Palm Coast Observer 11-13-25

PALM COAST

Food-A-Thon raises $80K

Flagler County Veterans Day Parade Grand Marshal Dave Freeman. Photo by Brent Woronoff

NEWS BRIEFS

Driver in Ormondby-the-Sea crash is charged with homicide

A 63-year-old man from Illinois is facing two counts of vehicular homicide for a Nov. 1 crash on A1A in Ormond-bythe-Sea that has now resulted in the death of two people.

Scott March, of Findlay Ohio, was first arrested on Monday, Nov. 3, for the death of a 72-year-old Thomas Lauck, who died at the scene of the Nov. 1 crash, after he and his wife, 73-year-old Julia Lauck, were ejected from their Jeep after March struck them with his Corvette, according to Florida Highway Patrol. March was attempting to pass the couple’s Jeep in a no passing zone.

Julia Lauck had been transported to the hospital in critical condition. She died from her injuries on Thursday,

COPS CORNER

OCT. 9

GOLDEN TICKET

2:07 p.m. — 100 block of East Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach Found property. Police responded to a grocery store after an employee found a lottery ticket in the parking lot. The lottery ticket was worth $500 in winnings, according to the incident report. The store manager told police their policy was to turn over any lottery tickets worth over $100 in winnings to local police after cashing it in. Police were provided with the lottery ticket and cash for safekeeping.

Nov. 6. FHP reports the crash remains under investigation.

Bunnell man found with 24 grams of fentanyl, sheriff says

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies found 24.4 grams of fentanyl on a Bunnell man who was arrested on Nov. 5 for failing to register his motorcycle.

The FCSO pulled over the suspect, 62-year-old David Burley near midnight at the intersection of Mahogany Boulevard and Mistletoe Street because of a discrepancy between the license plate and the registered owner, a FCSO press release said. Burley provided deputies with a vehicle registration and title application that belonged to a different vehicle. He had purchased the motorcycle from a third party but failed to register it.

When further investigation also showed the motorcycle had an expired registration

OCT. 18

CHURCH THEFT

5:45 p.m. — First block of S. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach Grand theft. A local church reverend called police after two laptops were stolen from their choir room.

A church employee had left his Dell laptop atop his wife’s in the room that morning, according to a police incident report. These laptops had been placed on top of a Macbook, which was not stolen. Surveillance footage revealed a man entered the room at around 11:26 a.m.

However, because the choir room doesn’t have cameras, the surveillance footage simply captured the man entering and exiting the room. Church staff recognized him as a transient who previously

under a different name, Burley was placed under arrest, the press release said. A search of his pockets turned up a loaded pistol, the 24.4 grams of fentanyl and $2,307 in cash.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration website, “two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage.” By that standard, Burley had in his possession enough fentanyl for 12,200 potentially lethal doses.

That is the population of Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach and Marineland combined.

“But now this poison is off the street, this dirtbag is in the jail, and he’s facing a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence and $100,000 fine,” Staly said. “Another great job by our deputies looking beyond the traffic violation.”

Burley is facing charges for trafficking in fentanyl, carrying a concealed firearm during the commission of a felony, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and at-

stole from their food pantry, though they chose not to report it at the time. This time, the church did want to press charges for the stolen laptops.

The suspect, a 57-year-old man, was located the next day. He was wearing several of the same clothing items as the suspect seen in the surveillance footage, and told police he frequented the church every Friday to get food.

The suspect claimed he was not the man pictured on the surveillance footage and allowed police to search his bag; there were no laptops inside.

A couple days later, one of the victims identified the suspect in a photo lineup. He was arrested at his workplace on probable cause

taching an unassigned license plate to a motor vehicle, the press release said. He is being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility without bond.

Child solicitation investigation leads to arrest of California man

A California man who attempted to solicit a child he met online has been arrested following a more than twoyear investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect is Brandon Rodriguez-Silva, 20, of San Jose, California. Rodriguez-Silva was 18 when deputies first began investigating in 2023, a FCSO press release said.

In June 2023, a parent told deputies he had discovered an inappropriate and sexually explicit conversation on his child’s iPad between his child and an unknown male.

During the investigation, deputies determined the child had met the suspect on the online gaming platform Rob-

and was taken to jail.

OCT. 28

GOTTA GO FAST

2:57 a.m. – Mile Marker 284, southbound Interstate 95, Flagler County

Dangerous excessive speed

A Jacksonville man was caught speeding at 115 mph on the Interstate.

A Highway Patrol officer was monitoring the area near Mile Marker 287 when the Mercedes Benz driver sped passed him, passing by a group of slower drivers, according to an arrest report. The officer wrote he had to reach 140 mph in speed just to catch up to the suspect.

The driver told the officer he was sorry and that he was speeding because he was in a hurry to see someone in

lox, and then began messaging on the app Discord and over the cell phone instant message, the press release said. In their conversation, the suspect requested nude photos, the press release said.

The messages between the suspect and the child contained numerous sexually explicit texts and photographs, but no nudity.

The case was assigned to FCSO’s Cyber Crimes/ICAC Unit and detectives identified the suspect as RodriguezSilva, the press release said.

Bond was set at $50,000 and nationwide extradition, the press release said.

FCSO’s Fugitive Unit coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force and Rodriguez-Silva was arrested in California by marshals on Nov. 5.

Rodriguez-Silva was transported to Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, California, where he is being held without bond until he is extradited to Flagler County, the press release said.

Orlando.

The driver was placed under arrest.

OCT. 30

A HARD ROCK LIFE

3:27 p.m. – 3500 block of County Road 205, Bunnell Grand theft. A Palatka man was arrested for stealing coquina rock from a Flagler County residential construction site and trying to sell it on Facebook Marketplace.

The co-owners of the construction business had noticed their coquina rocks were going missing over a few months. On Oct. 20, two distinctive, large coquina rocks went missing from the construction site and, two days later, appeared for sale on Facebook, according to an arrest report.

Palm Coast man arrested in Texas on warrant for child sex crimes

A Palm Coast man is in custody on a Flagler County fugitive warrant for sexually abusing a child under the age of 12. The El Paso Police Department arrested Giovanni Curtis, 22, of Palm Coast, in El Paso, Texas, after a warrant was issued for his arrest following a six-month investigation, led by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Major Case Unit, into allegations of child sex crimes that occurred in various jurisdictions over several years. The investigation began in May after a parent of the victim contacted detectives. Through investigative means, detectives also determined that Curtis was 13 years old when he committed the crimes in Flagler County. Curtis is being held in Texas a $150,000 bond and awaiting extradition to Flagler County.

One of the co-owners messaged the suspect selling them and then contacted the Sheriff’s Office about the theft. The co-owner sent deputies screenshots of the listing and conversation, which included photos of the rocks at the construction site, based on the landscaping and street layout.

The suspect was identified as a Palatka, Florida resident. The suspect agreed to sell the rocks to his “buyer” for $3,200. The rocks have an estimated value of $1,200$1,600, the report said. On Oct. 30, the suspect drove Espanola to meet the “buyer” and instead found Sheriff’s Office deputies. He was charged with grand theft.

‘A powerful reminder’

Flagler County honors veterans with parade and ceremony.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Adults and children bundled up on an unseasonably cold day and grabbed their spots along State Road 100 in Bunnell, on Tuesday, Nov. 11, waiting for the start of Flagler County’s Veterans Day Parade.

The bands and JROTC cadets from Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high schools marched. Veterans riding in Corvettes waved to the crowds. Schools, service organizations and first responders participated in the parade, which terminated near the Government Services Building where the county followed the parade with its Veterans Day ceremony featuring keynote speaker and parade grand marshal, Dave Freeman, and 2025 Flagler County Veteran of the Year

Mark Strobridge.

Strobridge received the Col. Gary E. DeKay Veteran of the Year Award. Flagler County Veterans Services Officer

David Lydon said the award was named in honor of DeKay, “who served this country and

community for over 46 years and did so much for the veterans and citizens of Flagler County.”

DeKay was instrumental in the establishment of Flagler County’s Veterans Appreciation Day and the Flagler County Veteran of the Year Award, Lydon said.

Strobridge, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office chief of staff, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and then served in other capacities in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for 30 years.

“In 2009, after retiring as a Sheriff’s Office legend, he was chosen to lead a groundbreaking nonprofit organization in Orlando focused on improving information sharing among law enforcement agencies, a role he excelled in until 2017,” Lydon said.

Strobridge is a deacon in his church, the treasurer for Teens in Flight, and a member of many community organizations. He stepped in to serve as Palm Coast’s interim assistant city manager during a time of transition and was awarded the Certificate of Excellence for his service.

Strobridge said he was humbled to be named Veteran of the Year, but said the award is not about him.

“This award is really a composite of all the people who

serve in these kind of capacities daily,” he said, listing the many city and county officials and first responders who went into service after first serving their country in the military.

Congressman Randy Fine attended the ceremony and spoke about the uniqueness of Veterans Day, which is not like many other holidays that on Mondays to give people a three-day weekend.

“It’s on the 11th of November, because that is when World War I ended, which they thought would be the war to end all wars,” Fine said.

Fine said we not only should honor our veterans but also

their families, who sit at home waiting for their loved ones to return.

“We honor the veterans not only by taking care of them, but remembering what it is that they fought for, the first country in the history of the world that said that our rights did not come from government, that they came from God,” Fine said.

Freeman, who is Flagler Schools chief of operations, is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army. He served form 1983 to 2004 and then returned to active duty from 2006 to 2008 to support operations in Iraq.

He spoke about his recent 2,200-mile thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail through

Warrior Expeditions, a nonprofit for veterans.

“The transition from military to civilian life is not a simple step,” Freeman said.

“It’s a profound journey filled with immense challenge in the quiet weight of new burdens which often requires the same kind of fortitude that was needed on the battlefield.”

The journey on the hike is not just physical but spiritual and mental as well, he said.

“The trail provides something crucial that many veterans need. It provides a new mission,” he said. “Each white blaze is a victory, every summit is a triumph. Along the way they find a new kind of

unit, the community of a ‘tramaly,’ or a trail family, and the support of trail angels.”

When a veteran reaches the end of the trail, they have proven to themselves that they have the strength to keep going. They find a new peace, he said.

“This experience, my story, is a powerful reminder for us today,” Freeman said. “Veterans Day is not just about thanking our veterans for their past service. It’s also about recognizing their ongoing journey. It is about understanding that the battles don’t always end when they come home. It is about showing up for them, not just on November the 11th, but every single day.”

Old Kings Elementary School at the Flagler County Veterans Day Parade.

Laurel Duffy, 9, sings the national anthem at the Flagler County Veterans Day Ceremony.

Flagler County Veteran of the Year Mark Strobridge.

A parade float at the Flagler County Veterans Day Parade.

Waiting for the Flagler County Veterans Day Parade to start.

Matanzas High School cheerleaders.

Flagler Palm Coast Air Force JROTC at the Flagler County Veterans Day Parade. Photos by Brent Woronoff

The Flagler County Mounted Patrol at the Flagler County Veterans Day Parade.

Flagler’s new Fairgrounds Expo Hall to foster ‘resiliency and

10,000-square-foot building will serve as an emergency shelter, freeing up schools.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Flagler County has broken ground on its Fairgrounds Expo Hall, a multi-purpose building that will in part serve as the county’s first standalone emergency shelter. The county has relied on its public school system for storm shelters for years. Flagler County Commission Chair Andy Dance said at the Nov. 5 groundbreaking that, though it always comes together, this system paralyzes the school system and interrupts people’s jobs for days.

“This new Fairgrounds Expo Hall will change that,” he said.

Construction on the Expo Hall, which will be located at the Flagler County Fairgrounds off Sawgrass Road, began on Nov. 5 and is expected to finish in the summer of 2026. It will be a one-story, 10,000 square-foot hall with additional square footage for storage, a kitchen, restrooms and a foyer, according to a county press release.

“This building represents preparedness, resiliency and community,” Dance said.

The hall will be built to Category 5 hurricane standards and will be on elevated ground to withstand flooding. It will have an electrical system designed to provide power for evacuees with special medical needs, and a generator that

can power the entire building at maximum capacity. It will have back-up water and wastewater capabilities.

The on-site restrooms will also have showers and enough toilets and sinks for when the building is being used as a storm shelter, the press release said. Flagler County has contracted with Meyer Najem Construction for the project.

The hall will not just be an emergency shelter, however. It will also host events and recreational activities.

“A place for our community to come together on our best days,” Dance said, “and a place to support one another on our more challenging days.”

Commissioner Leann Pennington led the initiative to get the program off the ground and to get state funding for the

building’s construction.

“The commissioners’ support reinforces our county’s strong commitment to agriculture, the fair program and our 4-H program, countywide,” Pennington said.

The county is continuing its efforts to expand the county’s resiliency efforts with its 2025 legislative requests. Among

NEWS BRIEFS

Flagler Cares launches ‘Keep the Holiday Lights On’ program

Flagler Cares, a one-stop health and social care organization, has launched its second annual “Keep the Holiday Lights On” campaign.

This initiative encourages neighbors to help neighbors by sponsoring homes to ensure struggling families can keep their lights on through December. The goal is to sponsor 100 homes at $100 per home, covering one month’s electric bill for families who might otherwise

the pared-down requests — in light of a tight prospective state budget — Flagler County is asking for funding to help create disaster resilience staging sites on the west side of the county.

Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said early on in his career, he learned the best time to pre-

face utility cut-offs during the holidays.

Donations can be made through the end of the year on the “Keep the Holiday Lights On” webpage at www. flaglercares.org/holiday.

Check donations may also be mailed or dropped off at Flagler Cares, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B302, Palm Coast, FL 32164.

Supporters are welcome to contribute any amount.

Flagler Cares Chief Executive Officer Carrie Baird said at Flagler Cares, they hear firsthand about the challenges facing their neighbors.

“With this campaign, we want to make sure families and seniors don’t have to choose between paying their electric bill and celebrating the holidays,” Baird said. “It’s a simple but powerful way

pare for a crisis is before the crisis is even on the radar. The groundbreaking was a “perfect example of that forwardthinking,” he said.

“I can tell you this building is going to make a difference,” he said. “It’s going to give us peace of mind.”

Lord said the Expo Hall will give the county options for emergency preparedness and will also serve as a central location for post-disaster services. The building will also allow for Flagler County to support its neighbors during emergencies.

“As we turn the soil to symbolize the beginning of the construction phase,” Lord said, “we’re not just building a structure. We’re building capacity and resilience for our community. We’re building a future that is stronger than ever.”

Email sierra@observerlocal news.com.

for our community to extend a hand — neighbors helping neighbors with most basic needs.”

As homes are sponsored, donors can watch the campaign’s progress online as homes on the page light up — a symbol of the community’s shared compassion and care, the press release said. Families in need may apply for assistance beginning Dec. 1 through the same webpage. Flagler Cares will review applications based on financial need, on a first-come, firstserved basis. In addition to bill assistance, any client who applies for help will be connected with Flagler Cares’ wraparound services. Visit www.flaglercares.org/ holiday or call 386-319-9483 ext. 7.

Flagler County broke ground on its Fairgrounds Expo Hall project, a multi-purpose building that will serve in part as an emergency shelter for Flagler County residents. Courtesy of Flagler County

Spending cuts? Ormond to ‘DOGE’ itself ahead of 2026 budget season

City says cost savings may be found in travel, bids and contracts.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

The City of Ormond Beach will begin the process of “DOGE-ing” itself.

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Ormond Beach City Commission held a joint workshop with the city’s Budget Advisory Board to discuss the state’s Department of Government Efficiency framework to selfaudit for efficiency. City staff walked the officials through where they believed they may find cost savings, such as the travel policy for staff and commissioners, memberships to various organizations, take-home vehicles, its bid platform and contract management. Based on previous discussions, the city

NEWS BRIEFS

Volusia County honors veteran employees

Volusia County celebrated the dedication and service of its veterans during an Employee Veteran Luncheon on Monday, Nov. 10, at the Ocean Center, honoring those who have worn the uniform and continue their commitment to public service.

The luncheon was part of the county’s Volusia Values Veterans Program, which underscores its ongoing commitment to supporting veterans in the workplace and throughout the community.

Volusia County employs more than 200 veterans across its workforce and recognized them collectively during the event. County Council members and members of the leadership team personally thanked attendees for their service and contributions, representing a wide range of military branches and generations.

“Our employee veterans bring invaluable leadership, dedication, and a strong sense of service to their work every day,” Veterans Services Director Scott Olson said. “It’s an honor to recognize their military service and thank them for continuing to serve our community through their work at the County.”

Veterans are represented in nearly every county department — from Public Protection and Public Works to Administration and Community Services — where they apply the skills, discipline, and teamwork developed in the military to strengthen programs and services that benefit residents.

will be focusing on reducing spending and streamlining operations.

The self-DOGE process was kickstarted by City Commissioner Travis Sargent, who presented the state’s guidelines to the commission during the recent budget discussions.

“We hear during budget season, ‘Our millage rate is the lowest in the county. Let’s get to rollback,’” Sargent said. “You hear those key catchphrases, and I don’t think we should limit ourselves to going flat or trying to achieve rollback. I think we need to work toward streamlining efficiencies.”

On Feb. 24, the governor issued an executive order establishing a DOGE Team responsible for identifying and reporting “unnecessary spending” within county and municipal governments.

City Finance Director Kelly McGuire said the city of

Through the V3P, the County continues to foster a veteran-friendly workplace that values the unique perspectives and strengths veterans bring to public service.

The program also reflects the county’s broader commitment to supporting the

Ormond Beach received a notice about the state’s DOGE Team in March; the state also asked the city to confirm it was not in “financial distress.”

“They asked that of all communities, just to be clear about that,” McGuire said. “And of course, our answer was no, it was not.”

Then in July, the state asked all local governments to provide financial information in a new, detailed format, and released the self-DOGE framework.

The city is aiming to have a report to the City Commission in February 2026, just before beginning budget discussions.

McGuire also addressed previous claims that the city’s budget has increased by 90% in the last three years. In 2021, the city’s budget was $96 million. In 2024, it was $120 million.

“What you need to understand — and it’s really impor-

veteran community through comprehensive services, employment opportunities, and community partnerships.

Volusia County plans to host the Employee Veteran Luncheon each year in conjunction with Veterans Day to ensure those who have served

tant as we go through this DOGE process and we go through the budget process — is that the budget is a plan, and that plan has to meet certain requirements,” she said. It has to meet state, federal and local requirements, as well as requirements of the government accounting standards, McGuire said.

“Not surprisingly, those requirements are not always the same,” she said.

The requirements may result in “budget duplications.” These can be fund transfers or capital projects, McGuire explained.

“We need to understand what we’re talking abou,t and I think that was part of the miscommunication — or misinformation, whichever way you want to label it — that occurred last year,” she said.

“There needs to be an understanding that there are things that show up in this budget, number one that are real dol-

continue to receive recognition and gratitude.

A third Flagler deputy will serve on state board

A Flagler County Sheriff’s Of-

lars, i.e. the transfers, and number two that are required to show up in the budget until the project is completed. That is not new money.”

Sargent said local governments are responsible for essential services like public safety, police and fire, infrastructure, water and public amenities. Some use of taxpayer funds, however, should be reexamined — like State of the City, the commissioner said.

“We’re spending taxpayer money to join with the chamber for an event that costs people to attend,” Sargent said. “And I think it’s a great event, don’t get me wrong. I think there needs to be better fundraising, and I don’t think taxpayers should continue to pay that any further.”

The city should send a letter, Sargent added, to other entities receiving similar funds to let them know they may not be available next year.

fice deputy has been selected to serve as a subject matter expert on the State Officer Certification Examination Law Enforcement Advisory Team. As a subject matter expert, Deputy First Class Jennifer Prevatt will review and validate test questions, exam blueprints, and cut-off scores, as well as provide feedback on any exam challenges that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement may receive. She was selected by the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, a FCSO press release said.

Prevatt has worked in law enforcement for 22 years and joined the FCSO in 2003. In 2024, she was named FCSO’s Law Enforcement Deputy Sheriff of the Year, the press release said.

Mayor Jason Leslie brought up the possibility of leasing vehicles, an idea he previously floated during the recent budget season. Leslie shared a handout from Enterprise Fleet Management and spoke about how programs like these can combine both leasing and purchasing to reduce vehicle and repair costs.

Staff said they would reach out to other municipalities to see if this approach was doable for Ormond Beach. At the workshop, commissioners also directed staff to prepare a workshop to discuss adding a new technology advisory board, in which members will look at ways artificial intelligence can be implemented in the city to maximize efficiency.

“There’s a lot of areas that I think we can enhance with AI and different technology that we need to embrace,” Sargent said.

Prevatt is the third FCSO member to active serve on an FDLE advisory board. Detention Cpl. Douglas Evans and Detention Deputy First Class Jesse O’Neill both currently serve on the State Corrections Officer Certification Exam Corrections Advisory Team.

“During her time on this advisory team, Deputy First Class Prevatt will have direct influence in refining and advancing law enforcement officer certifications throughout Florida,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “As a former FDLE/ CJSTC subject matter expert myself, I personally know how much of an honor this is for her and for our agency, and I am excited to see the impact she will have on our profession statewide.”

Volusia County Councilmen Jake Johansson (left) and Matt Reinhart (right), with veteran employees.

Courtesy photo

Superintendent Moore gets mostly high ratings

Four of the five board members gave Moore all 4 and 5 ratings on a 1-5 scale.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Schools released a summary of the School Board members’ annual evaluations of Superintendent LaShakia Moore at the board’s Nov. 4 workshop. The document was dated Oct. 20, but the evaluations themselves were done several months ago, board member Janie Ruddy noted. Moore was sworn in as the district’s superintendent on Oct. 17, 2023, four-and-a-half months after she was named interim superintendent. She signed a four-year contract.

The board members were asked to evaluate Moore on a scale of 1-5 in nine areas with 5 considered outstanding, 4 meets expectations, 3 acceptable/satisfactory, 2 improvement expected and 1 unsatisfactory.

Former board member Derek Barrs was the only one to

and four scores of 5 and Vice Chair Christy Chong gave the superintendent five scores of 5 and four scores of 4.

Ruddy was the only board member to give Moore a score of 2 and also gave her two scores of 3 along with two 4s and two 5s.

Ruddy’s score of 2 came on the question of Moore representing the board’s interests in day-to-day contact with parents, the community and governmental agencies. Ruddy said Moore “consistently demonstrates a high level of professionalism and composure in her public interactions.” But Ruddy added that there are growing concerns that Moore’s public positions and decisions at times reflect personal preferences or agendas rather than those set by the board. Ruddy used Moore’s advocacy for removing the algebra graduation requirement as an example.

Ruddy added that Moore’s response to persistent community concerns, such as bullying, “has not yet met the level of visibility and responsiveness the public expects.”

For short- and long-term

transparency and community engagement,” Barrs said.

Under integrity, four board members rated Moore a 5 with Ruddy scoring a 4. Ruddy said Moore “encourages delegation to department heads so that timely communication and decisions can be made.”

CLASS NOTES

Ed Foundation presents 54 teacher grants

right direction here,” with the updating of all board policies.

In the area of reviewing and making recommendations on board policies, Furry said Moore’s recommendation to partner with the Neola group to update policies “was a great” recommendation.”

On planning and financing, Furry, Chong and Ramirez gave Moore a 4 rating and Ruddy gave her a 3. “Managing school choice alongside capacity is a challenging balance, but it is essential,” Ruddy said.

All five board members gave Moore an outstanding 5 rating for rapport building. “I believe Mrs. Moore has done an incredible job representing

For work standards, Barrs, Furry and Chong gave Moore scores of 5, while Ramirez and Ruddy gave scores of 4. In summary remarks, Furry said he was “very pleased with Superintendent Moore’s leadership.”

Ramirez said, “Superintendent Moore continues to provide effective leadership that aligns with the Flagler Schools’ mission of high expectations, innovation and safe learning environments.”

At the workshop, Moore said a second piece will be added tying her performance to the district’s strategic plan. Ruddy asked if data can be applied relative to the strategic plan, “so we can pull numbers on how well we’re meeting strategic goals.”

Furry said the evaluation areas are tied to Moore’s contract, but the board can reas-

The Flagler County Education Foundation presented 54 teacher grants through its partnership with Beaver Toyota and the matching-grant program from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations.

The grants were presented with Bucky the Beaver from Beaver Toyota over two days across 11 schools.

The Ed Foundation said in a press release: “These grants empower our educators to implement creative, handson learning experiences that directly address student needs and lead to greater achievement.”

The grants cover a wide range of subjects, including STEM initiatives, literacy programs, hands-on career and technical education projects and positive behavior supports.

Second

annual career fair: Nov. 14

The second annual Flagler Schools College and Career Fair

sion from 12:30-3 p.m. is open to students from other schools and the general public.

Matanzas student selected for allstate orchestra

Open enrollment underway

Flagler Schools’ controlled open enrollment for the spring semester is underway through Nov. 20. Students can enroll in

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Matanzas High’s George Biedenbach has been selected to the Florida All-State 9-10 Concert Orchestra. He is Matanzas Director of Bands Ryan Schulz’s first student to be accepted to an auditioned all-state ensemble.

Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore. File photo by Brent Woronoff

Ryan Schulz, Matanzas director of bands, and George Biedenbach. Courtesy photo

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Volusia bands together to provide 3,500 families with food

Sheriff Mike Chitwood and Rabbi Rob Lennick estimated that up to 300,000 pounds of food were donated.

SIERRA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

With just days to put the event together, a food drive organized by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties has managed to get food to some 3,500 Volusia County families.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the food drive was about helping out at home. All the donations and volunteers shows Volusia County residents are there “looking out for their neighbors and everybody else.”

“I think this is unprecedented,” he said. “The amount of food and the number of people we’re going to be able to serve, I don’t think anybody

could match this as of now.”

VCSO, Chitwood and the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties set up their base at the Daytona International Speedway to receive donations of food on Saturday, Nov. 8, and then distribute that food to Volusia residents who are on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Locals donated enough funds for 500 gift cards, which ran out in an hour on Sunday, Chitwood said, and some 200,000-300,000 pounds of food were donated to the food drive over the weekend, Rabbi Rob Lennick said.

Hundreds of cars came through on Nov. 8 to drop off groceries, Lennick said.

“We’ve been part of a miracle,” he said. “We’ve shown in Volusia County we are compassionate, we are empathetic, we are loving.”

There are 39,000 families in Volusia County who receive food stamps, Chitwood said. Since the federal government shut down on Oct. 1, SNAP

funding has been debated in the courts.

Lennick said the minute the government announced that SNAP funding would be withheld, the numbers at the Federation’s Jerry Doliner Food Bank “doubled within a week.”

The food drive and the turnout for both volunteers and donations shows, Lennick said, that there is always room for compassion.

“This is about loving your neighbor, and we’ve witnessed it for the last two days,” he said.

Chitwood said when he and Lennick first discussed how to help, they were able to raise $72,000 in 30 hours, and Lennick organized a few truckloads of deliveries. On top of that, Volusia County residents donated and volunteered their time to sort, bag and distribute the food.

On Sunday, Nov. 9, cars began lining up along West International Speedway Boulevard early in the morning to enter the Daytona International Speedway, causing

traffic to back up for hours all the way to the Interstate 95 onand off-bound intersection.

Chitwood said Volusia residents need to continue looking out for their neighbors. His hope, he said, is that the government shutdown ends.

“Feeding people is not about ideology. People have to eat,” Chitwood says. “You guys can fight about your ideology. Fight all you want. But why does it have to be balanced on the backs of people that need the help?”

Lennick estimated at around 300 Volusia residents came out to volunteer.

Margo Rivera, a teacher at Atlantic High School with the Academy of Law and Government, organized a group of her National Honors Society students to volunteer.

The drive teaches students “how well everybody can work together if they choose to all come together,” Rivera said. “That the resources are here in our community, but the need is also here in our community, and it’s just a

matter of everybody working together.”

Rivera said she doesn’t think people really understand how much need there is in Volusia County. When she arrived to volunteer at 9 a.m., two hours before the food drive was supposed to start, she said, people were already lined up.

Erica Marriott and her young son Parker, a Cub Scout with Pack 475, also showed up to help.

The two arrived around 11:30 a.m. and stayed through the rain to load cars with bags of food. Marriott, a native Volusia resident and a retired military personnel, said they finished up at a Cub Scout fundraiser early and came over to help volunteer and help her community.

“I think it shows my son that people can come together despite any type of differences that they may have, whether it’s religious, politics, anything,” she said. “When it comes to making sure people can help people, it’s [about] showing feelings.”

Flagler Radio’s Food-A-Thon: $80K for Grace food pantry

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The fourth annual Flagler Radio Food-A-Thon has raised over $80,000 for Grace Community Food Pantries.

The Flagler County radio stations — WNZF 94.9, Beach 92.7, KOOL 100.9 and KIX Country 98.7 — spent the four-hour live broadcast between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Nov. 7 raising funds for the nonprofit. Over 100 Flagler County businesses, residents, charities and local government officials came by Flagler Broadcasting studios to help.

Dottie Colletta, Grace Food Community Food Pantry’s coordinator, said that donations made online and through PayPal are still being counted, but she’s confident the FoodA-Thon has raised close to $100,000. The Food-A-Thon has met its $100,000 goal before, but, Colletta said, the support is especially impactful now, during the federal government shut down. “But to do it with the way the climate is right now, with people hurting,” she said, “the Flagler County people came through, knowing there’s a need. They always do.”

Colletta said that, like other local nonprofits and food pantries, Grace Community Food Pantry has seen an increase in the number of people coming to the pantry since the pause on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It has not been a drastic increase for them, she said, but it is noticeable.

Typically, on a Saturday or Sunday, she said, the pantry at the Flagler Schools location on Education Way will serve around 500 households each day.

On the Nov. 8 and 9 weekend, that location saw 673 and

around 580 households come through their pick up line, she said. That is not including the other two Grace Community Food Pantries locations she said, which have also had an increase.

The money from the FoodA-Thon “is extremely important,” she said, because it not only helps buy additional food but also helps pay for any repairs needed to their infrastructure, like the walk-in freezer and the refrigerators.

“I constantly want the community to know how very grateful we are,” Colletta said.

Among the many donors, Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly donated $5,000, the Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia Flagler donated $6,000 and Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris made a personal donation of $3,000, the press release said. Flagler County employees and commissioners donated over $3,000 as well.

“I’m just going to say it this way: ‘God always provides. He always provides the need,’” Colletta said. “And Flagler County residents are really awesome. I see it firsthand.”

And not just with the Food-A-Thon: residents in neighborhoods will organize food drives and donations, and every month at least one school is hosting a food drive, too.

Beyond the donations, she said, multiple school organizations are reaching out to volunteer, like the soccer teams and the Flagler Palm Coast High School Junior ROTC program, and Rymfire Elementary School’s Problem Solvers.

“Here are children seeing a need, and they’re coming to volunteer,” she said.

For those still looking to pitch in, Colletta said the pantries really need dry goods like canned vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce, peanut butter and similar, though all food donations are welcome.

They also can always use volunteers, regardless of a person’s age, she said.

“I get them from six to seven years old, up to 80. They want to make a bag. They want to feel useful,” she said. “I don’t care if you’re 100, if you can put food in a bag, I want you.”

Food assistance in Volusia and Flagler counties

1,800 BOXES Volusia County, in collaboration with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, recently completed two large-scale community food distribution events that provided more than 1,800 boxes of food — 37,000 pounds — to residents as part of the county’s efforts to strengthen food security and support local families.

The distributions, held at Calvary Christian Church Dream Center in New Smyrna Beach and Hope Place in Daytona Beach, were made possible through Community Services Block Grant – Disaster Relief Supplemental Funding awarded to Volusia County by the Florida Department of Commerce to continue addressing the impacts of Hurricane Ian.

CULTURAL ALLIANCE The Volusia County Cultural Alliance and local arts and cultural organizations are launching a month-long countywide food drive, beginning Monday, Nov. 10. Collection boxes for nonperishable food donations will be placed at museums, theaters and galleries throughout the county. The food drive comes after the Volusia County Council proposed redirecting over $600,000 of funds, previously budgeted for cultural grants, to support local food pantries as almost 80,000 residents in Volusia face the loss of SNAP benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

To donate, visit https:// volusiaculture.org/volusiaculture-filling-bellies-andfeeding-the-creative-spirit.

“After this crisis has passed, we will continue to advocate for the County Council to uphold its 35-year commitment to arts and culture in Volusia County,” said Julia Truilo of the Volusia County Cultural Alliance.

FLAGLER COMMISSION

Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito has approved an emergency allocation of $50,000 to local food bank operations in response to the temporary freeze on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Approximately 11,447 residents, or 7.4% of all Flagler County households, receive SNAP benefits

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fine should focus on civics, not politics, when talking to kids

Dear Editor:

It was a sad day for America on Oct. 14, when a U.S. Congressman squandered an opportunity to bring our unique and sacred democratic process alive for a group of young Florida students visiting the Capitol. But Randy Fine (R-6th District) did just that. He could not stop himself from engaging in a partisan rant when he was asked about the current government shutdown by this group of students. His words were not part of a civics lesson, but were a blast of biased political rhetoric propagated by his own political party. We could serve the country as a whole by using this travesty as a “teachable moment” to ensure that every elected

official commits to recognizing a civics class as a lesson in how our Republic works and not debase it as an excuse for a partisan stump speech.

LAUREL ROBINSON Ormond Beach

I stand by the sign I carried in the No Kings protest

Dear Editor: I was going to write a couple of weeks ago on the programs being cut due to Trump’s destruction of America; but I refrained because I felt that it would have fallen on the deaf ears. This edition covering the No Kings Protest lit the fire for me to pick up the pen. My flag “Not my President” was mentioned by a letter writer, without exposing the whole

FOCUS ON FAITH

message: “Not my voice, Not my values, Not my beliefs.” Of course the letter writer implied the message was that of a doofus; however, here I be: an aware American. Living under authoritarian rule is not for me, so I fight for the Constitution and no kings.

KAREN CULLEN

Ormond Beach

Editor’s note: The letter writer is responding to a letter titled “Our president in Donald Trump,” published in the Oct. 30th edition of the Ormond Beach Observer.

Excited about Ormond Beach’s ‘self-DOGE’ effort

Dear Editor:

Hearing that the Ormond Beach City Commission recently held a joint

workshop with the Budget Advisory Board to discuss the state’s Department of Government Efficiency framework to self-audit for efficiency has me excited. I am reminded that as a member of the Ormond Beach Budget Advisory Board for four budget cycles, I advised to reduce spending on several line items. The city’s budget has gone up significantly since then, with none of my suggestions being implemented in any meaningful way I am aware of. Some of the actionable solutions I’ve cited as a board member or as a taxpayer of Ormond Beach for adjustments toward efficiency and save taxpayer cost are:

„ A reimagined approach to landscaping (Florida native/ friendly needs less maintenance and is healthier for our environment)

„ Promote paperless option for utility billing (offer a statement credit at a lower cost than annual spending for 12 paper billings being sent)

Thirty years of fellowship: Knights of Columbus, in Flagler Beach

For 30 years, the Knights of Columbus Notre Dame Council #10514 in Flagler Beach has been a constant for some of Flagler Beach’s senior community members. The council, located at the Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church, has been a present force in the Flagler Beach and surrounding communities since the 1990s. Knights members Tim Postemski and

fellow John Check have spent the last several years working the bingo games, which are held every Tuesday at the Santa Maria Del Mar Parish Hall beginning at 10:30 a.m.

“For some of these folks, it’s the only thing they look forward to, getting out for the

„ Cut out the bureaucracy for employee benefits (allow employees to contract directly to providers)

„ Eliminate corporate welfare (AKA “economic incentives” — government picking winners and losers in the marketplace subsided by competitors)

„ Look into remote working options to potentially save money (per diem and travel allowances can be eliminated).

I look forward to a more efficient government in Ormond Beach.

JOE HANNOUSH Ormond Beach

Send letters 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. The Observer’s mission is to build bridges of understanding; letters help us understand each other.

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centers. The group recently fundraised and purchased the Save Haven Baby Box that was installed at a Palm Coast fire station.

day,” Postemski said.

Check said the bingo players have become “like a big family.” People come from all over for the weekly games, he said, from St. Augustine, DeLand to Daytona Shores. Check said it feels good to see the camaraderie among the crowd.

Every year, the bingo games shut down from May to August to make room for other events, and, he said, every year the players are eager to return.

“We’ve had people come here and say, ‘I couldn’t wait for you to reopen. I look forward to it,” he said. “[Some] get out of the house once a week, and they come here.”

Grand Knight Bryan Perszyk said the Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s organization that supports charitable initiatives in local communities. The Flagler Beach council is very active in the community, he said.

“Most of us are looking for a way to give back,” Persyzk said, “We feel blessed, you know? I do. It’s just a way to give back.”

According to their website, the council supports a wide range of charitable and volunteer outreach programs from scholarships, fundraiser cookouts, and campaigns and programs to support new mothers and crisis pregnancy

The weekly bingo event is one way the group manages to raise funding for its charitable programs, but, Postemski said, it’s more than that, too. Over the years, the bingo game has become a place for these people to connect to each other and find community and friendship.

Those who attend pay $15 for a book of bingo cards, and lunch is provided as well – by the same Knights of Columbus members that serve the Monday night dinners at Santa Maria Del Mar.

Bingo player Lillian Loudermilk said she’s been going to bingo for 50 years and has “never seen men work as hard as they do here.”

“These guys are so exceptional,” she said. “They treat us like we are queens.”

For some of the bingo attendees, she said, the bingo event is their life and have come to rely on the Knights of Columbus weekly bingo games.

“Especially for the older women that don’t have much to do,” she said. “They have a place to come to, and they’re loved and taken care of here.”

— SIERRA WILLIAMS

Send faith-based stories to

com.

Congressman Randy Fine, who represents Flagler and Volusia counties, announced he co-sponsored the Voting Only Through English (VOTE) Act, introduced by Congressman Abe Hamadeh of Arizona. This legislation requires that ballots be printed in English in order for states to qualify for federal election funding. The bill reinforces President Trump’s recent Executive Order declaring English as the official language of the United States.

“If the only language you can speak is a foreign language, then go vote in a foreign election,” said Congressman Fine.

Trump has made it clear through his English language executive order that those who come to America must assimilate and embrace our values, Fine’s press release states. Fine said he stands “firmly with the president in defending those values and strengthening America’s cultural unity.”

The Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church’s Knights of Columbus Council. Photo by Sierra Williams

Stephenson, Wilcox and Associates

YOUR NEIGHBORS

‘We’re

here to change lives’

Heidi Petito and Sandra Shank were the first recipients for awards recognizing their work in behavioral healthcare.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

SMA Healthcare and Flagler County will be breaking ground on a new crisis stabilization unit on Nov. 18.

The announcement of the groundbreaking for the new facility came during SMA Healthcare’s inaugural Gala of Light, which celebrated the achievements and milestones made in behavioral healthcare. It was held on Nov. 8 at the Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa.

“As Flagler County continues to grow, so does our responsibility to expand access to strengthening behavioral health services,” said Andrew Williams, SMA Healthcare’s vice president of Flagler County services.

“We’ve taken the cruise control off the vehicle, and we are pressing forward with innovation, partnership and expansion like never before.”

SMA Healthcare provides comprehensive services for individuals in need of mental health services as well as substance abuse services across multiple counties in Northeast Florida. In Flagler County, those services include a Crisis Triage and Treatment Unit, the Mobile Crisis Response Team, and primary care services.

The future crisis stabilization unit, and a new men’s residential unit, is the result

CLASS NOTES

Portuguese group awards 12 college scholarship totaling $28,000

Flagler County’s Portuguese American Educational Society (PAES) awarded $28,000 in scholarships to 12 students of Portuguese heritage on Oct. 25 at its annual scholarship dinner and golf tournament. The dinner, held at the Portuguese American Cultural Center, was attended by over 250 people including Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. The

entertainment was provided by Kenny Real. In its 14 years awarding scholarships, PAES has awarded 156 scholarships totaling $330,000. The scholarships are supported by “The North vs. South Golf Tournament,” among other sources of sponsorships.

The following students received an academic undergraduate scholarship:

„ Sean Ribeiro Adams, 21, Embry -Riddle Aeronautical University

„ Cody Gerard Bertola, 19, Daytona State College

„ Jessica Grace Camacho, 19, Eastern Florida State College

„ Sabrina Lee Carvalheira, 19, University of North Florida

„ Elijah James Cordeiro, 18,

of a public-private partnership between Flagler County and SMA Healthcare. Flagler County has requested and received $10 million in legislative funding to help build the crisis unit and residential program and SMA has committed another $4 million to the project, Williams said.

Currently, Williams said, individuals who need crisis intervention or to detox need to leave Flagler County to receive services.

“The gap in services is exactly what led to this project and why we’re here today,” Williams said.

The gala on Nov. 8 was organized by SMA Donor Relations Manager Melissa Gabriel, who said it was important the Flagler community knows what SMA Healthcare is and that it is there to support the individuals in the community.

“We have a lot of growth happening in Flagler right now,” she said. “We’re here to change lives, and we wanted to do something that was very impactful, that was going to make a difference and stand out.”

The gala recognized Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito and CEO and Founder of Life Ministries-Hope House Sandra Shank as the first two people chosen for the Impact and Phoenix Awards.

Shank, Gabriel said, embodies the idea of the Phoenix Award, which celebrates “someone who has overcome either mental health and or

Florida State University

„

Melinda Ann Misdom, 18, University of Central Florida

„ Arielle Maria Yantin, 19, University of Central Florida. These students received a cultural undergraduate scholarship:

„ Andrew John Costa, 19, Daytona State College

„

Marissa Nicole Jesus, 20, Daytona State College

„ Isabella M. Reis, 18, Daytona State College

„ Emily Katherine Madalena, 20, University of Tampa

Raquel Elisa Torrão, 22, University of Tampa, received a scholarship for her masters/ doctorate degree.

In addition, Isabella M. Reis received the Marco F. Branquinho “It’s a Beautiful Day

substance use disorder challenges, and has gone on to do great things.”

In her acceptance speech, Shank talked about how she was a survivor of sexual assault in the military. In 1987, she said, she attempted suicide because of of that assault.

“Darkness remains dark until light enters the room, and then the darkness has to flee,” Shank said. “There was no light for me.”

Shank said, she created her group home, Hope House, as a direct result of her experience in the military. If not for surviving her suicide attempt, she would not have her family or been around to create Hope House.

Even years later, though, she said, she still faces triggers for her recovery. But that

is part of what it means “to rise up out of the ashes.”

“It’s faith, family and community, why I’m here and able to do the work that I’m able to do,” Shank said.

Petito, an SMA board member, Gabriel said, is an amazing advocate for SMA Healthcare. The Impact Award did not have to be related to or had an impact on SMA Healthcare specifically, she said, but Petito has played a vital role with the expansion of SMA’s integrated stabilization unit.

“The meaning behind the Impact Award was to celebrate someone who had made huge strides in either mental health and or substance use disorder for us or in the community,” Gabriel said.

While introducing Petito for the award, Williams the

award doesn’t just honor her accomplishments.

“We honor her heart for people, her vision for community well being, and her deep rooted belief that behavioral health care is essential to a thriving community,” he said.

“Thank you, Heidi, for being a true champion for mental health.”

The funds raised by the Gala, which cost $300 per seat to attend and also included raffle drawings for attendees, will directly benefit SMA Healthcare’s programs and services in Flagler County. Gabriel said Flagler County residents should know SMA Healthcare is “here to stay.”

“We’re here to make an impact and to do great things,” she said. “We want to change people’s lives.”

to Save Lives” in the medical field. And Andrew John Costa received the Stephen Carneiro Scholarship, in the technical or vocational fields.

The Board of the

guese American Educational Society is composed of Ivone Carneiro, Rosa Costa, Ana Paula de Almeida, Inácio Dias, Dina Branquinho, Manuel Carneiro, Samuel Prata and Jack

Portu-

Lourenço. PAES is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to advance education and promote the Portuguese language, culture and traditions.

Lotus Funeral Services owner Nina Guiglotto, Flagler Commission Chair Andy Dance and local business owner Shara Brodsky.

From left to right: SMA Healthcare Vice President of Flagler County Services Andrew Williams, County Administrator Heidi Petito, CEO and Founder of Abundant Life Ministries-Hope House Sandra Shank, and SMA Donor Relations Manager Melissa Gabriel.

Multiple Flagler County officials and community stakeholders attended the SMA Healthcare inaugural event, including Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson Jr. (far left), Mayor Catherine Robinson (second left) and Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito (center). Photos by Sierra Williams

Portuguese American Educational Society scholarship winners. Courtesy photo by Maria Elizabeth Frazão Pereira

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, NOV. 13

HALIFAX GENEALOGICAL

SOCIETY

When: 1:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details: “The Highly Probable Ancestor,” presented by Jerry Finley.

FRIDAY, NOV. 14

MARVELOUS MANATEES

When: 10:30-11 a.m. and

3:30-4 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center, 601 Division Ave., Ormond Beach

Details: Take part in this family-friendly program for students K-12 to learn about Florida’s manatees. Stop in all weekend for self-guided crafts, activities and a scavenger hunt. Call 386-610-0615.

SAMARITAN MINISTRIES

ANNUAL BANQUET AND SILENT AUCTION

When: 5-10 p.m.

Where: First Baptist Bunnell Fellowship Hall, 2301 Commerce Parkway, Bunnell

Details: Learn about Samaritan Ministries’ transition home for battered women and help raise funds for the mission. There will be a catered meal, entertain-

ment, door prizes and a guest speaker. Call 386-437-4372 for tickets. Visit samaritian ministriesflagler.org.

COZY CONCERT

When: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Where: Holy Child Episcopal Church, 1225 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Holy Child Church is hosting a “Cozy Concert” event with hot dogs, chips, drinks and sweets at 5:30 p.m. Alex Fisher and Emma Floyd from Stetson University will perform starting at 6 p.m. Free event.

SOCK HOP

When: 6-10 p.m.

Where: VFW Post 8696, 47 Old Kings Road, Palm Coast

Details: Enjoy a dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs from 6-7 p.m. before dancing the night away with DJ Big Mike. Event is open to the public. Tickets cost $20 per person or $30 per couple. Buy tickets in advance at the VFW Post 8696 bar.

CRT PRESENTS ‘AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS’

When: 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 14, 15, 21 and 22; and 3 p.m. on Sundays, Nov. 16 and 23

Where: City Repertory Theatre, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B-207, Palm Coast

Details: This play inspired by Jules Vernes’ novel, and adapted by playwright Mark

Brown, features five actors playing every part, including an elephant, at a speed that promises to keep audiences laughing all the way through. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $15 for students. Visit crtpalmcoast.com.

SATURDAY, NOV. 15

TOMMY TANT MEMORIAL

SURF CLASSIC 2025

When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16

Where: South of the Flagler Beach pier, 105 S. Second St., Flagler Beach Details: A surf tradition in Flagler County, this event celebrates the memory of local surfer Tommy Tant who died in 1998 from an aortic aneurysm. Free for spectators. Visit tommytant.com.

17TH ANNUAL A1A SUPER SCENIC GARAGE SALE

When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Locations vary

Details: Friends of A1A and its Florida Scenic Highway partners are presenting a 150-mile-long garage sale route. Visit ScenicA1A.org for a garage sale map. Registration to be a seller costs $25. Contact Danielle Anderson at 904-425-8055.

ORMOND BEACH

RIVERFEST SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Attend this year’s Riverfest Seafood Festival for fresh seafood, live music and family activities. Presented by Ormond Beach MainStreet. Artisans, crafters, food vendors, a beer garden and a free water taxi. Free.

GOD’S FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH PANTRY FOOD

DISTRIBUTION

When: 10-11 a.m.

Where: Parking lot across Gods Family Bible Church, 256 Old Brick Road, Bunnell

Details: God’s Family Bible Church distributes food every first and third Saturday in this drive-thru event.

IMAGINE SCHOOL AT TOWN CENTER FALL FESTIVAL

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

Details: Take part in this fall festival with bounce houses, food trucks and vendors. Free and open to the public.

RECIPES AND READS

CULINARY LAB: THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF FOOD — PUMPKINS

When: 2 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Regional Library

Details: Free event.

THE DANCE FACTORY

PRESENTS: ‘OUR 25TH

HOLIDAY SHOWCASE — THE NUTTY NUTCRACKER’

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach

Details: The Dance Factory is celebrating 25 years of holiday magic with a twist on a classic: The Nutty Nutcracker, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s ballet. Tickets cost $25-$30. Visit ormondbeachperformingartscenter.csstix.com.

SUNDAY, NOV. 16

FLAGLER FAMILY FUN FEST

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

Details: Enjoy crafts, games, competitions, face painting, music and food. Free event.

BEAUX ARTS ANNUAL MEMBERS’ EXHIBIT

OPENING RECEPTION

When: 1-4 p.m.

Where: Art League of Daytona Beach, 433 S. Palmetto Ave., Daytona Beach

Details: See the latest exhibit at the Art League of Daytona Beach. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 14.

THE ART SHOPPE

When: 1-5 p.m.

Where: Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired, 405 White St., Daytona Beach

Details: Help support visually impaired students. Handmade items for sale. Proceeds benefit the Conklin Davis Center. Call 386-258-3441.

MONDAY, NOV. 17

MIGRATORY BIRDS OF FLORIDA

When: 1 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach

Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details: Halifax River Audubon will discuss how to spot different types of migratory birds in Florida. Free program.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19

PROBUS CLUB OF PALM

COAST

When: 11 a.m. to noon

Where: Cypress Knoll Golf & Country Club, 53 Easthampton Blvd., Palm Coast

Details: Guest speaker is Ansley Wren-Key, Flagler County coastal engineering administrator. Contact Larry Wright at palmcoastprobusclub@gmail. com or at 386-597-3055.

FLAGLER TIGER BAY CLUB NOVEMBER MEETING

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Hammock Dunes Club, 30 Avenue Royale, Flagler Beach

Details: This month’s guest speaker is Aaron Kaplow-

itz, president of the United States-Israel Business Alliance. Event costs $35 for members and $40 for guests. Visit www.flaglertigerbayclub. com/events.

THURSDAY, NOV. 20

WILD EDIBLES HIKE: FORAGE & EXPLORE NATURE’S BOUNTY

When: 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Where: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreational Area, 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach

Details: Hike through Joe Kenner Nature Trail and learn about foraging. End with a tea tasting. Space is limited to 10. Register by calling 386-5172086. Park entry fee applies.

‘ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS’ When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 20 and 21; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22

Where: Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, 915 North Central Ave., Flagler Beach Details: This is the church’s major fundraising event, with all proceeds supporting St. Vincent de Paul, Santa Maria Del Mar Conference, with charitable activities to support the community. New merchandise added daily. Raffle baskets also available. Free admission.

RECIPES AND READS CULINARY

Flagler County Cultural Council holds arts fest

TNew Chick-fil-A opens on 100 in Palm Coast

Veterans received free meals at Chick-fil-A on Veterans Day.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Palm Coast’s new Chick-filA restaurant is officially open for business, as of Nov. 11.

The new location will be open daily, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. for dine-in, drive-thru, carry out, delivery, mobile pick-up and catering, according to a press release. The location is owned and operated by Glen Efford, who also owns the Palm Coast Parkway location.

Palm Coast Chick-fil-A’s Director of Hospitality Chris Calderon said it has been the work of two years to open a second location in Palm Coast.

“We’ve had an awesome opening day,” Calderon said. “We are thrilled to be able to serve the community on this side of the town, and we really couldn’t have asked for a better day to open with it being Veterans Day.”

Veterans received free meals at Chick-fil-A on Veterans Day.

As a special promotion during its grand opening day, the Chick-fil-A Seminole Woods gave a free entree or kid’s meal to anyone who visited dressed in cow attire or wearing a cow-spotted accessory.

As of 1:30 p.m., Calderon said they had served over 2,500 people, both in an out of

costumes.

At least over 300 showed up in cow-attire, he said.

“The community response has been great,” he said. “The community has been waiting for a second Chick-fil-A. Our first location over in Palm Coast, it was a very busy location, and it was time for us to expand.”

Now with the second location across town, he said, Chick-fil-A can better served its patrons “with the best hospitality possible.”

In creating the second location, Calderon said, the team has had to expand its workforce, adding over 100 new employees between both locations. Some of the more seasoned team members were transferred to the new location as well, he said, and they are still hiring new team members for both locations.

Overall, Calderon said, it was a perfect opening day.

“We are extremely pleased with how the grand opening went this morning,” he said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better response.”

To celebrate the grand opening, Chick-fil-A is donating $25,000 to Feeding American in the restaurant’s honor. The funds will be distributed in the greater Central Florida area, the press release said. The Chick-fil-A Seminole Woods location will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food to local nonprofits.

Email Sierra Williams at sierra@observerlocalnews. com.

BIZ BUZZ

Daytona Beach Trader Joe’s to open Friday

It’s official: Daytona Beach’s new Trader Joe’s will open on Friday, Nov. 14.

The store will host a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting at 8:55 a.m., with the store opening at 9 a.m., according to a press release from Trader Joe’s The Daytona Beach Trader Joe’s is located at 1507 Cornerstone Blvd. in Tomoka Town Center.

The store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. More than 60 crew members were hired from the surrounding areas and transferred in others from Trader Joe’s stores, the press release said.

And, as part of the company’s longstanding Neighborhood Shares Program, the store will donate 100% of products that “go unsold but remain fit to enjoy” to local nonprofit and community-based organizations seven days a week.

It is one of two new grocery store chains opening in the area. The second is a Sprout’s Farmer’s Market that will open sometime in 2026 at the Shoppes at Williamson Crossing.

Kistemaker celebrates 18 years with her Ormond law firm

Ormond Beach attorney Erum Kistemaker is celebrating 18 years of owning her all-women boutique law firm, Kistemaker Business Law Group.

Kistemaker is a condo, HOA, real estate, business, landlord and tenant law attorney

who has been active in new and changing legislation on Florida’s condo laws, according to a press release. She has been featured as a Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on several types of statewide panels and has been selected as a Super Lawyers, and the organization’s Rising Star position, 12 times.

“This is all thanks to an incredible community of clients, attorneys, employees, colleagues, friends and family which continues to grow and inspire me,” Kistemaker said. “I couldn’t be more proud and grateful.”

Kistemaker, a graduate of Seabreeze High School, also sits on the Ormond Beach Government Affairs Committee and Historic Landmark Preservation Board.

Ormond business owners invited to learn from Stephanie Hines

Business and marketing coach Stephanie Hines will be joined by Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie and the city’s Economic Development Director Brian Rademacher

Carol Baker and Robert Soria at the Fall Arts Festival. Photos by Hannah Hodge Avery Weeks, David Wheeler and Joshua Woodlief

Jennifer Willis and Britney Willis

REAL ESTATE

Ormond-by-the-Sea house on A1A: $875,000

Ahouse on A1A at 3622 Ocean Shore Blvd. was the top real estate transaction in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea for the week of Oct. 18-24. The house sold on Oct. 21, for $875,000. Built in 1956, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace, a detached garage and 2,042 square feet. It last sold in 2012 for $285,000.

Condos The condo at 1 John Anderson Drive, Unit 607, sold on Oct. 23, for $442,500. Built in 1996, the condo is a 2/2.5 and has 1,745 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $345,000.

The condo at 3180 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 512, sold on Oct. 23, for $325,000. Built in 1994, the condo is a 2/2 and has 876 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $215,000.

The condo at 1183 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 902, sold on Oct. 24, for $450,000. Built in 1995, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,198 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $280,100.

ORMOND BEACH

Archer’s Mill

The house at 3354 Arch Ave. sold on Oct. 21, for $369,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,034 square feet.

Assessors Ormond Beach

The house at 142 Seton Trail sold on Oct. 22, for $280,000. Built in 1958, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,296 square feet. It last sold in 2000 for $88,000.

Breakaway Trails

The house at 9 Crescent Lake Way sold on Oct. 22, for $669,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 4/3.5 and has two fireplaces, a pool and 2,852 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $489,000.

Halifax Plantation

The house at 3244 Galty Circle sold on Oct. 20, for $440,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 2,088 square feet. It last sold in 2002 for $196,880.

Holland

The house at 29 Concord Drive sold on Oct. 24, for $500,000. Built in 1988, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,868 square feet. It last sold in 2005 for

Latitude

The house at 1052 Sea Shell Court sold on Oct. 22, for $540,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 2/2 and has a pool, a spa and1,563 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $620,000.

$280,000.

Mallards Reach

The house at 34 Manderley Lane sold on Oct. 24, for $705,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 4/3 and has a fireplace, a pool, a spa and 3,518 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $595,000.

Melrose

The house at 182 Grove St. sold on Oct. 24, for $273,000. Built in 1953, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,081 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $159,100.

Northbrook

The house at 1108 Northside Drive sold on Oct. 24, for $424,900. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,283 square feet.

Timbers Edge The townhome at 108 Timberline Trail sold on Oct. 23, for $370,000. Built in 1977, the townhome is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 1,555 square feet. It last sold in 2018 for $234,000.

Reflections Village The house at 30 Reflections Village Drive sold on Oct. 22, for $320,000. Built in 1997, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,588 square feet. It last sold in 2005 for $228,900.

The house at 623 Margaritaville Ave. sold on Oct. 22, for $370,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,464 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $284,700.

The house at 798 Jollymon Way sold on Oct. 21, for $640,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,067 square

Rio Vista The house at 772 Cordova Ave. sold on Oct. 24, for $310,000. Built in 1953, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,024 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $269,000.

Village of Melrose The house at 72 Fairview Ave. sold on Oct. 24, for $315,000. Built in 1946, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,261 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $265,000.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Augustine Oaks

The house at 2215 John Anderson Drive sold on Oct. 21, for $580,000. Built in 1952, the house is a 4/4 and has a pool and 2,047 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $315,000.

Seaside Homes The house at 56 Seaside Drive sold on Oct. 20, for $280,000. Built in 1959, the house is a 2/1 and has 1,058 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $220,000.

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

feet. It last sold in 2022 for $700,000.

Lennar at Preserve at LPGA The house at 2287 Green Valley St. sold on Oct. 24, for $380,000. Built in 2025, the house is a 5/3 and has 2,451 square feet.

ORMOND BEACH JARLEENE

WEST DAYTONA BEACH

Hammock Dunes condo sells

for $1,765,000

Acondo at 7 Avenue De La Mer, Unit 301, in Hammock Dunes, was the top real estate transaction for Oct. 25-31 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The house sold on Oct. 31, for $1,765,000. Built in 2003, the condo is a 4/3.5 and has 2,840 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $1,450,000.

PALM COAST

Flagler Village

A house at 31 Sandy Lane sold on Oct. 28, for $346,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,817 square feet.

feet. It sold in 2021 for 165,000.

A condo at 35 Veranda Way, Unit 29, sold on Oct. 31, for $210,000. Built in 2002, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,142 square feet. It sold in 2012 for $120,000.

A condo at 700 Cinnamon Beach Way, Unit 625, sold on Oct. 25, for $915,000. Built in 2004, the condo is a 3/3 and has 2,003 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $475,000.

FLAGLER BEACH

Seaside Manor

A house at 2948 North Ocean Shore Blvd. sold on Oct. 31, for $1,100,000. Built in 2015, the house is a 4/3 and has an elevator and 2,581 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $125,000.

A house at 39 Sandy Lane sold on Oct. 29, for $355,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2.5 and has 2,340 square feet.

A house at 40 Derbyshire Drive sold on Oct. 30, for $319,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,607 square feet.

Grand Haven

A house at 5 Lakeside Way sold on Oct. 31, for $499,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,994 square feet. It sold in 2008 for $375,000.

A house at 9 North Park Lane sold on Oct. 31, for $600,000. Built in 2012, the house is a 3/2.5 and has 2,330 square feet.

Lehigh Woods A house at 55 Ryan Drive sold on Oct. 31, for $325,000. Built in 2025, the house is a

3/2 and has 1,336 square feet.

A house at 55 Rolling Sands Drive sold on Oct. 31, for $200,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,152 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $86,000.

Marina Del Palma

A house at 7 Menorca Way sold on Oct. 30, for $875,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/4.5 and has 3,058 square feet.

Matanzas Woods

A house at 57 La Mancha Drive sold on Oct. 31, for $415,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,637 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $247,200.

A house at 16 Lake Success Drive sold on Oct. 31, for $345,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,490 square feet.

Palm Harbor A house at 39 Cottonwood Court sold on Oct. 30, for $1,050,000. Built in 1997, the house is a 4/4.5 and has a pool, a boat dock, a boat lift, 2 fireplaces and 3,423 square feet.

A house at 16 Fenwick Lane sold on Oct. 30, for $325,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,759 square feet.

Seminole Woods

A house at 8 Slipper Flower Path E. sold on Oct. 31, for $325,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 5/3 and has 1,984 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $367,900.

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

PALM COAST

SPORTS

DISCIPLINE, TRUST, SOLIDARITY

Mainland has home field advantage against Middleburg in the first round of the playoffs on Nov. 14.

MICHELE MEYERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mainland team captains, wide receiver Christian Cooper and quarterback Sebastian Johnson, made a pact after the Bucs were shut out 21-0 by Tallahassee Lincoln in the first round of the playoffs last season to finish at 5-6.

They vowed they would never forget and immediately started a relentless grind toward a better season.

This season, Mainland is seeded No. 2 in Region 1-5A with a 7-2 record. They are hosting the No. 7 seed, Middleburg (8-2) in regional quarterfinals, Friday, Nov. 14.

“I would say the reason this season didn’t go like last season was just because we (team captains) wouldn’t let anybody forget how last season went — 5-6 and exit in round one,”

Johnson said. “We kept on preaching it all year long, every week and every practice.”

Cooper said the team’s discipline made the difference.

“Everybody bought in and trusted the system and each other,” he said.

Two days after the Bucs defeated Palm Bay Heritage on Oct. 17, Cooper was found passed out on the floor of his family’s bathroom by his 8-year-old sister. He was rushed to AdventHealth Daytona Beach where he remembered being told he may not be able to play football again. He called Johnson close to midnight to tell him the news.

“They’re telling me that I couldn’t play football anytime soon and there was a possibility that I couldn’t play at all for the rest of my life,” he said.

“Honestly, I was so in shock I didn’t really react until it kind of set in for a little bit and then it just hurt. It just broke me.”

He was diagnosed with a severe throat infection which was accompanied by cysts and swollen tonsils. Due to its severity, surgery was a consideration. Cooper was transported to AdventHealth

For Children in Orlando.

After responding well to potent antibiotics and rest, surgery was taken off the table. Cooper missed the 50-6 blowout against Belleview on Oct. 24 but returned to play against Seabreeze on Oct. 31. He scored the first touchdown of the game in Mainland’s win.

Bucs coach Jerrime Bell, Johnson and his girlfriend Kylea Beaumont were the only three people he stayed in touch with throughout the ordeal.

“I’m happy to see Christian back,” Bell said. “Man, that kid, he’s a leader. Kids like that are the heartbeat of the Mainland football program. When you see a kid like that go down, everyone feels it. JV guys feel it because they missed that smile at practice. I missed that “Hey, coach” in the hallways. We’re glad he’s healthy and he’s back.”

Bell said he is excited that Middleburg made the playoffs. “Schools like Middleburg hold a special place in my heart, seeing the little guys rise up,” Bell said.

Last season, Johnson finished with 1,785 total yards.

This year, he passed for 2,054 yards.

“Actually, I’m very proud about my stats this season,” Johnson said. “Last year, I fell short of 2,000 yards. Dang, I was mad, but this year, bang, I got over 2,000. I’m so happy.”

Bucs running back Braylyn Simmons leads the offense with 976 total yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Chris Butler has 755 total yards and nine touchdowns. Comparatively, Middleburg is led by Gino Addison with 1,014 yards rushing. Quarterback Mason Bcus has passed for 1,088 yards.

“Middleburg’s defense seems stingy, if you look at the stats,” Bell said. “They’ve got a good run game, so we’ve got to take advantage of every possession. As long as Cbas [Johnson] does what he’s supposed to do and Tank (Dennis King III) and Tamaj (Woodard) play stout, run defense, we should be successful.”

Middleburg twin brothers Dominic and Darius Swilley are both defensive ends. Bell said they play fast and physical. Linemen Stephone Ross, Amare Campbell, Amarion

Lane and Chevin Davis Jr. will have their hands full, Bell said.

As far as his defense goes, he said they could go up against anybody, including the Chicago Bears.

“They play fast, physical football,” Bell said. “The trio of Tank, Tamaj and Shawn “Quinn” Holmes have played lights-out football, assignment football, all year long and they take pride in stopping their opponents’ rushing game.”

Bell said experience and community support are advantages Mainland is taking into the playoffs. The Bucs are making their 33rd consecutive appearance in the playoffs.

“Experience in the playoffs, experience in these big game and being home with our band and our crowd are definitely advantages over Middleburg,” he said. “The atmosphere is different. We may not have 10-to-15,000 at our games … but with the band going and the crowd rocking, the boys feed off of that. It’s a different atmosphere and it can be intimidating if you’ve never experienced it before.”

Matanzas to host Bartram Trail on Nov. 13 in new invitational

After not making the Class 5A playoff field, the Pirates received the third seed in the North Division of the FIT.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Matanzas Pirates were not included in the state football playoffs, but they will be playing in a postseason game. Matanzas will host Bartram Trail at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in the new Florida Invitational Tournament.

The Pirates (7-3) are seeded third in the North Division of the Class 4A-7A FIT bracket. Bartram Trail (3-7) is seeded sixth. There are 16 teams in the 4A-7A bracket with eight teams each in a North and a

South Division. The winning team in each division will play for the championship at the Villages Charter School stadium on the weekend of Dec. 4-6. The winner of the Matanzas-Bartram game will meet the winner of No. 2 seed Tate and No. 7 First Coast on Nov. 21 at the higher seed. The semifinals are Nov. 28. Neptune Beach Fletcher is the No. 1 seed in the North Division. Lake Worth Garcia is the top seed in the South Division.

Matanzas coach Matt Forrest said his team deserved to be included in the Class 5A playoffs, but after not being selected among the eight Region 1 teams, the Pirates were excited to still be able to continue their season.

“When you play games in November, it’s meaningful,” Forrest said. “When you’re

playing meaningful games in October, you’re doing that to try to get to play in November. And we’re one of the few teams remaining that’s getting to play in November, so our guys and coaches and community are really excited about that.”

After closing the regular season with a win against Palm Bay on Oct. 30, Matanzas resumed practice on Monday, Nov. 4, hoping to get into the playoffs for the fourth time in Forrest’s six years as the team’s coach.

But after the FIT pairings were announced, Forrest expected the players to have a little “extra juice” in that afternoon’s practice, now that they finally knew who they would be playing.

Bartram Trail has a rich football tradition with Florida Athletic Coaches Association

Hall of Fame coach Darrell Sutherland leading the Bears to the playoffs 19 times from 2000 to when he retired in 2022. Coach Cory Johns took the team back to the playoffs in 2023.

Although the Bears won only three games this season, all seven of their losses were to playoff teams. Six of those opponents had records of 8-2 or 9-1.

“Their whole schedule is littered with really good opponents, But we feel like ours was too,” Forrest said.

The Pirates won their final four games of the season after losing to district opponent Mainland.

“We played four playoff teams from a year ago, and we went 3-1 in those games. We played two 7A teams who were playoff teams a year ago, along with playing a very

tough Mainland team and a Seabreeze team that’s 5-5,” Forrest said.

The Pirates ended the regular season ranked 29th in Class 5A in MaxPreps but were not one of the 32 teams to reach the 5A playoffs. Half of those teams had automatic bids for winning their district.

“I think the system has its positives and its negatives,” Forrest said. “[The new invitational tournament] kind of balances that out.”

The FIT will give the Pirates another opportunity to show they are a talented team, Forrest said.

“To host a game in the postseason is certainly really special, and we get to represent our school, our families, our community and our county in the postseason, and that’s something to be really proud of,” Forrest said.

Bulldogs left out of tourney

FPC had expected to be included in the FIT. Instead, they began their offseason preparation.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast’s football team had expected to be included in this year’s inaugural Florida Invitational Tournament, but when the brackets were released on Nov. 6, the Bulldogs were left out. FPC finished the season with a 3-7 record, but its strength of schedule was rated seventh toughest in Class 7A and its ranking seemed to indicate it would be included.

Coach Patrick Turner said the Florida High School Athletic Association had informed schools before the season was over that there would not be regional brackets in the tournament and teams could opt out if they didn’t want to travel. But when the parings were announced for the Class 4A-7A tournament, the bracket was divided into north and south divisions.

The Bulldogs had conversations with the FHSAA, Turner said, but no changes were made.

“It just didn’t work out,” FPC athletic director Scott Drabczyk said. “We wanted the kids to play, but at the end of the day, it didn’t work out with the postseason this year.” FPC’s season ended on Nov. 3 with a 26-25 loss to Fleming Island on a last-minute touchdown by the Golden Eagles. The Bulldogs continued to practice the following week.

“We were looking forward to it, giving the kids another opportunity to play,” Turner said of the tournament. “On Senior Night, we let (the game) slip away. It was a bad note to end on. Being in the FIT would have given the kids an opportunity to end better.” The Bulldogs dealt with a rash of injuries throughout the season, but the positive side to that, Turner said, was a lot of players who will be returning got game experience.

“For a while it was a revolving door, who was in or who was out,” Turner said. “But several players stepped up, playing out of position or playing multiple positions. The kids fought extremely hard against really good teams. I’m proud of how they progressed throughout the season.”

Turner said the first day of offseason weightlifting began on Monday, Nov. 10.

“We came into the season with no one on offense having scored a touchdown for this team,” he said. “One of the advantages of having a lot of injuries is a lot of guys got a lot of experience. Even though we’ll be losing 15 really good seniors, we won’t be starting from ground zero.”

Mainland football players (left to right): Amarion Lane, Sebastian Johnson, Shawn “Quinn” Holmes, Jaden “Melo” Parks and Chevin Davis. Photo by Michele Meyers

Seabreeze girls notch second straight shutout, 2-0 vs. Matanzas

Both the Sandcrabs and Pirates were pleased with their progress early in the season.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

After winning its first game 8-0 against Titusville, the Seabreeze girls soccer team was looking for a tougher test to gauge the progress of its younger players. The Sandcrabs got it at Matanzas on Thursday, Nov. 6.

Seabreeze (2-0) was held to two goals this time in a 2-0 victory as sophomore goalkeeper Kaia McFarland recorded her second consecutive clean sheet.

“We have a very different team this year,” senior striker Olivia Chase said. “We knew Matanzas has a pretty decent team. They were connecting passes very well. So, it was nice to see we can work together.”

“We’re building chemistry,” said sophomore Gabby Dioquino, the Sandcrabs’ center midfielder.

Chase and Dioquino each scored a goal against the Pirates. Chase, who scored five goals in the season opener, put the Sandcrabs on the board in the first half against Matanzas with a close goal near the 6-yard box.

“It was a tough angle, but I got it in the right corner. It was a real nail-biter,” Chase said.

Dioquino made it 2-0 in the second half, stealing a pass and then firing a shot into the net from outside the 18-yard box.

“They were passing out from the back, and I saw the opportunity and took the

shot,” she said.

The Sandcrabs have 11 sophomores on their roster, but most of them received playing time on varsity as freshmen last year, coach Eli Freidus said.

“It’s paid off to get them that experience,” he said.

The Pirates (0-2) have yet to score a goal, but they’ve played two tough teams that made the playoffs last year in Beachside and Seabreeze.

“They are two great teams,” Matanzas coach Scott Crooke said. “Seabreeze is always a great team, and this is the closest we’ve played them in my eight years here.”

Crooke said the Pirates were able to maintain possession for most of the first half.

“Toward the end of the half we lost that possession,” he said.

“After a while,” Dioquino said, “we were able to get to the ball first.”

Matanzas is coming off its second straight winning season, which started with a large freshmen class in 2023. Most of the players, who are now juniors, are club soccer players, Crooke said.

“I’m very proud of this team. They’ve worked hard over the years. I love their spirit. They bond well. There’s a good team atmosphere,” he said.

The Pirates will travel to Middleburg on Nov. 17 before returning home for games against Pine Ridge on Nov. 20 and Jacksonville Providence on Nov. 21.

Seabreeze was scheduled to play at DeLand on Nov. 10 before opening its home schedule at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex with three tough games in a row against Oviedo (Nov. 13), Bolles (Nov. 18) and Flagler Palm Coast (Nov. 21).

He’s the Pirates coach and a Bulldog parent

As Matanzas High School’s varsity girls soccer coach, Scott Crooke has seen rival Flagler Palm Coast play many times. But Nov. 5 at DeLand was the first time he watched FPC from the vantage point of a bleachers seat, and as a Bulldogs fan.

Crooke’s daughter, Adasyn, is a freshman JV soccer player for the Bulldogs. She chose FPC partially because of her interest in the school’s veterinary assisting program, Scott Crooke said.

Scott is a dean at Indian Trails Middle School, and when he talks to the students about the two high schools, he tells them Matanzas and FPC are both great schools, and they both have great soccer programs.

“Either place, just go and have fun and be a part of something greater than yourself,” he says. Both programs do a great job being involved in the community, Crooke said. “We do food pantry help, beach clean-ups. We’re both doing things to help make it better for everybody living here,” he said.

As an FPC soccer parent, Crooke will continue to root for the Bulldogs — except when they’re on the pitch against his Pirates.

Matanzas boys soccer team held to one goal in loss to Tocoi Creek

Jonathan Costa scored off a rebound for the Pirates, who are 0-1-1 after two games.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Tocoi Creek jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead and held on to defeat Matanzas 3-1 in the Pirates’ boys soccer home opener on Friday, Nov. 7.

Matanzas (0-1-1) made it a one-goal game in the second half on Jonathan Costa’s goal off a rebound. But the Toros (1-0-0) put the game out of reach on Cameron Alves’ penalty kick with 2:32 left.

“It was just missed communication, a missed play,” Matanzas coach Beto Aquilar said of the Pirates’ penalty.

“We tried to play the ball, to play it out (from the penalty area), and we just got countered. Jose Cortez had to make the foul. If he doesn’t make it,

the guy’s there by himself, so he took a gamble. I don’t fault him for that, because he had to sacrifice something there at that point.”

Even though the Pirates have a senior-dominated team, they are trying to put together all the pieces, Aguilar said.

“We tried to create chances. It’s just finishing in that final third — we got to finish it,” he said. “I think Tocoi had a good game plan, and they executed it. For us, I told the boys, it’s not about this one game or the second game, it’s how we finish at the end of the season.

A lone defeat doesn’t define us, but hopefully it does create a little bit of character, and

we can go into next week and handle business.”

Jake Bland and Jacob Jakstis scored for the Toros in the first half.

Matanzas opened the season with a 2-2 tie at DeLand on Nov. 3. The Pirates will host New Smyrna Beach on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The Barracudas advanced to the Class 5A regional finals last season and have started out strong this season with three straight victories. They’ve outscored their opponents 11-2.

The Pirates then visit Mainland on Nov. 12 and return home Nov. 14 for a game against local opponent First Baptist Christian Academy.

Seabreeze striker Olivia Chase dribbles the ball downfield. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Matanzas’ Matt Ciminera (6) battles for the ball.

Matanzas goalkeeper Brandon Tavares.

Local cross country teams head to regionals

The Flagler Palm Coast, Matanzas, Seabreeze and Father Lopez girls and boys cross country teams all qualified for this week’s regionals.

Matanzas sophomore Peyton Cerasi won the District 2-3A individual championship Nov. 8 at Middleburg High School by more than 10 seconds with a time of 19:00.6. Cerasi and Megan Rhee (12th place, 20:34.9) led the Pirates to a fourth-place finish. The top eight teams in each district move on to regionals.

The Matanzas boys placed second with Blaine Vogel finishing third in 16:30.8. Freshman Dylan Ciardi was eighth in 16:50.6, Enzo McGovern 11th in 17:25.4, Brant Tarsitano 14th in 17:28.8 and Matt Ciardi 17th in 17:39.0.

FPC’s boys placed eighth at the District 1-4A meet Nov. 4 at Alligator Lake in Lake City. Freshman Douglas Seth paced the Bulldogs with a third-place finish in 16:22.3. Seth was just 2.3 seconds behind the runner-up.

FPC’s Arianna Slaughter also placed third, finishing the girls race in 19:03.3 to lead the Bulldogs to fourth place. Anna Grigoruk was 12th in 19:45.6 and Audrey Bowman 17th in 20:30.4.

Seabreeze’s boys were seventh and the girls were eighth in the District 3-3A meet at Whispering Pines Park in Inverness. Hunter Shuler placed 18th in the boys race in 17:30.6.

Father Lopez hosted the District 3-1A meet on Nov. 5, and the boys and girls both placed fourth. Eldin Rankin placed 10th in the boys race

FPC players’ history gives them chemistry

When Greg Shirley became Flagler Palm Coast’s head boys basketball coach last year, he intended to create a family culture. He didn’t know it already existed.

Several of the Bulldogs have been playing basketball together since they were in elementary school. Five of them, all seniors, will be in the starting lineup together when the Bulldogs open the season on Nov. 18 at home against Seabreeze.

“I just can’t wait,” Nateshawn

Royal said. “It’s the first time all five of us are starting at FPC all at the same time.”

Royal (8.7 points per game), Siah Sanders (9.8 points) and Anthony Hampton (16.3 points) were the Bulldogs’ leading scorers last year on a team that finished with a 15-12 record. Zac Murphy, this year’s team captain, was a defensive stopper off the bench last season.

The fifth starter, Nate Perry, averaged 13.2 points for Matanzas last year. Now he’s back home.

“My freshman year I was here,” he said. “But I had an issue, so I went to Menendez and then last year I went to Matanzas. Now I’m back here at the school I was zoned for.”

Johnny Hampton, Anthony’s father, coached his son and Perry when they were 9 and 10 years old.

“They won 18 in a row, and I knew they were going to be good then,”

Johnny Hampton said.

Johnny Hampton has been an assistant coach with FPC through four different head coaches. He also coaches the Flagler United AAU program. Perry has played with his friends at Flagler United each summer.

“Even when he played for the other schools, he’d play with these guys over the summer,” Johnny Hampton said. “It was like he never left.”

Six FPC seniors in all, including Jack Wronowski, attended Bunnell Elementary School together and played basketball in the Flagler

SEASON OPENERS

BOYS BASKETBALL

„ Seabreeze at FPC, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18

„ Deltona at Matanzas, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18

„ Palm Bay Bayside at Mainland, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19

County Basketball Program at the Carver Center.

Royal joined Perry and Anthony Hampton on the Prospects team when they were in sixth grade. Sanders joined a year later. Murphy also joined the team in middle school.

They also hold each other accountable, Anthony Hampton said. That’s something, Johnny Hampton said, that they learned by themselves.

That hasn’t been happening much, Shirley said.

“They have all improved since last year,” Shirley said. “Zac can get from one side of the floor to the other faster than anyone, and he makes plays for his teammates.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL

„ Mainland at North Florida Educational Institute, 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17

„ FPC at University, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 2

„ Matanzas at Deltona, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19

„ Astronaut at Seabreeze, 6 p.m., Wednesday Nov. 19

The four guards can all push it up the floor, said Sanders, the lone forward at 6-foot-6.

“Last year, we had another big man who played with me,” Sanders said. “Now that we have more guards on the floor, we can play a lot faster.”

As 9- and 10-year-olds, it always seemed like there would be a next year to play basketball with their friends. Now, as seniors, they realize this will be their last chance to win a championship together.

“There is way more effort than last year,” Murphy said. “You can tell every player has some type of heart in the game. We’re all invested.”

with a personal-record 19:10. Savannah Cox (23:41) and Lucy Fulton (23:42) placed ninth and 10th, respectively, in the girls race.

Borgmann opens college career with tourney title

Former Flagler Palm Coast wrestler Christina Borgmann has begun her

college wrestling career with a 5-0 record. Borgmann, a freshman at Felician University in Rutherford, New Jersey, won the 131-pound women’s championship at the Princeton Open on Nov. 2. She did not concede a point until the final. She pinned each of her first three opponents in less than a minute: 17, 49 and 20 seconds. She decisioned

Stacy Bloomfield of Ursinas 8-0 in the semifinals and Jazmene Molina of Western New England 10-6 in the final. With the title, Borgmann moved up to No. 8 in FloWrestling’s NCAA Women’s Wrestling Rankings at 131 pounds. Molina is ranked 10th.

Borgmann was a two-time state champion at FPC in 2024 and 2025.

FPC’s Stiwich returned to state high school golf championships

Flagler Palm Coast senior

Sophia Stiwich has qualified for the state golf championships for the second time.

Stiwich qualified as an individual for the Class 3A championships Nov. 11-12 at the Mission Resort & Club at Howey-in-the-Hills after placing third in the Region 1-3A tournament at Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville with a 1-over-par 72. On the first day of states on Tuesday, Nov. 11, she shot a 75 in cold and windy conditions and was five strokes behind the leader. She chipped in No. 9 for birdie and sank a 30foot putt for eagle on 13, FPC coach Patrick Kleinfelder said.

The last time Stiwich was at the Mission Resort for states, she tied for sixth at the 2022 Class 2A championships as a freshman playing for Lemon Bay High School in Englewood. After the season, her family moved to Colorado, where the high school golf season is in the spring, and she placed second, losing in a playoff, at the Class 5A championships. She then took two years off from golf but took the sport up again before this season after her parents moved to Palm Coast. Early in the season she set an FPC nine-hole record with a 30 at St. Augustine Shores Golf Club. Stiwich won the VolusiaFlagler tournament and the District 3-3A tournament.

Swimming regionals

Seabreeze’s Laurel Carson (50-yard freestyle) and Addie Smurdon (100 freestyle) won girls races at the Region 1-3A swim meet. Carson placed second behind Smurdon in the 100 free. Noelle Dragstedt was second in the 100 butterfly.

The Seabreeze boys won the 200 medley relay. Freshman Reef McKeeking placed second in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke.

The Class 3A state championships will be Nov. 15 at the Florida Aquatic Swim and Training Center in Ocala.

Flagler Palm Coast’s boys basketball team with coaches Greg Shirley, John King and Johnny Hampton.

FPC starters Zac Murphy, Siah Sanders, Nate Perry, Anthony Hampton and Nateshawn Royal. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Flagler Palm Coast’s Sophia Stiwich qualified for the state golf championships for the second time after placing third at the Region 1-3A tournament. Courtesy photo

Matanzas sophomore Peyton Cerasi. File photo by Brent Woronoff

Christina Borgmann. File photo

IMPORTANT DATES:

CLASSIFIEDS

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PALM COAST FLORIDA

EXCELLENT INVESTMENT

SELLING OVER HALF ACRE

PARCEL OF LAND LOW TAXES

2 LOTS ARE SIDE BY SIDE I PAY

ALL CLOSING COSTS ASKING

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Yard Sale

Yard Sale Sat Nov 15 8:00AM4:00PM Old Legos, Wicker

White Furniture, 1990’s Schwinn 10 Speed Bike, Cannondale Bike, Books, Household Items, Old VCR Tapes, CD’s and 78 RPM Records, Old Star Wars Books and Memorabilia etc, Make a Bid No Reasonable Offers Refused 404 Pine Rd OB Beachside

Hunters Ridge Fri&Sat 11/1411/15 8:00AM-5:00PM Loads of Christmas Items, File Cabinet, Furniture, Gulf Clubs, Most items $10 or less. 6 Beagles Rest OB

Moving Sale Sat 11/15

9:00AM-2:00PM Furniture, Household Goods, Tools, Everything Must GO! 18 Westlee Ln PC

A1A Super Scenic 150 Mile Garage Sale Homes, businesses & community sites with hundreds of sales along A1A from Daytona Beach to Jacksonville! Florida’s BIGGEST Garage Sale! Get the map at www. ScenicA1A.org. Hosted by the Friends of A1A.

Warehouse/Garage Super Sale 11/15-11/16 8:00AM5:00PM. 415 Parque Dr OB: Computer Items, Tools, Furniture , DJ Eq, Camping Items & Much More.

Wanted

Vinyl Records Wanted I Buy Vinyl Records Call/Text Ryan 856-283-8057

INFORMATION & RATES: 386-447-9723 • info@observerlocalnews.

new roof ,air conditioner appliances, waterheater, just painted asking $335,000.00 obo 1-386-437-7058 landline.

ELIZABETH JONES

PLANTATION BAY 1-A, UNIT 3, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 27, PAGE(S) 40 THROUGH 48, INCLUSIVE, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER

DIVISION CASE NO. 2025 CA 000603 WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2019-HB1, Plaintiff, vs. THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHERS WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF CAROLINE K. ALEXANDER, DECEASED, et. al. Defendant(s), TO: THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHERS WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF CAROLINE K. ALEXANDER, DECEASED, whose residence is unknown if he/she/they be living; and if he/she/they be dead, the unknown defendants who may be spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees, and all parties claiming an interest by, through, under or against the Defendants, who are not known to be dead or alive, and all parties having or claiming to have any right, title or interest

INSERTION

in the property described in the mortgage being foreclosed herein. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property: LOT 55, BLOCK 3, PALM COAST, SECTION 15, MAP BOOK 6, PAGE 68-72, PER OFFICIAL RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on counsel for Plaintiff, whose address is 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33487 on or before /(30 days from Date of First Publication of this Notice) and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition filed herein. THIS NOTICE SHALL BE PUBLISHED ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO (2) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court at Flagler County, Florida, this day of 11/4/2025. Tom Bexley

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT (SEAL) BY: MARGARITA RUIZ DEPUTY CLERK ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, AND SCHNEID, PL ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487

PRIMARY EMAIL: flmail@raslg.com 25-333915 November 13, 20, 2025 25-00285G

July 18, 2025, and August 20, 2025. Nov. 13/20 25-00422F 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 Avalina Creative Works, located at 9 Old Kings Road Ste 123, in the City of Palm Coast, Flagler County, FL 32137 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 8th day of November, 2025. Avalina Enterprises LLC Nov. 13 25-00423F 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 SSG Handyman, located at 25 Louvet Ln #A, in the City of Palm Coast, Flagler County, FL 32137 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 10th day of November, 2025. HRECHKA LLC Nov. 13 25-00426F

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025 CP 658 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF THOMAS J. DALY Deceased. The administration of the estate of Thomas J. Daly, deceased, whose date of death was April 26, 2025, 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. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. ALL 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 November 13, 2025. Personal Representative: Heather L. Daly 1 Fernon Lane Palm Coast, Florida 32137 Attorney for Personal Representative: Diane A. Vidal,

File No. 2025-CP-000558 IN RE: ESTATE OF ALBERT S. ESCHER Deceased. If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedents’ estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent, or unliquidated, you must file your claim with the court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF A DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent, or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with the court, ON OR BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE PERIOD SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702, FLORIDA STATUTES, WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH. The case number and decedent’s name are: ALBERT S. ESCHER, File Number 2025-CP-000558. The address of the court where this probate is pending is: Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bldg. # 1, Bunnell, FL, 32110 A Personal Representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211. Date of death of the decedent is: 03/28/2025. The date of first publication of this notice is: November 13, 2025. The second week of publication is: November 20, 2025. Personal Representative(s): Sharon Escher. Attorney for the representative(s): By: /s/Matthew T. Morrison Matthew T. Morrison, Esquire Florida Bar No. 1005203 5121 S. Lakeland Dr, Suite 2

THE CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY TOTALING 19.67± ACRES, GENERALLY LOCATED BETWEEN SOUTH ANDERSON STREET, SOUTH PEACH STREET, AND EAST DRAIN STREET IN THE CITY OF BUNNELL LIMITS FROM “R-2, MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT” TO “R-3B, MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT”; PROVIDING FOR LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT; PROVIDING FOR THE TAKING OF IMPLEMENTING ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF MAPS BY REFERENCE; REPEALING ALL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR NONCODIFICATION AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE as may be legally permitted on the day of the meeting. Instructions on how to participate