond Lakes who brought the facts and dangers to the Volusia County Council,” he wrote. “I trust the representatives of Palm Coast will do their due diligence.”

‘A MUCH MORE WELCOMING CLIMATE’

In a meeting with reporters on Thursday, Belvedere’s chief financial officer Timothy Schwarz said that in Flagler County, Belvedere “found this a much more welcoming climate because of the need for industrial development.”

He also characterized the Ormond Beach opposition as “misinformation.”

The statement upset Krafft, which called it “disappointing.”

“It’s just a disservice to the thousands of community members that took so much time to do their research, to understand the implications for our town, just to be called misinformation,” she said. “This company spent no time in our community prior to announcing this project, and they really were clueless as to how many homes were nearby, the sports complex, the wetlands and all of the lacking infrastructure that we are going to be facing. So they didn’t do their due diligence with this very inappropriate location, and then yet, they turn around and they call us misinformed.”

She urged Palm Coast residents to assess the location and speak up if they have concerns.

Matanzas Woods Parkway

Peavy Grade

Photo by Brian McMillan

Flagler’s Derek Barrs is Trump nominee

Flagler County School Board member nominated for federal traffic safety role.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

As a new deputy in the 1990s, just 18 years old at the time, Derek Barrs arrived at the scene of an accident on the highway one night, in Madison County. What he saw changed him.

A car full of baseball players and their girlfriends had been driving on a dark road. A logging truck was in front of them, and since the truck didn’t have the required lights on the back of it, the driver of the car apparently didn’t see it in time.

The results were horrific. In the crash, a log had smashed through the windshield of the car, striking a young woman in the face, killing her.

“They ran up under it, and it killed them immediately,” Barrs, now 52, recalled. “The car caught fire.”

He added:“I will hold that forever in my mind as a reminder of what I do.”

Barrs went on to serve for 30 years in traffic safety, and now he has the opportunity to take on the highest role in the nation. On March 25, he was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

If the U.S. Senate confirms the nomination, Barrs will oversee a $1 billion budget and 1,100 employees.

Once confirmed, he will also vacate the seat that he currently holds: He was nominated to serve on the Flagler County School Board in October 2024, by Gov. Ron DeSan-

tis. Barrs said he is sad to leave that post behind, but he plans to serve on the School Board until he is confirmed.

Barrs said the federal nomination came as a surprise. He has never met Trump.

However, he has been involved in many organizations that may have had a role in recognizing his work.

In a letter of support sent Jan. 28, 2025 to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Barrs was praised by the leadership of the American Trucking Associations for his “extensive leadership in commercial enforcement.”

Barrs served as a troop commander for the Florida Highway Patrol for many years, including as chief of commercial vehicle enforcement for FHP for two years, before he retired in January 2020.

“Beyond Mr. Barrs’s experience in commercial vehicle enforcement, he brings over five years of industry experience, working most recently as a consultant on trafficrelated and commercial motor vehicle safety projects across various states,” the ATA letter states. “The experience and expertise Mr. Barrs gleaned through these roles ultimately led him to a position on ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board in 2021, where he has helped strengthen the ties between the trucking indus-

try and the law enforcement community. This group’s active collaboration with federal and state officials, along with local, state, and national law enforcement organizations, has been instrumental in securing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grant funding to expand truck parking capacity nationwide.”

Barrs currently works for HNTB Corp. as associate vice president, working with departments of transportation around the country.

The largest budget Barrs has overseen to this point in his career is about $30 million, so $1 billion will be an adjustment, “but the concept is the same,” he said. About 60% of the $1 billion is distributed via grants.

In one sense, it all started in when he was 18, on that dark road in Madison County.

“I didn’t realize that would have such an effect on me,” Barrs recalled. But, he learned that night that “enforcing certain rules and requirements can help save lives, and how important it is to get unsafe vehicles off the roadway.”

He continued: “The devastation that can occur whenever people are distracted driving and not paying attention — it causes a ripple effect on not just people that were killed, but their friends and families, and it goes on and on.”

Ormond dog beach made permanent

Celebrating the pilot’s success, Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent said the ‘dog days of summer are almost here.’

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

It’s official — Ormond Beach’s dog-friendly beach is here to stay.

On Tuesday, April 1, the Volusia County Council approved making the pilot program permanent in a 5-0 vote. County Councilmen Jake Johansson and Don Dempsey were absent.

In July 2023, the County Council approved the pilot program, which allowed dogs on a 0.6-mile stretch of beach in Ormond between Milsap Road and Rockefeller Drive. The program launched

on Nov. 1, 2023, with funding help from Daytona Dog Beach Inc. and local philanthropists Nancy and Lowell Lohman.

County Councilman Troy Kent has championed the pilot from inception. The “dog days of summer are almost here,” he said.

“This is proof, council, that we can set up a common sense program with reasonable expectations for our community members to do, and it can work,” Kent said. “This was a 36-year ban. This is a big deal, and this is part of why I ran for this seat — to start to give the beach back to the residents of Volusia County, and this program is not only giving it back to the residents, but to our visitors as well.”

Kent mentioned the support from the community, including the letters in favor of the dog beach from the Ormond Beach City Commission, Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as the over 3,600 signatures received by Daytona Dog Beach in its petition.

In the county presentation, staff noted that 12,883 dogs have been observed on the dog beach, which has been staffed by the county’s Animal Services division for 31 hours a week. No dog bites or aggressive behaviors have been reported.

As far as compliance goes, the county reported 326 incidents of dogs being off-leash and 15 dog waste instances, nearly all of which gained compliance through education.

The initial cost of the program, however, did exceed the donations received. The Lohmans donated $100,000 for the dog beach and Daytona Dog Beach Inc., gave over $8,000 for dog waste bag sta-

tions and provided volunteers, logging over 1,200 hours.

The county reported that the program cost $123,356, but that continuing annual costs are anticipated to be lower, as staff can be reduced to a 50% part-time basis based on the low number of rule violations.

Councilman Matt Reinhart said he’s received “overwhelming support” for the dog beach.

“It makes us unique, even more as a county,” he said.

Councilman Danny Robins submitted a letter of support into the record, addressed to Nanette McKeel Petrella, president of Daytona Dog Beach.

“Since day one yourself, volunteers, and the Daytona Dog Beach organization has shown tremendous dedication and have proven to be an exemplary model of how a true partnership should be,” he wrote, adding that he was open to considering the organization’s efforts to expand the program.

Petrella said the council’s vote to continue the pilot “restores people’s faith that you are listening to the community.”

“It will serve as an acknowledgement to the many people who were willing to give time, talents and gifts to bring a dog friendly beach to reality,” she said. “They represent the best among us — those who want to step up and take positive action to contribute to our community, enhancing the quality of life for all.”

Council Chair Jeff Brower said the reason the pilot was a success was because of Daytona Dog Beach and the Lohmans. He’s recently received requests for expanding other areas of the beach to dogs.

“We’ll see what the future holds,” Brower said.

Derek Barrs. File photo by Brent Woronoff

Volusia County Animal Services Director Angela Miedema takes Franny for a walk after the 2023 ribbon-cutting ceremony. File photo by Jarleene Almenas

Candidates emerge for 2026 at-large race

The

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

As Volusia County Councilman Jake Johansson throws his hat in the ring for the Florida Senate, two candidates have filed to run in 2026 for his at-large seat: Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller and Mike Poniatowski, an emergency operations manager for AdventHealth.

Miller filed to run for the seat on Jan. 9. She’s served as mayor of Daytona Beach Shores since 2018, and was reelected for a second fouryear term in 2022. Through that time, Miller said, her focus has been advocacy — particularly for beach renourishment following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

Miller is also past chair of the Volusia County Elected Officials Roundtable.

“I felt like I understood the needs of Volusia County, and that I could bring my background and experience into advocating a collaboration to the county,” she said.

Miller serves as president of the Florida League of Mayors, becoming the first Volusia representative to hold the position, and in January, she was elected president of the Volusia League of Cities.

The ongoing flooding issue is Miller’s top priority, she said. She’s co-chairing a countywide stormwater mitigation and flooding committee alongside Johansson. The committee recently held its second meeting, with St. Johns River Water Management staff present.

“Getting a handle on that

just not complaining about the flooding — that doesn’t do us any good,” Miller said. “We have to find solutions. That’s my number one priority.”

Encouraging redevelopment on blighted properties, rather than building on new land, and building relationships between the cities and the county are other priorities for Miller.

“I’m looking forward to adding a little bit of a different perspective on the County Council right now,” Miller said, adding that she feels she has the background and experience “to solve what I think is ... the biggest issue on the people’s mind.”

Poniatowski filed to run for the at-large seat on March 4.

A lifelong resident of Volusia County and Spruce Creek High School grad, Poniatowski said he decided to run to protect the future of Volusia.

“The only way we can protect it is if we elect the people who want to protect it — who have the best interests of the county at heart, of the rural character of the county, of the expansiveness of the county,” Poniatowski said. “And those leaders should not want to see something like a Fort Lauderdale, because Volusia County is not a Fort Lauderdale.”

Poniatowski’s background includes former public safety experience, including past

work in law enforcement and as a volunteer firefighter, paramedic and EMT. He’s a resident of Port Orange, and said he has seen how development and flooding have personally affected him and his neighbors.

“Overdevelopment affects everybody,” Poniatowski said. “We need to have protections in place that won’t take property owners’ rights away, but will give us guidelines that make sense to protect the rural character of Volusia County.”

This is the second time Poniatowski is running for the at-large seat on the County Council, having run against Pat Northey in 2000.

This time around, in addition to flooding and development, Poniatowski said that infrastructure improvements and long-term financial goals, such as striving to adopt the rollback rate for county taxes, are some of his priorities.

The council needs leaders that “do not want to kick the can down the road,” he added.

“At every meeting, there is something that comes up where one or two or three or four of the council members want to just kick it down the road,” Poniatowski said. “We elected them to make the decisions in the county on an immediate basis, based on the best interests of the county and the voters.”

Flagler County is finalist for Project X-Ray

The project would be one of the largest in county history, with an investment of about $750 million.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

Flagler County is on the radar of an undisclosed manufacturing company, which has plans for an economic development project that could bring a total of 1,200 jobs and $750 million investment to the community.

County Administrator Heidi Petito announced the project to the media during an interview on March 27, saying Flagler County is one of three finalists.

It’s one of four economic development projects currently considering Flagler County or Palm Coast. The other three are as follows: „ Project Magellan, with a

$500 million investment, none of it residential, west of U.S. 1, yielding about $20 million of annual tax revenue to the community.

„ Belvedere Terminals is proposing a $75 million terminal to store 300,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel at Peavy Grade and the railroad tracks, yielding about $800,000 in property taxes to the community.

„ A sports complex. See story below.

The news about Project X-Ray is preliminary.

State law allows companies to keep their identities confidential during the early stages of development, allowing them to avoid revealing plans to potential competitors.

The location of Project X-Ray would be just south of Finn Way, on Flagler Executive Airport Property. Petito described it as “advanced manufacturing,” and “clean.”

The company is meeting the Florida Department of Commerce as well as with Space

Florida, a group that promotes “sustainable aerospace commerce,” and boasts a $5.9 billion economic impact since 2007. The company is based outside of Florida, and is also considering Jacksonville and Seminole County, Petito said. The final decision will be made at the end of April.

The project would be in two phases:

„ Phase 1 would be 660,000 square feet of manufacturing, adding 600 jobs and $350 million in investment; „ Phase 2 would be 800,000 more square feet of manufacturing two years later, adding another 600 jobs, at a $400 million investment.

Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston sees even the possibility of landing Project X-Ray is a good sign.

“Investors are choosing Flagler County — our community — to invest here,” she said.

Workshop on Sports Complex scheduled

OBSERVER STAFF

Flagler County and Palm Coast are holding a joint workshop on April 7 to discuss the potential for a $110 million sports complex for the county, to be located in the northwest section of Palm Coast.

The large-scale sports complex would include indoor and outdoor facilities for a variety of sports, retail and dining options, sports medicine, and opportunities to attract high-level competitions and training programs, a Flagler County press release said. The county and city are inviting

residents to discuss the idea at 1 p.m. on April 7 at the Flagler County Government Services Building.

“It’s about $110 million investment, but it’s an investment that we’re not making,” County Administrator Heidi Petito told the media on March 27. “They come and develop the site.”

IF YOU GO

What: Flagler County and Palm Coast are holding a joint workshop When: 1 p.m. on April 7 Where: Flagler County Government Services Building.

The way it would work is the government leases the land to the developer for a one-time, low fee — like $1 — and the developer would then build the facility. The government then pays off the cost of the project through the lease over a set term.

A similar project was proposed by Synergy Sports to the City of Palm Coast in February 2024. At that time, a proposed 180-acre sports complex was estimated to generate an economic impact of over $79 million in its first year alone.

candidates — Nancy Miller and Mike Poniatowski — both filed earlier this year.

Nancy Miller. Courtesy photos Mike Poniatowski

BRIEFS

Final suspect

in 2022 murder sentenced to 30 years in prison

The final suspect in the January 2022 death of 16-year-old Noah Smith has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

On March 26, Tyrese Patterson, 23, of Palm Coast, was convicted and sentenced for his involvement in Smith’s murder, a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office press release said. Patterson was found guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of possession of a weapon by delinquent act.

In January 2022, Patterson was involved in a drive-by shooting during which Smith, an innocent bystander, was killed. Four other suspects were involved and all have been found guilty and sentenced, the press release said. Sheriff Rick Staly said Patterson’s conviction “marks the closing of a three-year investigation” to bring justice to Smith and his family. “While we can’t bring Noah

COPS CORNER

7:54 a.m. — Intersection of Williamson Boulevard and West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach Suspicious incident. Police encountered an orange sign reading “Welcome to the Fourth Reich” at a median in a local intersection. The sign was planted on the grass with an upside down American flag placed in front of it, according to a police incident report. Police removed them.

back, I hope the finality of this case brings satisfaction to the families and the community to know that the murderers and their accomplices were held accountable to the fullest of the law,” Staly said.

Palm Coast woman convicted of manslaughter in overdose death

A Palm Coast woman has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the death of a 22-year-old.

Stephanie Raimundo was arrested following the January 2024 overdose death of Calvin Stull, 22. On March 26, Raimundo pled no contest to the following charges: manslaughter, trafficking in methamphetamine, cocaine possession with intent to sell and two counts of trafficking fentanyl, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols sentenced her to 16 years in a Florida Department of Corrections prison, with 449 days of time served.

MARCH 18 SAY IT, DON’T SPRAY IT

7:22 p.m. — 200 block of Benjamin Drive, Ormond Beach Disturbance. A 60-year-old Ormond Beach man called police after his neighbor sprayed water at him over his fence because he was smoking marijuana in his backyard. According to an incident report, the man said that, after some shouting, he approached the fence to confront his neighbor, a 62-yearold Ormond Beach woman, at which point she “continuously sprayed” him in the face and pushed his face away with her other hand when he tried to peek over the fence. The incident was caught on video by the man’s daughter,

Daytona man arrested for sexual assault of Palm Coast minor

A 25-year-old Daytona Beach man was arrested for sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Palm Coast, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Dasani Ford was arrested on March 26 and is being held on a $50,000 bond at the Flagler County jail. He is facing a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault that is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, an FCSO press release said.

FCSO Major Case Unit detectives have been investing Ford since the assault was reported at a local hospital in November. During the investigation, detectives learned that on Nov. 8, 2024, Ford drove the victim from a McDonald’s in Palm Coast to Target so that she could make a purchase for a friend, the press release said.

Ford then drove the victim to an undeveloped area near Magnolia Point and Mulberry Road, where the sexual assault occurred, before he

and police noted in the report that it coincided with the man’s statement. However, the man didn’t want to pursue charges — he told police he just wanted to be left alone.

The woman admitted to police that she did spray her neighbor, but denied hitting him. But, the report notes, she continued by saying “how she should have physically attacked him further while four police officers were standing directly around her.”

The reporting officer told the woman that she cannot spray her hose at others, explaining that it constituted as a battery charge. The woman said she understood and agreed to call police should further issues arise.

dropped her off at a Panda

Express.

Prior to the assault, Ford and the victim had a consensual sexual relationship, the press release said. Under Florida law, a person who is 24 years of age or older who engages in sex with a person 16 or 17 years of age commits a second-degree felony.

Suspect in Deltona shooting dead after Palm Coast chase

Samuel Vaia, 33, the suspect in the fatal shooting of his ex-wife in the early morning hours of March 31 in Deltona, crashed his vehicle and shot himself in the head after fleeing to Flagler County, according to the Flagler County and Volusia Sheriff’s Offices.

Vaia was later pronounced dead at AdventHealth Palm Coast hospital.

Ashley Vaia, 38, was found dead in her Deltona home by her daughter at around 2:22 a.m. The suspect, identified as Samuel Vaia, was located through tag-reader technology heading north on I-95 in a

MARCH 23 EX ON THE SCENE

5:44 p.m. — First block of Rockingham Lane, Palm Coast Threat to do violence. A 28-year-old Palm Coast man was arrested after he threatened to slap his wife because they encountered her exboyfriend at a party.

According to his arrest report, the man told deputies he threw things around in their garage once they were back home, saying he felt “disrespected” because his wife failed to mention her ex would be at the party. Deputies spoke with his wife, who said she had been scared to tell him, fearing he would cause a scene.

white SUV at speeds exceeding 100 mph. With FCSO, VSO, St. Johns Sheriff’s Office, Daytona Police and FHP responding and Air One overhead, stop sticks were deployed and Vaia crashed and rolled over around 3:21 a.m. in the area of Palm Harbor Parkway and Hammock Dunes Parkway in Palm Coast.

Flagler SWAT extricated Vaia around 5:15 a.m. He was transported to the hospital where he later was pronounced dead. Vaia was previously arrested on March 23 on battery charges against Ashley Vaia. He posted $2,000 bond and was released the next day.

For more information about free and confidential services for victims of domestic violence in Volusia County, call the Domestic Abuse Council of Volusia County at 386-2572297 or visit www.dacvolusia. com. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is also available at 800-799-SAFE (7233), or by texting START to 88788, or via live chat at www.thehotline.org.

While she was changing their infant child, the woman told deputies the man shouted a threat of slapping her. He then punched the bedroom door, leaving a hole.

The man was taken to jail.

MARCH 26 FORGETTING TO PAY

4:13 p.m. — 5100 block of State Road 100, Palm Coast Petit theft. Deputies arrested a 66-year-old California man who blamed “amnesia” after shoplifting from a local big box store.

According to his arrest report, the man was observed on surveillance footage as he collected various items and concealed them in a plastic bag he brought inside with

Volusia to hold disaster recovery plan meeting

Volusia County will hold a second public hearing to gather residents’ feedback on the Transform386 Community Development Block GrantDisaster Recovery action plan for Hurricane Milton recovery. The hearing will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the Daytona Beach Regional Library, located at 105 Jackie Robinson Parkway and it will be livestreamed, a Volusia County press release said. Viewers will be able to submit comments during the event. A meeting link will be posted at www.transform386. org before the hearing. The meeting will cover the same material and follow the same format as the first hearing, which took place on March 25 in DeLand.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Volusia County $133,515,000 in CDBG-DR funding to support long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Milton. A draft of the plan is available for public review at transform386.org.

him. He then exited the store, failing to pay for over $385 worth of items, which included two suitcases. The man told deputies that he has been dealing with medical-related issues and suffers from amnesia. He said he had the finances to pay for the items, and that he “must have forgotten to pay for it,” his arrest report states. He was asked about a previous shoplifting incident, to which the man said he didn’t remember. He was taken to jail.

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Hearing connects us. It makes us feel a part of our world. Whether it’s laughter at the family dinner table, a rousing debate at work, the eclectic energy of a live concert or even the quiet rustling of leaves on a warm summer night, hearing is so much more than a simple sense. It is simply part of who you are.

At AudioNova, we want to restore your sense of hearing so that you can get back what you’ve been missing. So you can feel like you again. If you’ve been putting off getting your hearing checked for another day, there’s never been a better time to take that important first step.

ORMOND BEACH (386) 327-7326

1474 W Granada Blvd #420

(In Publix Plaza corner of Williamson and Granada)

NEW SMYRNA BEACH (386) 327-7332

111 N Orange St

(1 Block Noth of Canal St, 1 Block East of US-1)

PORT ORANGE (386) 327-7327

1665 Dunlawton Ave #107 (Next To Monterey Grill)

JACKSONVILLE BEACH (904) 913-9880

1017 3rd St South (Next to Starbucks)

ORANGE CITY / DELAND (386) 327-7329

921 Town Center Dr, Ste 300 (Left of Clock Tower) Nosotros Hablamos Espanol!

TAVARES (352) 423-8285

500 W Burleigh Blvd (In betweeb CVS and Bank of America)

PALM COAST (386) 327-7330

2 Pine Lakes Parkway N. Ste 4 (Next to First Baptist Church on Palm Coast Pkwy)

PALM BAY (321) 286-7978

1150 Malabar Rd SE, Ste 112 (Publix Super Market at Shoppes of Palm Bay - Next to UPS Store)

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Turtle Shack Cafe’s soft opening is a success

The restaurant had been closed for nearly four months after a fire damaged the Flagler Beach location.

The Turtle Shack Cafe has been open for about two weeks at its new home in the European Village, and business has been booming, manager J.T. Cerchiara said.

The popular restaurant has been closed since a fire broke out at its Flagler Beach location in the early morning hours of Nov. 25, 2024, extensively damaging the building.

The Turtle Shack has a year’s lease at the European Village in Palm Coast, with an option to extend if it works out, Cerchiara said. So far, it’s been working out, though not without some hiccups.

“The first two weeks have been killer,” Cerchiara said. “We’ve been busier these first 10 days than we have in 14 years on the beachside. I don’t know if it’s maybe just taking away the food from people for three months and makes them all come back hungry, but no, it’s been a good turnout. It’s a bigger grasp of people here in Palm Coast. You get all the people that don’t want to travel to the beach for lunch, so you’re in a better location.”

All but two servers from among the restaurant’s 22 employees have returned to work at the European Village, but the restaurant is still not fully staffed. It has brought on more servers, hostesses and kitchen help and is still hiring because of the amount of business it has been doing, Cerchiara said.

“We’re still taking applications,”

he said. “We need a lot of kitchen help. In front of the house, we’re still accepting applications. We’ve got a few new servers that we’re training.”

The restaurant canceled a ribbon cutting planned for March 24 to give its staff a couple of days off. It also had to close early in the afternoon on March 28 because of refrigeration issues, according to a post on its Facebook page.

“We’ve kind of been rolling everything out in stages,” Cerchiara said.

“We have our liquor license here, but we haven’t rolled our full bar out yet just because we wanted to do a soft opening and see how everything goes.”

The European Village location seats about 20 or 30 more guests than the former location with a lot more outside seating and a few more tables inside, Cerchiara said.

“I think (the Turtle Shack) is bringing in a good amount of people to the Village,” he said. “Hearing from all the other business owners, this is a great addition here. There’s nothing like us in here.”

Among other European Village restaurants, he said, “You’ve got Indian, you’ve got Italian, you’ve got Chicago style, sushi, but there’s no beach-style (restaurant) with fish sandwiches, fish dinners, crab cakes,

I think (the Turtle Shack) is bringing in a good amount of people to the Village. Hearing from all the other business owners, this is a great addition here. There’s nothing like us in here.”

J.T. CERCHIARA, Turtle Shack Cafe manager

burgers and things like that.”

Turtle Shack owners Linda and Danny Niday had leased the building at 2123 N. Ocean Shore Blvd. There hasn’t been a final answer about the future of that site, Cerchiara said, but demo has begun at the site, he added.

“Hopefully, they do rebuild, but we don’t know the timeline, so we’re going to be here for the time being,” he said.

The cafe will have the same hours as it had in Flagler Beach, open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and closed on Mondays. Cerchiara said once they have a full staff they plan to be open seven days a week.

Former Daytona Magic owner dies at 84 years old

Irving Cook leaves magical legacy in the community.

OBSERVER STAFF

Irving Cook, former owner of Daytona Magic, died at age 84 on Tuesday, March 25.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cook previously worked as a paramedic and timeclock engineer before he decided to follow his dreams and open a magic shop in Pennsauken, New Jersey, in 1966. According to his obituary, Cook soon met Harry Allen Gersh, who was 9 years old at the time, and they started a business relationship, a partnership that spanned seven decades.

“Harry and Irv became brothers and have always considered themselves blood-family,” the obituary states.

Cook, his wife and Gersh all moved to the Ormond Beach area in 1976, opening up Daytona Magic in the corner of Bellair Plaza on North Atlantic Avenue. The shop operated there throughout the 1980s, until they moved to downtown Daytona Beach at 136 S. Beach St.

“At its height, Daytona Magic was one of the largest magic shops in the world and created a mail order network that spanned every state and over two dozen countries,” Cook’s obituary reads. “He was the creator of hundreds of original magic tricks and became renowned as a Magician’s Magician. Irv was also an avid supporter of local theater and would often be found either performing in or offering technical assistance to live productions at numerous local theaters.”

Gersh continues to operate the shop.

Cook had two children, Rebecca and Jack. In 1980, Cook helped establish Bet Sefer Heritage School, a private Hebrew Day School. For over 10 years, he served as the school’s Judaica teacher while also overseeing their kitchen and providing administrative support to the principals and teachers.

“My father came to this community in the late 70’s and made the Ormond/Daytona area his home for the next 50 years,” Jack Cook said in a statement to the Observer. “Here he successfully ran a business that enriched the lives of so many people. Beyond that, his life was children, not simply his own, but the hundreds of children he taught, mentored, rescued, influenced and loved dearly. It has been heartwarming to see the tributes flowing in for my father, and the credit he is being given for so many people’s successes. I, for one, know I would not be the man I am today without the influence, guidance and tutelage of Irv Cook.” In addition to his children and Gersh, Cook is survived by his wife Maxine, daughter-in-law Sandy Cook, sibling Gerry Cook, grandchildren Chase Memphis Cook and Lorelei Rose Cook, nephew Andrew Cooke, niece Sharon Cooke, and his dogs, Josie and Mookie.

New Turtle Shack Cafe employees busser Nathan Blumenauer and hostesses Madison Berkowitz and Kayleigh Phillips. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Irving Cook. Courtesy photo

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Palm Harbor tops sales list in Flagler County

Ahouse at 63 Comanche Court in Palm Harbor was the top real estate transaction for March 15-21 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The house sold on March 21, for $825,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 5/4.5 and has a pool, a hot tub, a fireplace, a boat dock, an outdoor kitchen, an elevator and 3,852 square feet.

WRITER

Condos

A condo at 4600 E. Moody Blvd., Unit 14J, sold on March 18, for $145,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,050 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $95,000.

PALM COAST

Belle Terre

A house at 19 Brockton Lane sold on March 21, for $415,000. Built in 2018, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,342 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $270,900.

A house at 89 Princeton Lane sold on March 21, for $273,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool, a hot tub and 2,318 square feet. It sold in 2004 for $138,500.

A house at 4 Philmont Lane sold on March 21, for $412,900. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,293 square feet.

A house at 79 Brockton Lane sold on March 21, for $334,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,806 square feet.

Indian Trails

A house at 36 Bannbury Lane sold on March 21, for $345,000. Built in 1988, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool and 2,145 square feet. It sold in 2003 for $40,500.

Palm Harbor A house at 20 Comet Court sold on March 21, for $781,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a boat house, a boat dock and 2,393 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $850,000.

Pine Grove A house at 28 Pine Grove Drive sold on March 21, for $382,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,481 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $390,000.

A house at 26 President

Plantation Bay pool home sells for over

Ahouse at 1019 Hampstead Lane in Plantation Bay was the top real estate transaction in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-theSea for the week of March 8-14. The house sold on March 14, for $1,177,500. Built in 2002, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a fireplace, a pool and 3,539 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $615,000.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

ORMOND BEACH

Arrowhead Village

The townhome at 19 Soco Trail sold on March 14, for $315,000. Built in 1980, the townhome is a 2/2 and has a fireplace and 1,439 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $305,000.

Breakaway Trails

The house at 33 Carriage Creek Way sold on March 10, for $276,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 2,029 square feet. It last sold in 1998 for $151,000.

Chelsea Place

The house at 372 Nottinghill St. sold on March 14, for $525,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,089 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $403,800.

Faith in Flagler

Fiesta Heights The house at 128 Pinion Circle sold on March 14, for $315,000. Built in 1977, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,338 square feet. It last sold in 1977 for $7,000.

Hunter’s Ridge

The house at 29 Thornhill Chase Circle sold on March 12, for $550,000. Built in 2015, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,239 square feet. It last sold in 2016 for $328,500.

Northbrook

The house at 919 Northbrook Drive sold on March 13, for $310,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,538 square feet. It last sold in 1983 for $74,500.

Lane sold on March 20, for $405,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 2,051 square feet. It sold in 2024 for $273,400.

A house at 18 Potters Lane sold on March 20, for $315,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,654 square feet. It sold in 2004 for $149,900.

Pine Lakes A house at 6 Winchester Place sold on March 21, for $221,500. Built in 1989, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,521 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $128,500.

Sawmill Branch A house at 161 Greenwood Drive sold on March 21, for $389,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,986 square feet.

A house at 24 Springwood Drive S. sold on March 21, for $301,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,490 square feet.

A house at 41 Springwood Drive S. sold on March 18, for $305,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,714 square feet.

A house at 165 Greenwood Drive sold on March 18, for $371,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,604 square feet.

Somerset A house at 9 Tea Olive Drive sold on March 21, for $303,500. Built in 2024, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,342 square feet.

Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report.

Not in subdivision

The house at 35 Country Club Drive sold on March 14, for $499,000. Built in 1964, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,549 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $420,000.

Plantation Pines

The house at 3780 Juniper Lane sold on March 14, for $465,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/3.5 and has 2,908 square feet.

Tomoka Oaks

The house at 204 River Bluff Drive sold on March 14, for $735,000. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace, a spa, a boat dock and 2,947 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $699,900.

Trails North Forty

The townhome at 118 Deer Lake Circle sold on March 12, for $320,000. Built in 1985, the townhome is a 2/2 and has a fireplace and 1,463 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $291,500.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Avalon by the Sea

The house at 137 Avalon Drive sold on March 14, for $420,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,259 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $260,000.

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

trust God in the dark. Neighbors do not get discouraged. Trusting God is wisdom calling you to faith. You show faith in God and community by choices you make, that impact people. Every detail of your life can bring glory to God. Rev. Dr. Ophelia Beier, chaplain with the American Legion, Department of Florida, District 17, Chaplain, covering Flagler, Volusia and Putnam counties Brought to you by

ORMOND BEACH

LETTERS

Best uses for Belvedere property

Dear Editor: Now that it appears that Belvedere Terminals will locate in Palm Coast instead of Ormond Beach, it is my wish that Ormond Beach will use this opportunity wisely. I believe the best use of this property would be for flood prevention/mitigation. Do not build houses or industrial buildings on it. Use the best science to first put in retention ponds, drainage ditches, native plants and trees, green space and walking trails. After that, add picnic areas, playgrounds, ball fields, pickleball courts, etc. Turn this land into an asset that can preserve and enhance our community.

PATRICIA WHITEHOUSE

Ormond Beach

More than enough reasons to tank this idea

Dear Editor:

YOUR TOWN

Ormond Beach Police holds cadet awards ceremony

To put it bluntly, have the city and county officials lost their collective minds? They are actually considering the creation of a really big oil tank farm that will house 12.6 million gallons of gasoline in Palm Coast. And get this, its proposed building site is close to a city water treatment plant.

It’s a 78-acre project spearheaded by Belvedere Terminals, a subsidiary of Grupo México, a huge conglomerate, that has been cited numerous times for serious environmental violations including massive oil spills. And the icing on this petroleum cake is the CEO of Belvedere was convicted of bribing a public official. If anyone thinks the EPA will ensure the safety of the oil tank farm, think again. There may not be much left of that agency after DOGE is done with it. Surely these “not in my backyard” reasons alone are enough to tank this really dumb idea.

MARGARET MINUTAGLIO Palm Coast

The Ormond Beach Police Department held its first awards ceremony for its Police Explorers program on Friday, March 28. At the ceremony, the department awarded cadets for achievements such as completing over 100 hours of community service, competing in Delegates and Florida Association of Police Explorers state competitions, academic achievement by maintaining a high GPA during school and more, according to a statement supplied to the Observer. The Police Explorers added one more cadet to its ranks, Emily Garcia. The ceremony also honored Cadet Lt. Dawson Taylor, who was sworn out after aging out of the program, which is designated for youth ages 14-18.

Belvedere Terminals? Not in our backyard

Dear Editor: What? There must be something in the water in Flagler County. It makes people morons. This city was almost destroyed by wildfires and now you want to put in gas storage tanks close to millions of dollars worth of new homes?

Is there a giant neon sign on 95 saying Palm Coast will accept anything? Why should we accept what Ormond Beach doesn’t want? Are the leaders here in Palm Coast on drugs, or just fools? Put it to a vote; it will die here just like it did in Ormond. Don’t believe their lies or propaganda. Our infrastructure is a mess and traffic is a mess. You all see it, now more dumb ideas! Builders run wild here in Palm Coast. They are the ones that run this county. Our water bills are about to explode, All these new homes haven’t kept our taxes down. Our City Council doesn’t care about us. We can’t move, because no one’s going to buy here as soon as they find out about our expensive

“Upon reciting the oath ending my time in finality as a cadet of the Ormond Beach Police, I was subject to a monsoon of thoughts and emotions,” Taylor said in the statement. “This organization that had treated me like family and taught nigh incalculable lessons that I will think back on for the rest of my life was giving me one final solemn responsibility.”

He first joined the Police Explorers in 2021. The program, he added, has pushed him outside of his comfort zone, allowing him to further his leadership skills and better prepare him for emergency situations.

“Most importantly, I learned about people, why people matter, and why people are

water, traffic and infrastructure. Five homes for sale on my block, no one comes to even look.

Look, we are in the fight of our lives. We must and will stop this nightmare called Belvedere. It took Ormond a year and a half to stop it. We can get it done faster if we all stick together and say no.

DENNIS C. RATHSAM Palm Coast

Has mayor, council sold their values for tax dollars?

Dear Editor: The worrisome ill-conceived proposal to build a huge “oil tank farm” in Palm Coast conjures up visions of the mayor and city council lined up on a street corner with tin cups and holding makeshift cardboard signs reading “Willing To Do Anything For Tax Revenue.” And indeed, the mayor sure is. He’s all in. He said so. He loves the idea of a massive 12.6-million-gallon gasoline depot to be erected in our town. The 78 acre “farm” is to be constructed by a

the most valuable aspect to any occasion,” Taylor said.

Cadet Kipton Brown was recognized as the “Outstanding Cadet of the Year. In a statement to the Observer, Brown said he loves everything about being a cadet with OBPD.

“I’ve made some lifelong friends with my fellow cadets and with my advisors,” Brown said. “I love all of it. The program has helped me in many things, not just with police work. I’ve become more confident and strong with speaking, along with just making me more of an open person, and I’m thankful for that. I wouldn’t trade the time

BRIEFS

Volusia residents recognized in 2025 Florida Heroes’ reception

Seven Volusia County residents were recognized during the 2025 Florida Heroes’ reception at the governor’s mansion on Friday, March 28.

The residents’ recognition was a result of their “contributions to others and for showing exceptional courage, compassion, and resilience in the face of adversity,” according to a press release. A total of 62 Florida residents earned the “heroes” recognition, including first responders, law enforcement, philanthropists, faith leaders, nonprofit advocates and entrepreneurs.

“It was an honor recognize and thank Floridians who have exhibited extraordinary courage and selflessness,”

subsidiary of Grupo México. Grupo México is a huge company known to be responsible for numerous and notorious environmental disasters including 20 EPA Superfund cleanups and oil spills. Its subsidiary, Belvedere Terminals, reportedly has no experience undertaking this kind of project making Palm Coast sort of a guinea pig. And those folks living in the Matanzas area should be especially freaked out since the depot is only around a mile or so away. Seems that the mayor and the city either failed to do an easy Googledue-diligence search. Or have they simply sold their environmental consciousness and values for tax revenue dollars?

ROBERT GORDON Palm Coast

Send letters up to 400 words to jarleene@observerlocalnews.com. Include first and last name, as well as city of residence. Editor may alter the letter for clarity and/or length.

I spend at cadets for anything

Gov. Ron DeSantis said in the press release. “These 62 individuals represent the virtues we hold in high esteem here in Florida. They are Florida’s heroes.”

The seven Volusia residents were:

„ Deborah Darino — Founder of Ponce Animal Foundation who helped create “Ponce’s Law,” which makes aggravated animal cruelty a felony in Florida.

„ Dr. Amy Hall — Founder of the Volusia County Basket Bridgade and Backpack Brigade, as well as board member of the Volusia County Miracle League.

„ Deputy Wes Brough — Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputy who responded to a missing autistic child call in Deltona, rescuing the child who was holding onto a log in a pond.

„ Deputy Jevon Gardner, Deputy Taylor White, Sergeant Mike Kent and Sergeant Joel Medina — Volusia County

Publisher Brian McMillan, brian@observerlocalnews.com

Managing Editor Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@observerlocalnews.com

Associate Editor Brent Woronoff, brent@observerlocalnews.com

Operation and Design Manager Hailey McMillan, hailey@observerlocalnews.com

Sheriff’s Office deputies who arrested a man high on cocaine as he attempted to sexually assault a woman.

in the world.”

Cadet Lt. Dawson Taylor is sworn out.

Cadet Emily Garcia is sworn in. Photos courtesy of the Ormond Beach Police Department/Pauline Dulang

BRIEFS

Volusia County

Veterans Memorial Plaza to open on April 25

The Volusia County Council will host a grand opening ceremony for the $1.4 million Veterans Memorial Plaza on April 25.

The ceremony will be at 9

a.m. on the northwest corner of the Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge in Daytona Beach. The plaza is the final phase of Volusia County’s memorial to veterans along the Halifax River, a Volusia County Press release said.

The ceremony will include a rousing celebration of veterans, along with music, refreshments, and speeches by local veterans and dignitaries. Free parking will be available at the Stephen C. Henderson Judicial Center, 125 E. Orange

Ave., Daytona Beach. Those who wish to attend can RSVP by contacting Pat Kuehn at pkuehn@volusia. org or 386-748-3989. The riverfront plaza provides a dedication location to memorialize the men and women who died while in service. The plaza’s features include flags for the six branches of the U.S. Military, a World War I memorial, and a six-foot fire monument with the names of Volusia County residents who died in the line of duty, the press release said.

Residents can add their loved ones’ names with onsite engraved bricks, which are available for donations of $125 or $300 at https://donate.brickmarkers.com/volusia, the press release said. Over 150 engraved bricks will debut at the grand ceremony.

The grand opening follows years of planning, fundraising, and working with local veterans groups, the press release said. The project was funded through local grants and many donations.

Limited access on Commerce Parkway in Bunnell beginning Saturday

Flagler County officials are notifying motorists that Commerce Parkway, near Wendy’s in Bunnell, will have limited access beginning Saturday, April 5.

There will be a roadway closure along Commerce Parkway at the intersection with EW Johnston Drive.

There will be public access to everything that is north of the south entrance of the First Baptist Church of Bunnell. The church will be accessible via its north entrance. The strip mall to the north of the church and Wendy’s will be open and accessible.

There will be no general population access through the roadway closure area, except for law enforcement

officers and emergency/fire rescue personnel. Flaggers will be on site.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, 61 Sheriff EW Johnston Drive, Bunnell, will be open and accessible to the public via the back of the Government Services Complex, 1769 E. Moody Boulevard. Weather permitting, the roadway is expected to reopen on Wednesday, April 9.

Volusia libraries to offer free graduation photos

Volusia County is offering free graduation photos at the Ormond Beach library next month.

Students graduating from preschool, kindergarten, eighth grade, high school, or college are invited to dress up in their cap and gown and

graduation photo. According to a press release, library staff

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Volusia County Veterans Memorial Plaza to open on April 25. Courtesy photo

YOUR NEIGHBORS

CHRISTINE RODENBAUGH

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Cowboys and cowgirls of all ages showed up for the 68th annual Flagler County Cracker Day celebration in Bunnell on Saturday, March 29. Barrel racing and chicken chasing competitions, just to name two, yielded bragging rights and a little bit of cash for competitors and entertainment for a full house of spectators.

Rough Riders games began at 8 a.m. in four age groups.

Six-year-old Hazel Kayat of New Smyrna Beach took first place in barrels, 10 and under, and aspires to win at least as many buckles as her barrelracing mom. A short time later, Hazel was back in the saddle and came out on top in the Poles in her age group as well.

Madison Barrow, a freshman at Flagler Palm Coast High School, placed second in the 11-17 age group in Poles. Barrow said her horse, Ellie, “was amazing; she did everything perfect.” Barrow took third in Barrels and said, “I

RACING AND CHASING

placed in everything,” as she walked to the tower to collect her winnings.

Charlee Crawford, a sophomore and 4-H president at FPC, topped the 11-17 Barrels

category with an 18.632. Bar-

row said her horse, Blue, loves to eat.

Admission included a barbecue lunch prepared and served by the Durrance family, a tradition spanning at least four generations. Families and friends chowed down on smoked beef with sauce, baked beans, cole slaw, and a beverage inside the climatecontrolled building or on picnic tables outside where the weather was cool and breezy.

After lunch, the rodeo began. The announcer said Cracker Day is all about turning real ranch work into having fun as a community on Saturday. Opening ceremonies kicked off with a cowboy riding into the arena “cracking a whip” just like “Florida crackers” of yesteryear.

Riders paraded in with a variety of flags, stopping to watch reigning Cracker Day Queen Lacey Westbrook ride to the center with the American Flag. Soon after, Casey Jaeger guided her horse

beside Westbrook to accept the crown as the 68th Cracker Day Queen.

The action was nonstop after lunch with bull riding, breakaway roping, chicken chasing, pig chasing, mutton busting and more. Dalton Brinker, of Ormond Beach, said he caught a chicken, but released it too soon to cash in.

Pence Zimmerle, a youngster from Bunnell, said he entered the pig chase because, “I wanted to keep the piggy!”

Riley Pederson left the sack race event covered in dirt.

When asked why she would venture being dragged atop a feed sack tied to a rope and pulled by a horse from one end of the arena to the other, Pederson replied, “Because I like to win and it’s fun!”

Four-year-old horse, Billy, ridden by Jessie Mayhew, pulled Pederson over the line to claim back-to-back wins in the 67th and 68th Flagler County Cracker Day sack race.

Cracker Day is presented by the Flagler County Cat -

Cracker Day event.

tlemen’s Association to celebrate the county’s cattle history at the Flagler County Fairgrounds in Bunnell. This year’s Cracker Day was in honor of Maetta (Tat) Durrance who has volunteered at every Cracker Day event.

Flagler County students complete Inspiration of Hope Life Skills course

Flagler County students successfully completed a sevenweek of Life Skills course, conducted by Inspiration of Hope Community Resources, the organization’s president, Donna Easterling, announced. The topics covered included communication, the communication cycle, passive and active listening skills, problem solving and overcoming obstacles, stages of conflict, goal planning, career planning, college and vocational exploration, budgeting, basic banking including developing a signature and taking care of your mental health.

This round of life skills included guest speaker Taylor Carroll, a Flagler Palm Coast High School graduate, who recently earned a bachelor’s of science degree in psychology from Florida State University. Carroll talked about college life, finding balance with work and school and developing healthy friendships.

Students created threeminute presentations on the topics covered. They received a certificate of completion and $100 stipend.

Ormond Beach DAR chapter awards scholarships to DSC students

The Capt. James Ormond Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently awarded scholarships to four students.

The recipients, all from the Daytona State College Fresh Start Program, were: „ Julia Butler

„ Melvin Moore „ Amiya Tolbert „ Annabella Jackson According to a statement from the DAR chapter, the Fresh Start Program “is a free transition program designed to provide support, while offering practical tools for success in achieving academic goals.”

To learn more about the local DAR chapter, visit fssdar. com/CaptainJamesOrmondDAR.

Hammock Dunes Spring Forward 5K raises funds for Live Like Cameron

The Hammock Dunes Spring Forward 5K raised $29,676 for the Live Like Cameron Foundation on March 23. Organized by the Hammock Dunes Social Committee, the private event welcomed residents and their guests.

The Live Like Cameron Foundation supports families in Flagler and Volusia counties affected by pediatric cancer.

“This was a special day for all of us,” Joyce Casis, spokesperson for the Hammock Dunes Social Committee, said. “Our neighbors showed up with energy, kindness and purpose, and together, we made a real impact.”

The funds will help the Live Like Cameron Foundation expand its reach, providing financial and emotional support to families facing the devastating challenges of childhood cancer.

The presenting sponsors for the event were: Coastal Gateway Pros (Krista Libby, Rich Hottinger, Judy Barnes); and Coastal Gateway (Craig Straky). Diamond Sponsors were: ICI Homes; and The Related Group, builders of The Ritz-Carlton Residences — Hammock Dunes.

Ted Treiber, Shannon Brinker, Angel the goat, Dalton Brinker, and Alex Flynn, of Ormond Beach.

A Flagler County Cracker Day tradition includes barbecue, prepared and served by the Durrance family.

The 68th annual Flagler County Cracker Day honors Maetta (Tat) Durrance who, at 92 years young, has volunteered at every

Riley Pederson flies through the dirt atop a feed sack pulled by a horse and rider.

Cooper Culligan hangs on for dear life in the mutton bustin’ contest. Photos by Christine Rodenbaugh

Eugene Nieratko digs in to take down a steer in 11.91 seconds during the chute doggin’ competition.

Bunnell’s Pence Zimmerle poses with his mom, Jackie, after competing in the pig chase. When asked why he would ever enter the pig chase, Pence replied, “Because I wanted to keep the piggy!”

Bryce loses his grip during the bull riding event.

Charlotte Carroll traveled from Ormond Beach to ride.

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 3

2025 MEDNEXUS

INNOVATION CHALLENGE

When: 5-7 p.m.

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

Details: The University of North Florida, the City of Palm Coast and Flagler County Schools are hosting the 2025 AdventHealth Innovation Challenge, a team-based competition showcasing regional high school students pitching their solutions to Florida’s evolving healthcare needs.

‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORROR’

When: 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 3-5; and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5

Where: Matanzas High School Pirate Theater, 3535 Pirate Nation Way, Palm Coast

Details: See the Matanzas Theater Company perform this hit Broadway musical, directed by James Brendlinger, with musical direction by Jens Oliva, and choreography by MHS senior Leah Lehnertz. Tickets are $10, with special VIP seating available for $25. Visit TeachTix.com/PirateTheater.

FRIDAY, APRIL 4

PRO/AM SURF COMPETITION

When: 7:30-11 a.m. Friday, April 4, to Sunday, April 6

Where: Flagler Beach pier, 215 A1A, Flagler Beach

Details: This is a Flagler Surf Series event. Visit the Flagler Surf Series page on Facebook for more information.

UPTOWN MOTOWN

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, 5500 E. Highway 100, Palm Coast

Details: The men of Uptown Motown combine R&B, motown and today’s hits with choreography. Tickets start at $54. Visit flaglerauditorium. org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5

17TH ANNUAL TURTLE FEST

When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Veterans Park, 101 N. Ocean Shore Blvd. Flagler Beach

Details: This is the primary fundraiser for the Volusia and Flagler Turtles Patrols. Activities include face painting, turtle races and live music. There will also be vendors and food and beverages for sale. If possible, there will be a turtle release on the beach in the mid-afternoon. Free event.

12TH ANNUAL SPRING

FESTIVAL AND PLANT SALE

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, 5500 East Highway 100, Palm Coast

Details: The Garden Club at Palm Coast’s spring festival will feature a plant sale, arts and craft vendors, specialty plant growers, educational exhibits, children’s activities, food trucks, live music and more. Free event.

MONDAY, APRIL 7

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 “Celebrating 20 years of the Palm Coast Astronomy Club.” Everyone interested in astronomy is welcome. The meeting room is located to the right after entering the library.

FLAGLER COUNTY FAIR AND YOUTH SHOW

When: Monday to Friday, April 7-11

Where: Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell

Details: Attend this annual exposition presented by 4-H and FFA Livestock. Free admission.The pullet and rabbit show will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, April 7. The Livestock check-in is 3-6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8. The wether, heifer and steer show is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 9. The swine show is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10. The opening ceremonies will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 11, followed by the auction. Visit www.flaglercountyfair.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 11

FASHION SHOW

When: 11:30 a.m.

Where: Flagler Woman’s Club, 1524 S. Central Ave., Flagler Beach

Visit flaglerwomansclub.org/ events or call Lonnie at 904377-9842.

THE DALLAS STRING QUARTET: STRINGS UNLEASHED

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, 5500 E. Highway 100, Palm Coast

Details: The Dallas String Quartet performs a fusion of contemporary classical and pop music and has been compared to artists like like Lindsey Stirling, Vitamin String Quartet, Brooklyn Duo and 2Cellos. The core group is composed of violist Ion Zanca, violinists Valory Hight and Melissa Priller and bassist Young Heo. Tickets costs $54-$64. Visit flaglerauditorium.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12

29TH ANNUAL SPRING CLASSIC TOURNAMENT

When: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m, Where: Herschel King Park, 1000 Grady Prather Jr. Cove, Palm Coast

Details: Flagler Sportfishing Club is hosting its annual spring classic tournament, benefiting Disabled American Veterans. There is a mandatory captains meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 11. The tournament check-out will take place from 7-8 a.m. and weigh-ins from 3:30-5 p.m. Entry fee is $95 per angler and includes one raffle ticket. Visit flaglersportfishingclub. com.

PYRAMID PLAYERS GOLF TOURNAMENT

When: 8 a.m.

Where: Pine Lakes Golf Club, 400 Pine Lakes Parkway, Palm Coast

Details: The African American Cultural Society, Inc. is inviting golf enthusiasts to participate in this tournament. Entry fee costs $100 per player, or $400 per foursome. Call the AAC office for more information on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 386-447-7030.

from throughout Flagler County are hosting the annual Flagler-Palm Coast Housing Fair, “The Act in Action,” in conjunction with National Fair Housing Month. The event will be led by the Mid Florida Housing Partnership. There will be exhibitors, workshops and local assistance programs.

EGG’STRAVAGANZA

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

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

Details: The City of Palm Coast invites residents and visitors to its annual Egg’Stravaganza. There will be arts and crafts, face painting, carnival games, and more. The Easter Bunny will be available for photo opportunities, and there will be booths from local businesses and organizations where children can earn Easter eggs.

LOW-COST PET SHOT

CLINIC When: 9:30-11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Ace Hardware, 225 Saint Joe Plaza Drive, Palm Coast (first time slot) and Astro Skate Ormond, 250 N. Yonge St., Ormond Beach (second time slot)

Details: Get your pet vaccinated at a lower cost. Rabies shots will cost $5 for 1-year vaccinations. Other shots offered include dog distemper/parvo combo, dog flu, cat distemper combo, feline leukemia and more. Heartworm prevention and flea control products will be available for purchase. All vaccinations are administered with a licensed veterinarian. No appointment needed. Clinic is open to everyone. Proceeds benefit abused animals. Call or text 748-8993 or visit spcavolusia. org.

ARTS AND CRAFTS WALK

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Beach Front Grille, 2444 S. Ocean Shore Blvd. Flagler Beach

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Details: The Flagler Woman’s Club invites the community to its fashion show and luncheon. The “Spring Fling” theme features fashions by County Road Boutique and lunch will be catered by Craves. Bring your own beverage. Tickets are $35.

When you plan ahead, you can make your final wishes known and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind.

FLAGLER-PALM COAST

HOUSING FAIR

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

Details: See over 20 vendors and enjoy live music at this free monthly event.

NOTE: If at any time you would like to change your ad message, click the “Reset Template" link on the left to clear your selections and start over.

Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast Details: Housing officials

It's simple to customize this ad for your location.

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Lightsey says Fair, 4-H helps him prepare for college

Christopher Lightsey, 16, has been working with and showing animals at the Flagler County Fair for seven years.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Christopher Lightsey has been working with and showing animals at the Flagler County Fair and Youth Show's 4-H and FFA Youth Livestock Show and Sale for the last seven years.

It's interesting, he said, working with the animals, and

FLAGLER COUNTY FAIR & YOUTH SHOW

„ Monday April 7 - Pullet and Rabbit Show, 6 p.m.

„ Tuesday April 8Livestock check in, 3-6

p.m.

„ Wednesday April 9 - Wether, Heifer, Steer Show, 7 p.m.

„ Thursday April 10Swine Show, 7 p.m.

„ Friday April 11 - Opening ceremonies, 6 p.m. Auction begins at 6:30 p.m. Dessert auction (silent) and raffles throughout night.

Those interested can donate to the fair online at www.flaglercountyfair. com/home.htmltheir new home.

For more information, call Riegel at 322-2047 or Huckaby at (727) 3669997.

it's something he enjoys. But that's not why Lightsey participates every year.

Instead, he's focused on the future: working with the local 4-H group and completing projects like that of the livestock show is good for scholarships and educational opportunities, he said.

"It'll make it easier to get to college," Lightsey said.

The Fair is a showcase of Florida agriculture, with local youth exhibiting their livestock: from rabbits and chickens to pigs to heifers and steers. The 2025 Fair is April 7-11 at the Flagler County Fairgrounds.

Lightsey said one of the most difficult parts about looking after livestock animals is when they get sick.

It's happened a few times over the last seven years that he's been showing animals at the fair, beginning with rabbits and pullets - young female chickens - before he moved on to goats and chickens.

Lightsey's father, Norris Lightsey, who teaches health

and physical education at Flagler Palm Coast High School, said he has watched his son step up over the years to take on more and more responsibility with the animals. He said watching his son work hard makes him proud.

"Especially when it gets the final project, you see him in the ring and and he feels good about what he's done - it always makes me feel proud," he said.

The Flagler County Fair has become something of a father-son activity for them.

Norris Lightsey said his family comes form three generations of farmers, until he decided to become a teacher. Now, he said, he gets to enjoy watching his son learn to care for farm animals.

"For [Christopher] to get a little bit of experience actually doing it hands-on, on a daily basis for like six months, is a nice kickback to our family upbringing," he said.

Norris Lightsey said he's seen the fair grow throughout the years, and is glad for

Ormond begins Mayor’s Health, Fitness Challenge

the opportunity the children have with 4-H. When he was a child in his local 4-H group, he said, he learned about garden, managing projects, shooting, hunting and hunting safety.

"It was just way for kids get out away from home and learn some new things," Norris Lightsey said. "Learn how to do things that you use later on in life, skills instead of just [the] theoretical."

Lightsey said participating in the Flagler County Fair's livestock show has become a part of his life now. It's just something he does every year.

"After seven years, it's something I'm used to now, and it's not as difficult," he said. "It's interesting."

Lightsey only has two more shows before he ages out and then graduates high school. He said he's not sure about what kind of career he wants yet, but he has a goal.

"What I mainly want," he said, "is to have a kind of job where I make enough money to get all my needs and still have some left over."

The challenge began with a weigh-in at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center.

CONNOR MCCARTHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The 2025 Mayor’s Health and Fitness Challenge kicked off at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Saturday, March 29.

The four-week program is open to all fitness levels and ages, and there will be winners and prizes. The challenge began with a weigh-in at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center.

“I encourage everyone to come out and participate and live a healthier [and] a happier lifestyle,” Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie said.

“We’ve made some improvements this year to the program, with more next year to come. We’re hoping to make this program even bigger and more exciting as we go.”

Christopher Lightsey with his Flagler County Fair & Youth Show pig. Photo by Sierra Williams

Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie was present at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center to help launch this year’s Mayor’s Health and Fitness Challenge. Photos by Connor McCarthy

Rachel Lank, with FL Gutz.

Hailey Nolin, an Ormond Beach nutrition coach.

• Just 83 docks total, accommodating vessels up to 30-50 feet

• Docks will be individually owned and managed by an association

• Each dock is equipped with electrical service, potable water and planned fuel service

• Nestled within a private, secluded Intracoastal canal

• Gated community entry

• Enjoy the Marina del Palma community amenities, including the clubhouse, fitness center, dog park and waterfront pool

Miles Foster’s green energy source powering Lego house wins Science Fair

Flagler Schools’ Fifth Grade Science Fair and Expo featured 50 top projects plus 17 science activities.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Old Kings Elementary School fifth grader Miles Foster said he and his parents brain-stormed about what to do for his science project.

His project, “Can I power a small Lego house with a green energy source?” was the first-place winner at Flagler Schools’ Fifth Grade Science Fair on April 1 at the Buddy Taylor Middle School/Wadsworth Elementary School cafeterias.

Foster used a wind turbine to power LED lights in a Lego house.

“I wanted to learn about green energy and how it works,” he said. “I thought a lot of people would do the

same project.” The second- and third-place winners were also from Old Kings Elementary. Kayla Joy placed second. Her project was, “Does the store affect the cleanliness of the cart?”

Sofia Roberto placed third with her project, “What percent of alcohol in hand sanitizer is most successful at killing bacteria?”

Every fifth grader in the county was required to do a science project. The top 10 at each of the five elementary schools competed for the top three prizes at the Science Fair and Expo.

Seventeen activity tables gave students a hands-on science experience at the Expo. Several of the tables

“I wanted to learn about green energy and how it works. I thought a lot of people would do the same project.”

MILES FOSTER

were sponsored by foundations and nonprofits. Each table was based on third-, fourth- or fifth-grade science standards that appear on the fifth-graders’ science assessments.

At the activity tables, children got the chance to make ice cream in a bag,

learn about invasive marine species, learn about artificial reefs and hold a live lobster, identify rocks and minerals and characteristics of the inner and outer planets, build a structure in the sand that can withstand wind erosion and view microorganisms in pond water through a microscope among several other activities.

They could also compete with their parents in the gameshow, “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grade Scientist?” And there were several sessions in the Starlab portable learning dome.

The foundations that provided activity tables included Marineland, hand2mind, the Flagler County Education Foundation, Diamond Del’s Gem Mining Adventure, the Everglades Foundation, Flagler Sportfishing Club’s kids4reel, the Guy Harvey Foundation and Pender Learning.

Adam Fenty-Graifer was the host of Old Kings Elementary School’s ‘Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grade Scientist’ game show for the third year in a row. Flagler Schools courtesy photo by Kerri Henderson

Wadsworth Elementary School student Leilany Guzman assists Wadsworth teacher Allison Cencebaugh at the Guy Harvey Foundation table. Cencebaugh shows a student a lionfish, an invasive species in the Atlantic and Caribbean.

Matanzas High Fishing Club’s Taylur Camic and Shawn Swartz with Shad, the live lobster.

Science Fair winner Miles Foster with his parents Erin Hanley and Joey Foster. Miles’ project was, “Can I power a small Lego house with a green energy source.” Photos by Brent Woronoff

cacy work at its annual awards banquet on Friday, March 28. Two of the seven winners represented schools in the Ormond Beach area: Maria Kostidakis, of Seabreeze High School, and Emily Kris Light, of Ormond Beach Elementary. According to a Facebook post from Volusia County Schools, Kostidakis was recognized as the ESE Support Staff of the Year, and Light was recognized as the ESE Inclusion Teacher of the Year.

“Whether you’re in the classroom or advocating in the community, the work you do makes a difference,” VCS wrote on its post.

The banquet, held at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, was attended by Volusia County School Board members.

The other winners recognized were:

„ ESE Parent of the Year — Monica Haynes, Creekside Middle School

„ ESE Administrator of the Year — Dr. Jennie Hughes, University High School Titans

„ ESE Paraprofessional of the Year — Zachary Camporese, New Smyrna Beach High School

„ ESE Rookie Teacher of the Year — Daisy Cordine, Timbercrest Elementary School

„ ESE Teacher of the Year — Clarybel Colon-Ortiz, Timbercrest Elementary School

OBMS choir and dance group to perform library

The Ormond Beach Middle School choir and dance program will perform at the Ormond Beach Library auditorium at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22. Under the direction of teacher Kerrington Heller, the program will feature the choir performing selections from classical music and musical theater, and the dance group will focus on jazz and lyrical performance.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ormond Beach Library. It’s free and open to the public.

Flagler educators complete Leadership Academy

Assistant Principal Sara Novak and Principal Kristin Bozeman from Matanzas High School and Flagler Schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Angela O’Brien completed the Florida Department of Education’s Chancellor’s Leadership Academy. The academy offers pro-

fessional development for educational leaders including principals, assistant principals and district-based instructional leaders. O’Brien, Bozeman and Novak attended the academy’s graduation ceremony in Orlando on March 25.

Flagler County’s Future Problem Solvers win 47 awards at state

Flagler County students won 47 awards at the Future Problem Solvers state competition March 23-26 in Orlando. Seventy Flagler students received invitations to the International competition June 4-8 in Bloomington, Indiana. Flagler County state award winners by school:

FLAGLER PALM COAST HIGH SCHOOL

Senior Multi-Affiliate Global Issues Competition (MAGIC) Fourth place: Emma Gilbert, Eva Sites, Laura Herrera. Third place: Lorraine Wilson. Second place: Kashvi Sagar, Karolyn Whitney. First place: Aaradhana Moluguri, Nicki Hollis, and Daniel Payne.

Global Issues Sr. Individuals Second place: Desmond Akmentins (Invitation to Internationals).

Senior Team

Global Issues

Second place: Victoria Da Silva, Liam Lafferty, Ava Mello, Arianna Slaughter (Invitation to Internationals).

Sr. Presentation Action Plans

Fifth place: Jesus Rodriguez, Ethan Zverinsky, Xander Lascano, Kashvi Sagar. Fourth Place: Alex Whaley, Desmond Akentins, Muhammad Khawaja

Middle Storytelling Third place: Holden Carleton (Invitation to Internationals).

Middle Creative Writing Sixth place: Oliver Esquivel Novek. Second place: Holden Carleton (Invitation to Internationals).

Senior Creative Writing

Fifth place: Emma GilbertFourth place: Liam Lafferty. Senior Community Problem Solving

Second place: Project SEW (Saving Earth’s Wardrobe) — Nicki Hollis and Lorraine Wilson (Invitation to Internationals)

MATANZAS HIGH SCHOOL

Global Issues Senior MAGIC

Fourth place: Matthew Carleton. Second place: Carter Ives.

Senior Creative Writing

Second place: Lili Lisowski (Invitation to Internationals). First place: Ava Muldoon (Invitation to Internationals).

Senior Community Problem Solving

Third place: Project: POV — Brianna O’Malley, Jordan Sauer, Ben Iannotti, Tony Pacilli. First place: Project: AI in Action — Wesley Kopach, Dempsey Manhart, Megan Rhee, Willa Ames, Mary Grace Seward, Diana Kolodiy (Invitation to Internationals)

INDIAN TRAILS MIDDLE

SCHOOL

Global Issues

MAGIC

Middle Division: Sixth place: Adriana Berti, Gabriella Putis.

Fifth place: Bella Nong, Jenna Ames, Skye Soler. Fourth place: Priya Vargas, Anthony Demaio, Alexander Fredericks. Third place: Mia Puccio, Sebastian Barnes. Second place: Sophia Gonzalez, Monica Vazquez, Madeline Aguilar. First Place: Jaclynn Crockett, Reagan Rodriguez

Junior Division:

Fifth Place: Bianca Wright, Marlie Sipos. Third place: Kason Davis, Elisei Volkovskiy. Second place: Cam Derie. First place: Elissa Griffin

Global Issues Team

Junior:

Sixth place: Elevyn Thompson, Illiana Stockman, Keziah McCoy, Mia Kopcikova.

Middle:

First place: Bella Bailey, Emma Ball, Audrey Westly (Invitation to Internationals).

Creative Writing

Fifth place: Elevyn Thompson. Third place: Audra Snyder (Invitation to Internationals)

Community Problem Solving

Junior Teams:

Third place: News Crew — Magnolia Vandebunte, Gianna DiBitetto, Sophie Berkovich, Kayla Raad, Isabella Cruz.

Second place: Healthy Helpers — Kason Davis, Ameera Toolsie, Gia Rego, Yeily Cuevas Melendez, Giuseppina Gitto (Invitation to Internationals).

Middle Teams:

Third place: The Lost Treasures — Gabriel Figueroa, Aaron Po, Madeline Aguilar, Bianca Wright, Shealyn Hardy, Zechariah Wright, Jalia Kidd (Invitation to Internationals).

Second place: Get it Done! — Liliana Fanelli, Avery Mahon, Lucy Simonsen, Alexander Fredericks, Sophia Le, Maria Saman (Invitation to Internationals). First place: Skill Builders — Emma Ball, Bella Bailey, Bryson Quinones, Audrey Westly (Invitation to Internationals).

Middle Individuals:

Third place: Project Spotlight — Adriana Berti. Second place: The Food Saver — Ogheneovie Umebese (Invitation to Internationals).

BUDDY TAYLOR MIDDLE

SCHOOL

Global Issues MAGIC

Second place: Kendon Reinert. Fourth place: Aubrey Marino.

RYMFIRE ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

Global Issues Junior MAGIC

Third place: Kamden Weisstein

Sixth place: Emma Hoffman. Global Issues Junior Team

Seventh place: Baedan Canfield, Chole Campbell, Emma Norwood, Abby Johnson. Junior Community Problem

Solving

First place: Project Occupation Exploration — Lily Vazquez, Kamden Weisstein, Emma Norwood, Gabby Rosales, Sofia Hunchak, Abby Johnson, Jaxon Letterman, Angel Perez, Liam Orr, Dilan Glovada (Invitation to Internationals)

Quick change-up artist

New pitch helps Seabreeze starter in eight-inning win over Matanzas

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Seabreeze pitcher Brody Harris added a changeup to his arsenal earlier in the week. On March 28, it was working for him. The senior right-hander pitched seven innings to put the Sandcrabs in position to defeat Matanzas 3-2 in eight innings.

“(Assistant coach) Corey Flickinger taught me the changeup,” Harris said. “I didn’t have a great changeup until he taught me this week. It was working good. I was getting swings and misses with it.”

The Sandcrabs scored the winning run in the top of the eighth inning on a failed pickoff throw by host Matanzas with runners on first and third base. With Jacob McKinnon taking a lead off first, reliever Dioz Cruz threw to first.

The throw got away from the fielder and Wrigley Zweifel scored from third.

Seabreeze reliever Jacob Imhoff pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the eighth to secure the victory.

Seabreeze improved to 10-9 heading into its first-round Five Star Conference tournament game on March 31 at Pine Ridge. Harris struck out eight batters and walked two. He allowed two runs in the bottom of the fourth on two hits, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly.

“All season long, anytime we’ve given the ball to Brody, he’s been filling up the strike zone, giving our defense an opportunity to have the ball in play,” Seabreeze coach Jeff Lemon said. “He’s been looking for a third pitch that he trusts, because his slider is always competitive in the zone. The changeup was showing that it was missing underneath the hitter’s barrel. So, he was showing early confidence in a new pitch already, which was awesome to see.”

Matanzas coach Jim Per-

He overextended his lead on purpose to make us (throw a pickoff), when all we had to do was just throw the pitch. As far as I’m concerned, he could have taken his lead halfway between first and second and stood there the whole at bat.

ry said the pickoff throw to first was not a good decision because the potential winning run was on third base.

“We should have thrown the pitch instead of throwing the pick,” Perrry said.

“That’s what I was talking about before the next hitter came up, because it’s first and third and they’re going to run (McKinnon). He overextended his lead on purpose to make us (throw a pickoff), when all we had to do was just throw the pitch. As far as I’m concerned, he could have taken his lead halfway between first and second and stood there the whole at bat. There’s two outs, get the dude at the plate.”

It was another tough loss for the Pirates, who fell to 1-13 heading into games at St. Augustine (March 31) and Atlantic (April 2). Perry said his young team has been inconsistent. The Pirates lost 4-2 to Menendez on March 25 and two days later fell 13-3 to Interlachen — the only team they had beaten, 12-0 on March 5. The day after the Interlachen loss, they took Seabreeze to extra innings.

“We’re having a hard time being consistent, day in and day out,” Perry said. “We have the physical ability to play with pretty much anybody. Do we execute enough is the question.”

Matanzas starter Nick Pandich pitched six innings

I didn’t have a great changeup until (assistant coach Cory Flickinger) taught me this week. It was working good. I was getting swings and misses with it.

BRODY

HARRIS, Seabreeze pitcher

before he reached his pitch limit. After a shaky first inning when he got out of a bases-loaded jam, he settled down. Seabreeze took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth on a walk, a couple of hits and an error.

“Nick really competed and went toe to toe with Brody,” Lemon said. “They both were throwing strikes, and it was a very well-played competitive baseball game. The key for us was we stayed engaged for eight innings and didn’t allow ourselves to mentally check out.”

Pandich also led the Pirates at the plate with three hits and a run scored. He had an adventurous first at-bat leading off the bottom of the first inning. The sophomore reached first base on an infield hit and went all the way to third on an errant throw. After sliding into third base, another throw got away from the fielder and Perry sent Pandich home

where he was thrown out.

“They threw it away over here, they threw it away over there. I thought, well let’s steal a cheap one real quick,” Perry said. “But the throw (to third) didn’t go as far as I thought it would, and the third baseman scrambled and threw it in there and got him out.”

Cruz pitched the final two innings for the Pirates. The Sandcrabs scored the gohead run in the eighth without getting a base hit. Zweifel reached first on an error, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and took third on a groundout. McKinnon walked before drawing the pick-off throw that allowed Zweifel to score.

“I knew Seabreeze is a really good team, and we had to battle,” Pandich said. “I think our whole team was battling. We wanted to be in it. It sucks the way it ended, but I think this will give us confidence.”

Community College this season in scoring with 14.5 points per game. The 6-foot4 forward was named the Region 20 tournament MVP. The sophomore hopes to play basketball at an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) next year.

Lights-out game won’t be continued

Matanzas High’s softball team defeated St. Augustine 12-1 on April 1 to improve to 11-1 on the season. Starting pitcher Ashely Sampselle had six strikeouts. Juliet Fogel hit a home run and walked twice. The suspended MatanzasFPC game is now listed as a Pirates win. The March 25 game at FPC was stopped with the Pirates leading 2-1 when the lights went out in bottom of the sixth. A wire reportedly was nicked during the stadium’s refurbishment and burned out during the game. The problem has been fixed with the Bulldogs playing two more home games since then, including a 7-0 win over Menendez on March 31. Ashleigh Pigeon struck out 13 batters.

Seabreeze starter Brody Harris pitched seven innings and struck out eight batters. Photos by Brent Woronoff

Seabreeze’s Austin Upchurch swings at a pitch in the first inning.

JIM PERRY, Matanzas baseball coach

Matanzas starter Nick Pandich did not allow an earned run in six innings pitched.

SIDELINES

Flagler Palm Coast’s Mariah Mills defends her title at NHSCA wrestling nationals

Flagler Palm Coast High School

wrestler Mariah Mills defended her national wrestling championship on March 29 at the National High School Coaches Association High School Nationals in Virginia Beach. Two other FPC wrestlers, Christina Borgmann and Kendall Bibla, placed second in their weight classes at the national championships.

Mills won the 107-pound championship for the second consecutive year. She beat high school state champs from Washington, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Indiana and a state finalist from Michigan to take first place in a bracket with 79 girls.

She won five of her seven matches by pin, including the final against

Joy Cantu of Indiana. Mills pinned Cantu in 3:46. Cantu had pinned all of ehr opponents in the first period heading into the final.

Borgmann placed second in the 138-pound class, winning five matches and losing only to Jacinda Espinosa, the Missouri state champ, in the final. Bibla placed second in the 165-pound class, winning four matches and losing only a 2-1 decision to four-time West Virginia state champ Kaylie Hall in the final.

Borgmann and Bibla each won their second state championship earlier this month, while Mills won a state title in 2024, joining her brother Jordan who also won in 2024. They became the first brother and sister to win FHSAA wrestlings titles in the same year.

FPC’s Ana and Alisha Vilar, Alexa Calidonio, Tiana Fries and Juliana Mills also competed at Nationals.

Flagler Palm Coast’s girls lacrosse team wins on Senior Night

Flagler Palm Coast celebrated girls lacrosse Senior Night with a 17-12 victory against Jacksonville Atlantic Coast on March 27.

The Bulldogs honored seniors Alana Throne, Nichole Dickinson, Jaena Srivastava, Carly Griffin and Ashley McPhail before the game.

Griffin scored nine goals against Atlantic Coast to give her 27 on the season. Throne added two goals to give her 20 for the season.

Sophomores Brianna Long and Sofia Fretterd also scored two goals. Long also gathered in 11 ground balls and had nine draw controls.

Trinity Johnson leads the Bulldogs (5-6) with 29 goals. Fretterd is tied with Throne for third on the team with 20 goals.

The Bulldogs’ final two regularseason games were on the road against Nease on April 2 and St. Joseph on April 4. The District 4-2A tournament is scheduled to begin on April 9.

Matanzas girls lacrosse team honors six seniors

The Matanzas girls lacrosse team honored its six seniors on Senior Night, March 26, in its final home game of the season.

The Pirates celebrated seniors Bianca Diez, Zoe Alred, Ari Kardas, Camryn Greiner, Sabrina Guiglotto (18) and Ashley Kassan (72) during halftime of their game with St. Joseph.

The Pirates defeated the Flashes 19-8 to improve to 5-5. The victory was their fifth in their past six games before falling to Gainesville High 18-5 on Tuesday, April 1.

Matanzas completed a season sweep of county rival Flagler Palm Coast with an 11-4 home win on March 25.

Matanzas closes the regular season on April 3 at Jacksonville Mandarin. The District 4-2A tournament begins April 9.

Flagler Wrestling finalists at the NHSCA High School Wrestling Nationals in Virginia Beach: Mariah Mills, Kendall Bibla, Christina Borgmann and coach David Bossardet. Mills defended her 2024 championship while Bibla and Borgmann were national runners-up. Photo by Rachel Mills

Matanzas girls lacrosse honored its six seniors on Senior Night: Bianca Diez (7), Zoe Alred (6), Ari Kardas (4), Camryn Greiner (11), Sabrina Guiglotto (18) and Ashley Kassan (72). Photo by Brent Woronoff

Flagler Palm Coast’s girls lacrosse team honored seniors Alana Throne, Nichole Dickinson, Jaena Srivastava, Carly Griffin and Ashley McPhail before its game against Atlantic Coast on March 27. Photo by Brent Woronoff

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION CASE NO. 2024 CA 000228

U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCAF ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. LINDA S. GREENE, et al. Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated March 06, 2025, and entered in 2024 CA 000228 of the Circuit Court of the SEVENTH Judicial Circuit in and for Flagler County, Florida, wherein U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCAF ACQUISITION TRUST is the Plaintiff and LINDA S. GREENE are the Defendant(s). TOM W. BEXLEY

FLORIDA. Property Address: 30 LANDINGS LN #30, ORMOND BEACH, FL 32174 Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens must file a claim in accordance with Florida Statutes, Section 45.031. IMPORTANT AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste D-305, Deland, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096. Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. Dated this 28 day of March, 2025. ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487 Telephone: 561-241-6901 Facsimile: 561-997-6909 Service Email: flmail@raslg.com By: \S\Danielle Salem Danielle Salem, Esquire Florida Bar No. 0058248 Communication Email: dsalem@raslg.com 24-196649 - NaC April 3, 10, 2025 25-00095G

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025 CP 000067 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF SYLVIO R. SYLVAIN Deceased.

The administration of the estate of Sylvio R. Sylvain, deceased, whose date of death was September 11, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 E Moody Blvd, Bldg 1, Bunnell, FL 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

25-00093G

The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is April 3, 2025. Personal Representative: /s/ Micheline L. Sylvain Micheline L. Sylvain 7 Lancelot Drive Palm Coast, Florida 32137 Attorney for Personal Representative: Rodolfo Suarez Jr. Esq., Attorney Florida Bar Number: 013201 9100 South Dadeland Blvd, Suite 1620 Miami, Florida 33156 Telephone: 305-448-4244 E-Mail: rudy@suarezlawyers.com Secondary E-Mail: eservice@suarezlawyers.com April 3, 10, 2025 25-00094G

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT TO THE FLAGLER COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES AND LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE Pursuant to Section 125.66, Florida Statutes, the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners hereby gives notice of a proposal to adopt an Ordinance affecting the actual list of permitted, conditional, or prohibited uses within the unincorporated area of Flagler County and titled similar to: AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE FLAGLER COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES AND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE (APPENDIX C TO THE FLAGLER COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES) RELATED TO FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT, BY AMENDING SECTION 8-32, AMENDMENTS, ARTICLE II, BUILDING CODE, CHAPTER 8, BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION, CODE OF ORDINANCES, AND BY AMENDING SECTION 6.04.00, FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT, ARTICLE VI, RESOURCE PROTECTION STANDARDS, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, APPENDIX C, CODE OF ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR FISCAL IMPACTS; PROVIDING FOR APPLICABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Public hearings on the ordinance will be held in the location listed below at the dates and times provided: PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD – Review and Recommendation –Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible in the Flagler County Government Services Building, Board Chambers, 1769 E. Moody Boulevard, Building 2, Bunnell, Florida, 32110. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS – First Reading – Monday, May 5, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. or as soon thereafter as possible in the Flagler County Government Services Building, Board Chambers, 1769 E. Moody Boulevard, Building 2, Bunnell, Florida, 32110. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS – Second Reading and Adoption –Monday, May 19, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible in the Flagler County Government Services Building, Board Chambers, 1769 E. Moody Boulevard, Building 2, Bunnell, Florida, 32110. All interested persons are urged to attend the public hearing and be heard. Anyone wishing to express their opinion may attend, telephone 386-313-4009 or write to: Flagler County Planning and Zoning Department, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 2, Bunnell, FL 32110 or email to planningdept@flaglercounty.gov. Copies of the proposed ordinance, supporting data and analysis, staff reports and other pertinent information are available for review at the Flagler County Planning and Zoning Department, 1769 East Moody Boulevard, Building 2, Bunnell, Florida 32110, Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. IF A PERSON DECIDES TO APPEAL ANY DECISION MADE BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER CONSIDERED AT THE MEETING, A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS MAY BE NEEDED AND, FOR SUCH PURPOSES, THE PERSON WILL NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD IS MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH APPEAL IS TO BE BASED. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PERSONS NEEDING ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THESE PROCEEDINGS SHOULD CONTACT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AT (386) 313-4001 AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING. Apr. 3 25-00089F

FIRST INSERTION

Notice Under Fictitious Name Law According to Florida Statute Number 865.09 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the Fictitious Name of Pure Flow Pilates, located at 208 S. 3rd St, in the City of Flagler Beach, Flagler County, FL 32164 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 28th day of March, 2025 Beach Barre Fitness, Apr. 3 25-00090F

FIRST INSERTION

FINAL PUBLIC NOTICE

The City of Flagler Beach has applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding through the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), as an Applicant.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and to provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.

Applicant: City of Flagler Beach

Project Title: 784223-(PW# 920) FBGRM14 - Flagler Beach Fishing Pier

Location of Proposed Work:

Special Flood Hazard Area Zone: Flagler Beach Fishing Pier is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)

– Coastal High Hazard Area Zone VE. Confirmation of Flagler Beach Fishing Pier in the SFHA was determined by the Flagler County Flood Insurance Rate

Map 12035C0232E and 12035C0251E, dated 06/06/2018. The proposed work conforms to all applicable State of Florida and local floodplain regulations. During the incident period, high winds, heavy rain, wave action, and storm surge damaged the Flagler Beach Fishing Pier, resulting in destruction of a 160 ft. long segment of pier and damages to the remainder of the pier.

There is a potential for the site to be impacted by future events due to its location within the VE Flood Zone. The proposed work will be conducted within wetlands, as identified through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory (NWI).

Proposed Work and Purpose:

In order to protect against and lessen the impact of future similar events, the City of Flagler Beach will be repairing and reconstructing the Flagler Beach Fishing Pier in accordance with codes and standards established by the Florida Building Code. The reconstructed Flagler Beach Pier will incrementally increase to an elevation of 28 ft. NAVD88 at its furthest waterward extent, a change from its pre-disaster elevation of 17.8 ft. NAVD88. The new portion of the pier will be reconstructed of concrete with breakaway timber decking and widened by 5 ft. per codes and standards. The 20,840 sq. ft. pier will be repaired and reconstructed to its historical length of 828 ft.10 in. through the repair of approximately 82.5 ft. of existing timber pier and replacement of 714 ft. 10 in. of the most waterward portion of the pier. The pier will be 714 ft. 10 in. by 25 ft. from the mean high water line with a 20 ft. by 32 ft. T-head. The pier reconstruction will include installation of 116 piles comprised of 24 in. prestressed concrete installed by impact hammer or jetting, 78 of which would be installed waterward of the mean high water line to a depth of 6 ft. The pier would also include Americans with Disabilities (ADA) accessibility features, including a 5% (1H:20L) slope to the new pier deck elevation and ADA handrails, installation of a firewater system, fish cleaning stations and trash receptacles, benches, shade structures, and marine turtle-friendly lighting. The remaining 113 ft. of pier landward of the mean high water line will be repaired, including installation of structural pile jackets, repair of pile caps, stringers and bracing, and replacement of connection hardware and tie-downs. To maintain the historical significance of the pier, the westernmost 113 ft. of the Flagler Beach Pier will be maintained and minor repairs made where necessary.

To facilitate construction activities, a 1,100 ft. by 30 ft., 33,000 sq. ft. temporary construction trestle will be erected on the south side of the proposed new Flagler Beach Fishing Pier. The temporary trestle will be 30 ft. by 170.27 ft. to 202.69 ft. (due to the angle) for the portion of the structure located landward of the mean high water line. The temporary trestle’s construction would entail the installation of 116, 24 in.-wide steel plumb piles to a depth of 6 ft. by vibratory hammer, impact hammer, and/or jetting and installation of 116 steel HP 14x73 batter piles to a depth of 6 ft. by vibratory hammer and/or jetting, a steel super structure, which includes caps, girders, and joists, and installation of timber decking with an elevation of approximately 28-feet NAVD88. Subject to contractor’s selection, 116, 24 in. square concrete piles may instead be installed by impact hammer and/or jetting. The temporary construction trestle will be entirely removed once construction of the new pier is complete.

The demolition activities would include removal of the remaining 7,760-sq. ft. area of timber pier with extraction of 108 timber piles by pile extractor/vibratory hammer. Crane and/or support vessel for divers will be utilized for any piles that break and need to be cut at the mudline and/or existing debris impeding new pile installation. A 388-ft. by 20-ft. wide section of the existing pier would be removed primarily using land-based equipment operating from the temporary construction trestle. Any timber removed from the historical pier will be collected as part of the demolition for future reuse. Timber and metal connectors that will not be repurposed or recycled will be removed to an upland location and disposed of appropriately.

Project Alternatives:

Alternative #1 (no action alternative): The no action alternative was considered; however, this alternative is not feasible, as the pier is regularly used as a recreational facility. Alternative #2: Relocation of the pier would not be economically feasible nor practicable. Alternate locations were not considered, as the pier is functionally dependent upon its location within the floodplain.

Comment Period: Comments are solicited from the public, local, state or federal agencies, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to the City of Flagler Beach. All comments are due within 15 days of this notice. The City of Flagler Beach will forward comments to applicable regulatory agencies as needed.

Interested persons may submit comments, obtain more detailed information about the proposed action, or request a copy of the findings by contacting: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency – Region 4 - EHP, 3005 Chamblee Tucker Rd – Office #255, Atlanta, GA 303414112 or by email at FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Please include in the subject line of the email “DR-4283- EHP FIT.” Comments should be sent in writing at the above address within 15 days of the date of this notice. Floodplain and Wetland Map

INSERTION Notice Under Fictitious

Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in sections 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211. The date of first publication of this Notice is March 27, 2025. Person Giving Notice: Jeffery A. Walters, as Trustee of the Douglas D. Decker Revocable Trust u/a dated December 30, 1997 4040 Embassy Pkwy., Ste. 100 Akron, OH 44333 Attorney for Person Giving Notice: /s/John R. Crawford John R. Crawford Florida Bar No. 210358 Janice B. Richardson Florida Bar No. 036403 Marks Gray, P.A. 1200 Riverplace Blvd., Suite 800 Jacksonville, Florida 32207 Telephone: (904) 398-0900 E-mail Addresses: jcrawford@marksgray.com, jrichardson@marksgray.com, probate@marksgray.com March 27; April 3, 2025 25-00089G

THIRD INSERTION

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT

To: Private Eyes, Inc Case: CD202410650/B 3300290

An Administrative Complaint to revoke your license and eligibility for licensure has been filed against you. You have the right to request a hearing pursuant to Sections 120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes, by mailing a request for same to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing, Post Office Box 5708 Tallahassee, Florida 32314-5708. If a request for hearing is not received by 21 days from the date of the last publication, the right to hearing in this matter will be waived and the Department will dispose

SECOND INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025-CP-000044 Division: 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF HASMIK SIMONIAN DECEASED.

The administration of the estate of Hasmik Simonian, deceased, whose date of death was August 18, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 East Moody Blvd., Bunnell, FL 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

STEPHEN HARRIS POINT, DECEASED; JASON POINT; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, Defendant(s). TO: Unknown Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, Assignees, Lienors, Creditors, Trustees, and all other parties claiming an interest by, through, under or against the Estate of Stephen H. Point a/k/a Stephen Harris Point, deceased 17 Magnolia Drive North Ormond Beach, Florida 32174 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following described property in Flagler County, Florida: LOT 17, PLANTATION BAY PHASE 1-A, UNIT 1, ACCORDING TO PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 27, PAGE 40, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA. Street Address: 17 Magnolia Drive North, Ormond Beach, Florida 32174 has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, Plaintiff’s attorney, whose address is 3222 Commerce Place, Suite A, West Palm Beach, FL 33407, within 30 days of the first publication of this notice and file the original with the Clerk of this Court, otherwise,