PBO 01 16 20

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

REAL ESTATE 11 JANUARY 2019

VOLUME 6, NO. 6

Water update: Help on the way

TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

Flagler County turns management of Plantation Bay utility over to FGUA.

Meet the top teachers for all of Plantation Bay’s zoned schools

PAGE 2

PAGE 8

EVANA FRETTERD, FPC RAY GRIMARD, SHS

INSIDE

PAGE 9

MICHELLE COOLICAN, BTMS IDA SIERRA BONILLA, HMS

PRESERVATION

FDEP adds acreage to Bulow Creek State Park near Ormond Beach PAGE 4

PAGE 10

LEAH GRAF, PES APRIL ADAMS, BES

NURSE TRIAGE

Volusia nurse program to handle non-emergency 911 calls. PAGE 5

AWARENESS

Seabreeze High School student aims to raise awareness about human trafficking. PAGE 6

Mayor Bill Partington, Taylor Olsen and City Commissioner Susan Persis at the Dressember Tea on Jan. 4.

Ray Grimard, Seabreeze High School’s teacher of the year

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DAYTONA BCH FL PERMIT #447

‘Grit and determination’

First Step Shelter finally opens

JARLEENE ALMENAS

Local Postal Customer

NEWS EDITOR

Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry helped cut the ribbon during the First Step Shelter grand opening on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

“As a community, we refused to adhere to the advice of the naysayers, those who said our efforts were futile,” said Henry, who chairs the shelter’s board.

“Those who said that we should give up, that we should quit, that no one would come to a shelter located halfway out of town.

But because of your grit, your

Photos by Jarleene Almenas

Dwight Selby, Ruth Trager, Derrick Henry, Ed Kelley, Chase Tramont, Billie Wheeler and Bob Williams cut the First Step Shelter ribbon.

determination and your refusal to accept the status quo, today I stand before you with at least a thousand people to thank.”

A crowd of at least 200 people

attended the opening, where they were able to tour the 15,000-square-foot facility for the homeless. Up to 45 beds are available, and the facility fea-

tures a kitchen, a large cafeteria-style dining room, a medical ward and separate dorms for men and women. Visit ormondbeachobserver.com for more.

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020

Flagler County turns management of Plantation Bay utility over to FGUA The agreement approved Dec. 16 is an interim agreement that could precede a permanent one, the county said.

JONATHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

Flagler County has run the Plantation Bay water utility for years, and in that time the water has been discolored and odorous, prompting regular complaints from residents. Now, Flagler County will no longer manage the utility —and may try to divest of it entirely.

The County Commission during its Dec. 16 meeting approved an agreement to have the Florida Governmental Utility Authority run the Plantation Bay utility, at least for two months.

The agreement is an interim agreement that could potentially precede a permanent one.

A county staff document refers to the agreement as a “first step in working towards divesting Flagler County from being a utility provider,” and part of a series of agreements needed for the FGUA to provide water and wastewater services in Plantation Bay, Eagle Lakes and Beverly Beach.

County Administrator Jerry Cameron told commissioners during the meeting that he had invited the FGUA to operate the ailing utility on a trial basis for several weeks, after he’d consult-

Residents near airport threaten lawsuit over noise JONATHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

COMMUNITY MEETING The county government will hold a town hall meeting at 5 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Club de Bonmont in Plantation Bay to explain the new direction with the water utility.

ed with FGUA experts about its problems and felt they’d provided definitive answers.

“They have given me the most thorough and correct explanations of what’s going on there and what it takes to fix it,” he said.

The FGUA was formed through an interlocal agreement between Brevard, Lee, Polk and Sarasota counties in 1999, and now manages over 80 systems in 13 counties, according to its website.

Under its leadership, the water quality at Plantation Bay quickly improved, prompting Cameron to enter into discussion with FGUA about the possibility of FGUA taking over management of the facility permanently.

“The expertise that they provide achieved amazing results,” Cameron said. “The week before they took over management, I would not have been comfortable bathing in the water. Two weeks after they took over the management, I don’t hesitate to drink it.”

While FGUA runs the facility, the county will look into the possibility of divesting from the utility.

That could be difficult because it took on debt to buy the facility, first buying it for $5.5 million in a joint purchase with the city of Bunnell in 2013, then taking over

213 S 2nd Street, Suite 2 Flagler Beach, FL 32136 Office: 386-338-5130 www.RealtyEvolution.net

it entirely in 2015.

Cameron said he’s been communicating with the Department of Environmental Protection and with the county’s legislative delegation about possibilities for mitigating the debt load.

“If we can do that, it would be prudent in my opinion to turn the utility over to FGUA, because we have demonstrated over a long period of time that we really don’t have the expertise or the ability of running that utility in a way that benefits the community,” Cameron said.

The structure of the FGUA means that the county can interact with it with greater ease than would be possible with a regular private entity, he added.

Commissioner Joe Mullins, whose district includes the Flagler County portion of Plantation Bay, was impressed by the changes in recent weeks.

“It has never ran and looked better than it looks right now,” Mullins said.

Cameron noted that there are still some distribution problems but that the issues would be fixed under the interlocal agreement.

The commission voted 5-0 to approved the agreement with the FGUA.

Marsha Thayer

A half-dozen residents with homes near the Flagler Executive Airport told the Flagler County Commission Dec. 16 that the planes are creating too much noise.

Jay Siciliani, a resident of Zinnia Court, threatened to sue for emotional distress, and suggested the county limit flight school traffic to 8 a.m. to 5 pm. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, with no flight school traffic on Sundays or holidays.

“I talked to Roy Seiger, the airport manager, again last week about this issue, and his response to me was, ‘The airport has been here since 1942, before the homes were built.’ My response to him was, ‘The homes were here before the flight schools were allowed at the airport,’” Siciliani said. “The airport should grow with the community, not against it. People move to Palm Coast because of the peacefulness and the natural beauty. If the county does not control how it grows, then Palm Coast will become undesirable.”

He added that the County Commission has ultimate authority over the airport.

“If you refuse to help us, then we, the people of this community that suffer from this, will file a class-action lawsuit against the county and the airport for emotional distress,” he said. “We at home have been monitoring our stress levels while these planes

Paul Thayer

President / Broker / REALTOR® 386-290-3202 Marsha@RealtyEvolution.net

VP / Broker / REALTOR® 386-334-1702 Paul@RealtyEvolution.net

have been operating over our homes where we should be relaxing with very low or no stress.”

One woman said said she’d been in a “really PTSD, not safe place” in the days before Thanksgiving, and that the noise was so bad that she called the airport management.

Gina Weiss, a resident of Zinnia Trail, said the noise from flight schools had become “intolerable.” She’d bought her home in Palm Coast 15 years before, she said, and had been “blown away by its pristine beauty, and Palm Coast was also built on the premise of being a refuge, for its environment and its wildlife.”

When residents approach airport management, she said, “They mock us, they make fun of us, they don’t take us seriously.”

“I knew I bought a house near an airport, but the planes were — you could tolerate it,” she said.

She said the area’s real estate values were “plummeting” because of noise. Records from the county Property Appraiser’s Office show that the area’s real estate values have been rising.

County Administrator Jerry Cameron said the matter was a “complex issue.”

“I think the time has come to do a presentation to the public and to the board as to exactly what challenges we have and what might be done,” he said.

He said the issue will be placed on an agenda for a meeting in January.

Brett Berdoll

VP / Broker / REALTOR® 407-221-7580 Brett.Berdoll@gmail.com

“Customer satisfaction is our priority and personal service is our mark of distinction”

807 Millstream Ln. 4BR, 3.5BA, 3 Car, Pool $529,900

763 Cobblestone Way 2BR, Den, 2BA, 2 Car $279,900

725 Cobblestone Dr. 2BR, Den, 2.5BA, 2 Car $279,900

40 Landings Lane 3BR, 2.5BA, 2 Car $234,500

Visit www.RealtyEvolution.net for the most up to date information on property sales in Plantation Bay and surrounding communities.

We would appreciate the opportunity to serve your residential real estate needs. Give us a call for a free comparative market analysis and discussion of our marketing strategy for your home. Referrals greatly appreciated.

Thinking about selling? Low inventory—great time to list your home! Give us a call!

Our team has expanded to meet the needs of the growing community of Plantation Bay. Contact any of us to receive focused and professional service to buy or sell your home.

Barbara Bonichi,

Michael Boyle,

Dee McCabe,

Z. Lenora Papero,

René Mieschke, REALTOR®

REALTOR®

REALTOR®

REALTOR®

REATLOR®, SRES®

Elizabeth Taft, REALTOR®

386-586-6968

386-283-7599

386-872-8117

407-463-1603

René: 386-212-3915

BBonichi@gmail.com

MichaelBoyleRealtor@

Dee@RealtyEvolution.net

ZLenoraPapero@gmail.com

Elizabeth: 386-212-5220

gmail.com

Mieschke.Taft.Team@gmail.com

326151-1

2

|

JANUARY 2020

3

326179-1

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

4

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020 PLANTATION BAY

FDEP adds 47 acres to Bulow Creek State Park near Ormond Beach The land acquisition was part of Florida Forever.

A view of the shoreline from the eastern side of the 47-acre parcel.

JARLEENE ALMENAS NEWS EDITOR

Bulow Creek State Park, home of the Fairchild Oak, has grown by 47 acres.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced on Dec. 20 that it had purchased a parcel adjacent to the existing state park lands near Ormond Beach, a move that is part of the Strategic Managed Area Lands List Florida Forever Project, according to a FDEP press release. Florida Forever is a land acquisition program for the purpose of conservation and recreation.

“Bulow Creek State Park is a prime example of the real Florida,” said Florida State Parks Director Eric Draper in the release. “This addition allows us to better manage resources and provide memorable visitor experiences.

We thank the governor and Legislature for continuing to invest in Florida Forever to protect our

state’s special places.”

The square-shaped parcel was the last piece of undeveloped privately owned shoreline on the Tomoka Basin, said Phil Rand, Tomoka Basin State Parks manager. About a year and a half ago, the state reached out to Rand and asked if there were properties surrounding the park that should be purchased if they came on the market. Rand submitted the 47 acre property; the previous owners had spoken with him in the past about possibly selling the site.

Aside from the property being adjacent to the park’s 5,600 acres of conservation lands, it’s also an important diamondback terrapin nesting habitat.

“That’s one of the reasons the division of state lands sought this piece of property when it became available, because we already knew that would be one of the pieces that we wanted,” Rand said.

The property is also home to a

Photos by Jarleene Almenas

historic site — the remains of a home. Protruding from the water are posts that used to hold up a dock. Among the scattered brick, Rand pointed out deer tracks.

The road to reach it passes through salt marshes, private properties; it’s lined with palmettos, tall grasses and wildflowers.

There are also a concerning number of Brazilian pepper trees,

an invasive non-native plant that has spread along the non-park owned land. Now that the park owns some of the land, Rand and other park employees and volunteers will be able to work to prevent the plant from spreading.

“Usually, we like to restore a property to its natural configuration,” Rand said.

Bulow Creek State Park currently has an average annual attendance of 113,491 with an estimated economic impact of almost $10.5 million.

Residents won’t be able to visit the new property anytime soon.

Though Rand said there is a unit management plan in place they will follow, for now, the state has not announced concrete plans.

Still, the added acreage is a positive outcome.

“We feel that good things will come out of this, for sure,” Rand said.

Bulow Creek State Park is open from 8 a.m. to sundown daily.

There is no entrance fee. For more information, visit https://www. floridastateparks.org/parksand-trails/bulow-creek-statepark

Tomoka Basin State Parks Manager Phil Rand and OPS Park Ranger Abigail Szczepanek.

Observer “If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

FRIEDRICH HAYEK “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher / John Walsh, jwalsh@palmcoastobserver.com Executive Editor / Brian McMillan, bmcmillan@palmcoastobserver.com News Editor / Jonathan Simmons, jonathan@palmcoastobserver.com Real Estate Editor / Wayne Grant, business@ormondbeachobserver.com Staff Writer / Paola Rodriguez, paola@ palmcoastobserver.com Designer / Hailey McMillan, hailey. mcmillan@gmail.com Advertising Manager / Jaclyn Centofanti, jaclyn@palmcoastobserver.com Account Managers / Hallie Hydrick, hallie@palmcoastobserver.com, Susan Moore, susan@palmcoastobserver.com Operations Manager / Maureen Walsh, maureen@palmcoastobserver.com Circulation Manager / David Brooks, david@horizonroad.com

Plantation Bay HOA President / John Gamin / 386-586-7530 / mjgamin@cfl.rr.com Vice President / Bruce Bandes / 386-263-2682 / sealwyr1939@gmail.com Treasurer / Marty Garbarino / 386-676-3979 / linmar1974@aol.com Secretary / Chuck Gilles / 386-689-5222 / cjg.7@att.net Directors / Bob Anderson / 386-316-1278 / rranderson1@hotmail.com, Joan Beck / 386-672-7762 / jbeck386@ aol.com, Helen Siegel / 386-236-9884 / hsiegel51@aol.com, Phil Peters / 386-5865233 / bogey90dust@gmail.com, Russ Reinke / 386-437-2670 / rrreinke@aol.com

Palm Coast Observer, LLC P.O. Box 353850 Palm Coast, 32135

Announcing the All New

The Newest

RV One Superstore is Now Open!, FL! in St. Augustine

The New Era of OCEAN CRUISING is here!

America’s Favorite Brands!

• Grand Opening Specials • Jayco Towables - Up to 40% Off! • Discounted Interest Rates!

• All Financing done in house with Super Easy Low Interest Rate Approval!

• Professional Sales Staff!

River Cruises through the World’s Must-See Destinations

January 21, 2020

Product Videos on youtube.com/rvonesuperstores

Channel Side 1 Yacht Club Drive 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

RSVP by calling Gerling Travel at 439-6900 or email Mark@gerlingtravel.com

2nd Generation

A1A

95 325424-1001

206

1 Matanzas State Forest

95

Crecent Beach

RV One St. Augustine

Exit 305 Off I-95 • Open 7 Days a Week

6775 US-1 South, St. Augustine, FL 32086

904.797.5732 RVOne.com

Bigger Selection - Lower Prices

324068-1001

When considering booking your travel, shop Local.

When you Think Travel, THINK GERLING TRAVEL. We are the ONLY LOCAL VIRTUOSO RETAIL TRAVEL AGENCY in FLAGLER COUNTY.

For Over 34 Years in Business

Don Strollo Mark Strollo Matt Strollo

Drinks & Refreshments Provided Join us as we present a magnificent collection of “Life Changing” river cruise itineraries featuring VIKING throughout Europe, Russia, and China for 2020/2021 sailings.

We will have special guest speaker Mr. Javier Yataco from Viking.

Family Values

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020

5

Volusia nurse program to handle non-emergency 911 calls The team of eight nurses will handle non-emergency calls right from the county’s 911 dispatch.

JARLEENE ALMENAS NEWS EDITOR

With the recent implementation of the nurse triage program inside the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Communication Center, the county is hopeful that its EMS service and ambulance availability will improve as the program tackles non-emergency calls.

The program began on Dec. 9, and is active from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday. A total of eight nurses — one full-time lead nurse and seven part-timers — make up the triage, all of whom went through 280 hours of training over 14 weeks with VCSO Communications Center staff to learn how to handle and dispatch 911 calls. The program was part of the recommendations the Volusia County Council approved back in February to improve EMS. “Ultimately, our goal with this program is to integrate mobile health care to the community,” Volusia County EMS Director Jason Brady said.

The program, which has cost $284,000, has the team of nurses handling calls involving flu symptoms, earaches, localized infections and others. Some of the recent calls handled by nurses include a resident complaining of pink eye and another who got a fish hook stuck on his hand.

“Before we went live, those calls would get an ambulance and even a firetruck dispatched to them

John B. Holt, M.D., F.A.C.S

with no pre-screening, or very little pre-screening,” said Pam Cawood, lead EMS triage nurse.

So far, her team is averaging about 13 calls a day. The nurses ask a set of questions and gauge what care is needed, the severity of the injury or health concern, and from there they recommend where the patient should seek care. Options include an urgent care center, a follow-up with a primary care physician, or selfcare instructions.

FINDING THE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT FACILITY

Two things had to fall into place for the program to come to fruition: support from the local hospitals, and a consolidated 911 dispatch. It has achieved both.

The part-time nurses are from AdventHealth, Halifax Health and HCA Healthcare.

VCSO Communications Director Glenn said without a consolidated dispatch, a program like this would have been much harder to incorporate.

Interim County Community Information Director Kevin Captain said an ambulance today is an “emergency department on wheels.” If that unit is busy responding to a non-emergency call, that could hinder the ability to respond to an emergency.

“If you’re having a heart attack, you want to make sure that ambulance is available — not being used

James T. Sutton, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Triage nurses Kristy Butwinick, Tonya Mangus and Pam Cawood in the 911 dispatch center.

by a low acuity injury, taking a patient to the hospital that could otherwise have gone to an urgent care,” Captain said.

However, if a resident truly wants an ambulance, they’ll still get it. County Medical Director Peter Springer said they’re not discounting anyone’s injury. In a year, ambulances respond to between 60,000 to 80,000 calls.

Out of that number, Springer said around 10,000 to 20,000 don’t necessitate a hospital transfer.

“We want the public to know we’re not abandoning them,” Springer said. “We’re actually just trying to find the appropriate places for them to be treated. It’s not always an emergency department.”

‘A WORK IN PROGRESS’

Volusia County is the first to implement a nurse triage program withs its 911 dispatch in the state, though not the first in the country. Cities including Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., have programs in place.

Springer said the county will continue tweaking the program as they begin to gather data. In the future, the county will introduce in-home patient care.

For now, Michael Vincent, EMS clinical services manager, said they’re looking to train paramedics for critical care. The first class will happen around March.

Email Jarleene Almenas at jarleene@ormondbeachobserver. com.

“There’s really no limit to what we can do. We’re really pioneering this to be a highly innovative EMS system.”

JASON BRADY, Volusia County EMS Director

William H. Johnson, III, M.D. F.A.C.S.

Providing high-quality surgical services including: Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Surgery Interventional Services Vascular Ultrasound Services More than 35 Years Experience serving Volusia and Flagler County.

A Residence of Legend Senior Living®

LegendSeniorLiving.com

326220-1

ALF# 11761

323598-1

588 Sterthaus Drive, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 Phone: 386-672-9503 Fax: 386-672-0386 https://www.actsllc.org/

50 Town Ct Palm Coast, FL 32164

6

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020

Ribbons for change JARLEENE ALMENAS NEWS EDITOR

A dress. A bowtie. A purple ribbon.

Those are three things Seabreeze High School junior Taylor Olsen will be advocating students to wear this month in honor of Human Trafficking Awareness month. They’re more than just clothing or accessories; they’re symbols of freedom and dignity for victims, Olsen said.

Less than a year ago, human trafficking was a foreign concept for Olsen, who like many, was aware of it being a global threat but hadn’t considered it could happen in her community. One night in March, as she worked on an assignment for her Spanish class, Olsen came across a TED Talk on human trafficking. After watching it, she approached her teachers and told them she wanted to do something.

In 2018, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 767 cases in Florida.

“The fact that it happens so close to us and people don’t really talk about it that often just kind of surprised me because I feel like as citizens we should be more involved in stuff like this — especially if we have the power to help,” Olsen said.

With the support of the Junior League of Daytona Beach, Olsen decided to raise money for the Dressember Foundation by hosting a tea at Oceanside Country Club on Saturday, Jan. 4. The Dressember Foundation advocates for women and men to wear dresses or ties during December to raise awareness about modern day slavery.

Olsen met with her former elementary school principal, Susan Persis, who now serves on the Ormond Beach City Commission. Olsen mentioned her ideas, and Persis gave her tips on how to organize a fundraiser and whom to contact.

Olsen was always a good student, Persis recalled. Seeing her want to help other people and believe in a cause, Persis continued, is a good indicator that Olsen will be a contributing member of our society.

“I’m just very proud of her.”

Persis said. “I’m just beaming, really, because of the initiative that she’s undertaken.”

People may not want to think about human trafficking happening in their community, Persis added, but it does. No city is immune. She believes sparking the conversation to make sure communities are actively working to prevent it is a good place to start.

Fundraisers like this also go beyond the organizations. Persis said it also shows students they can help others.

“Even as an 11th grade student, she has the power to help, and I think that’s crucial,” Persis said.

RAISING AWARENESS AT SEABREEZE

In addition to the tea, Olsen has also started a club at Seabreeze: Students Against Human Trafficking.

The club has grown to around 20 members, O l s e n said, and

SPARKING THE CONVERSATION

The tea was a fundraiser that took months of preparation and was attended by about 60.

Back in July 2019,

Seabreeze High School student aims to raise awareness about human trafficking

Courtesy photo

Taylor Olsen with her parents John and Carol at the Dressember Tea on Jan. 4.

during the month of January after school is back in session, the club will be selling purple ribbons for $1. All proceeds will be donated to the Dressember Foundation.

“Even something as small as that and just being aware of it, means so much, because in the future when we build this up even more, we can start doing more about it,” said Olsen, who hopes to one day be a policymaker or start an organization that aids with human rights issues.

She hopes the purple ribbons

will be a conversation starter for her fellow students at Seabreeze, and that they will want to know more and ask questions.

“I just really want them to know that this is something that they should be paying attention to, and that they do have the power to do something,” Olsen said. “That they don’t have to be city officials or politicians to do anything, that if you are just a student who wants to try hard enough, you can really make a difference.”

BY THE NUMBERS Out of the 767 cases of human trafficking were reported in Florida in 2018, 524 of those cases involved sex trafficking.

528 of the victims identified as female.

103 of the victims identified as male.

3 of the victims were in the gender minorities.

428 of the victims were adults.

149 of the victims were minors.

“The fact that it happens so close to us and people don’t really talk about it that often just kind of surprised me because I feel like as citizens we should be more involved in stuff like this — especially if we have the power to help.

TAYLOR OLSEN

Taylor Olsen wants to raise awareness of human trafficking in our community.

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

7

JANUARY 2020

Ask about us Home our to Heroe wn Incen s tive!

Plantation Bay R ESIDEN T R EWAR DS :

Refer friends & family who purchase a new ICI Home by 12/31/20 and you’ll receive a FREE One Year Fitness Membership! Already a member? You will receive $1,000 credit towards your membership for 1st referral, $1,500 credit towards your membership for 2nd referral, $2,000 credit towards your membership for 3rd referral.

Creekside Club Villas at Westlake

The Blossom II

857 Pinewood Drive 3 Bed / 3 Bath / 2 Car Garage / 2,078 ft²

$285,540

The Arbor II

828 Pinewood Drive 2 Bed / 2 Bath / 2 Car Garage / 1,562 ft²

$296,530

The Blossom II

859 Pinewood Drive 3 Bed / 3 Bath / 2 Car Garage / 2,078 ft²

$291,330

Creekside at Westlake Single Family Homes T

U SEO

CLO

CLO

The Ocala

814 Creekwood Drive 3 Bed / 2 Bath / 2 Car Garage / 1,762 ft²

$367,999

T

U SEO

CLO

T

U SEO

The Amelia

812 Creekwood Drive 3 Bed / 2 Bath / 2 Car Garage / 2,090 ft²

$399,999

T

U SEO

CLO

The Serena

822 Creekwood Drive 3 Bed / 2.5 Bath / 3 Car Garage / 2,094 ft²

$435,150

Woodbridge Estates

The Egret II

517 Wingspan Drive North 4 Bed / 3 Bath / 2 Car + Golf / 2,969 ft²

$677,999

The Juliette II

834 Creekwood Drive 4 Bed / 3 Bath / 2 Car Garage / 2,301 ft²

$472,528

T

U SEO

CLO

The Serena

827 Creekwood Drive 3 Bed / 2.5 Bath / 3 Car Garage / 2,094 ft²

$417,999

T

U SEO

CLO

The Vienna

876 Creekwood Drive 3 Bed / 3 Bath / 3 Car Garage / 2,263 ft²

$482,999

NEW PHASE - Stirling Bridge - MODEL NOW OPEN!

The Costa Mesa

203 Heatherwood Court 3 Bed / 3 Bath / 3 Car Garage / 2,565 ft²

$621,178

The Costa Mesa

211 Heatherwood Court 4 Bed / 3 Bath / 3 Car Garage / 2,565 ft²

$499,760

*Prices and offerings subject to change without notice. Rules and restrictions apply. See a Sales Associate for details. Venture Development Realty Inc.

324272-1

Contact us for more information — 386.437.4164

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020

Teachers of the year 2019

Investing in the Arts for our Community.

FLAGLER PALM COAST HIGH SCHOOL

Start your new year with a taste of Broadway!

Evana Fretterd Fretterd helps students appreciate others’ backgrounds.

NEWS EDITOR

For Flagler Palm Coast High School teacher Evana Fretterd, teaching Spanish is about more than nouns and verbs and sentence structure.

“Through Spanish instruction of language and culture, I am creating well-rounded members of the community who will appreciate others with various backgrounds,” Fretterd wrote in her Teacher of the Year statement.

Students arrive in Fretterd’s classes with different levels of Spanish ability: Some don’t know Spanish at all; others are “native speakers,” yet illiterate. She uses games to keep them engaged.

Fr e t t e r d chairs the school’s World Language Department, and in 2017-2018 helped create a districtwide curriculum

Rita Rudner, Live from Las Vegas Tuesday, Jan. 14th - 7:30PM

Rita Rudner has performed all over the country, filling Carnegie Hall in NY three times and the Universal Amphitheatre in L.A. twice. She’s also performed sell-out tours internationally in Australia and England.

Rita is now officially the longest-running solo comedy show in the history of Las Vegas.

map and pacing guide for Spanish, Italian, French and American Sign Language. She also helps edit the Common District Finals for Spanish; serves as an advisor to FPC’s Student Government Association; and facilitates the Prom Closet, which collects donated formal attire for students.

“Helping others find their purpose to pursue their goals and obtain success is beyond inspiring,” she wrote. “Even though I can’t change the whole world, by positively influencing one person at a time, I have changed a piece of it.”

Ray Grimard Ray Grimard is a Navy veteran who now teaches construction technology.

Tuesday, Jan. 21st - 7:30PM

With superlative vocals and musicianship, dynamic enthusiasm and a genuine love of the music they perform, The Bronx Wanderers recreate the magic of an era. They build an energetic bond with their audience, guaranteeing an evening of toe-tapping, hand-clapping and dancing in the aisles.

JARLEENE ALMENAS NEWS EDITOR

More Great Shows

The Bronx Wanderers Magic of an Era

Mutts Gone Nuts!

Saturday, Feb. 8th - 2:00pm & 7:00pm

Catapult

Tuesday, Jan. 21st - 7:30pm

Wednesday, Feb. 19th - 7:30pm

We’ve Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered

Hotel California, A Salute to the Eagles

The Capitol Steps: The Lyin’ Kings

STAYIN’ ALIVE, the worlds #1 Tribute to the Bee Gees

Saturday, Jan. 25th - 7:30pm

Friday, Jan. 31st - 7:30pm

Adbacadabra, the Ultimate ABBA Tribute!

Thursday, Feb. 6th - 7:30pm

Tuesday, Feb. 25th - 7:30pm

Sunday, Mar. 1st - 7:30pm

The Irish Cabaret starring Andy Cooney Friday, Mar. 6th - 7:30pm

Just Minutes Away - FREE PARKING

5500 East Hwy 100 • Palm Coast • Across from the Flagler County Airport Box Office Hours M-F 10am-4pm

386.437.7547

Buy Tickets Online! FlaglerAuditorium.org

Ray Grimard loves seeing his past students come back to speak to his class in uniform. Having served in the U.S. Navy, he said, he’s a strong advocate for students joining the armed forces after graduation.

“As a veteran, it is a very proud moment,” Grimard said.

He’s been teaching for 26 years now, though looking back to his own high school years in New Hampshire, Grimard said, it hadn’t been a career option he considered at the time. He didn’t like school, he said, and he wasn’t the best student.

“Truth be told, I wanted to be an attorney, but after volunteering in the law library in the New Hampshire prison system and seeing the result of young men who grew into their 20s (many doing long stretches of time) I thought that maybe working in the ‘preventative’ side instead of being an advocate on the ‘corrective’ side of the equation might be a better path,” Grimard said.

“Plus, teachers had summers off.

So teaching became the path.”

Grimard, who teaches high

Plantation Bay’s zoned schools are as follows: High School: Flagler-Palm Coast (Flagler County), Seabreeze (Volusia County)

Photo courtesy of Flagler Schools

Evana Fretterd

SEABREEZE HIGH SCHOOL

The Bronx Wanderers Magic of an Era

SCHOOL ZONES

Middle School: Buddy Taylor (Flagler), Hinson (Volusia)

JONATHAN SIMMONS

322956-1

8

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Ray Grimard

school construction technology, graduated from Anselm College in New Hampshire with a bachelor’s degree in history, and later obtained a master’s degree in military history from Norwich University in Vermont. He said he’s humbled and honored to be recognized as Seabreeze’s Teacher of the Year, but that the recognition makes him uncomfortable. He’s never been one for the spotlight.

If he could share one piece of wisdom with students, it would be to learn everything you can.

“Learn the basics,” Grimard said. “Memorize mathematic timetables and units of measurement, read as much as you can, work with your hands as well as with your head, know history, understand how the government works ... ” Also, put your phones away.

Elementary: Bunnell (Flagler), Pathway (Volusia)

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020

9

BUDDY TAYLOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

Michelle Coolican

PRESENTS

Coolican’s students have taught others about microplastics hazards.

JONATHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

When Michelle Coolican’s students began the year with her, she wrote in her Teacher of the Year statement, they’d been expecting to do labs and compete in STEM challenges. Instead, they’ve engaged in citizen science projects, raised money for injured turtles, learned how to make VR movies and informed the community about microplastics hazards.

“As the year progressed, students took ownership of their learning by choosing the projects that were important to them,” she wrote. “I could see the confidence in my young students grow over time. Their creativity and innovative ideas flourished.”

Her favorite accomplishment has been building a STEM program.

“When I started teaching the program last year, there wasn’t any true direction,” she wrote.

“There wasn’t a previous STEM program, there was a new administration and there was no budget.

So, I wrote multiple grants to get funding to implement projects that encouraged students to collaborate and solve problems.”

Last year, Coolican was awarded more than $10,000 in grants, allowing her to bring students to

Photo courtesy of Flagler Schools

Michelle Coolican

tour the Whitney Lab Sea Turtle Hospital and visit University of Florida and the Museum of Natural History.

Students held a “Turtle Night” at Chick-fil-A, sending proceeds to the Sea Turtle Hospital, and created PSAs about microplastics.

Coolican has created an afterschool garden club, shared 4H resources with students and worked with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to give supplemental lessons and bring in guest speakers.

More than 50 of her students earned cybersecurity certification.

This year, she is partnering with Marineland, the 4H Embryology program and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to participate in SeaPerch, an underwater robotics program, and will be adding a butterfly garden, an educational arcade and an “adopt a wetland” program.

HINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL

Ida Sierra Bonilla ‘Teaching fit me like a glove,’ Ida Sierra Bonilla said.

JARLEENE ALMENAS NEWS EDITOR

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Sierra Bonilla

into the profession.

“Teachers are so important to our children, our overall society,” Bonilla said. “There are so many dedicated, responsible, inspiring educators that it’s hard to think that one can be recognized over others. I push to be better in my craft because of all of these teachers. My hat goes off to them.”

Her favorite thing about her job is the ability to impact students, to encourage them to strive for academic and civil excellence.

It’s the relationships she’s able to build with students and peers that inspire her.

If she could share one piece of wisdom, it would be to enjoy every learning process in life and be open to new ideas.

“I believe that education, formal or informal, is the opportunity for every student to reach their full potential as human beings,” she said.

326047-1

Ida Sierra Bonilla didn’t choose teaching. It chose her.

But it didn’t happen right away.

The Hinson Middle School math teacher first went to college for business. She worked long hours in the groups and conventions department of a big hotel — which was great, she recalls. Until she became a mom.

Wanting to be more involved in her sons’ lives, she left the hotel industry and evaluated other career options. In the meantime, she volunteered with her oldest son’s school PTA, chaperoned field trips, helped with fall festivals and even became the football team mom. After she became a substitute teacher, she decided to pursue teaching, a career she had been familiar with since she was young. Her mom was a teacher, and because of that, Bonilla said, she grew up in a classroom.

“Teaching fit me like a glove,” Bonilla said.

It’s an amazing feeling to be recognized by peers, she said of the Teacher of the Year nomination. But it is also humbling and brings with it an added sense of responsibilit — especially, Bonilla said, with new teachers coming

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020

PATHWAYS ELEMENTARY

BUNNELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Leah Graf

April Adams

Leah Graf wants students to believe in themselves.

Adams has earned the ‘highly effective’ rating for 17 years.

JARLEENE ALMENAS NEWS EDITOR

You can do it.

That’s something Leah Graf tells her students every day. She wants them to believe in themselves.

“You might not always succeed but you have to give it your all and try,” Graf said.

Graf was nominated as Pathways Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year, and when she first heard the news, she was in shock.

Once that passed, Graf— who is in her 24th year of teaching — said she felt very humbled, as she’s had “the privilege of teaching alongside some of the best teachers in Volusia County.”

The Texas native started out teaching fourth grade, followed by first and second grade. She’s currently back to teaching first grade. Graf finished her college career at Daytona Beach Community College, now Daytona State University, and the University of Central Florida, where she graduated with her master’s degree in Reading K-12.

She grew up wanting to be a teacher. Just like her own teachers impacted her, Graf said, she wanted to do the same for her students.

INSURANCE

Auto • Motorcycle • Boats RV’s • ATV’s • Golf Carts Jet Skis • Flood • Motorhome Classic Vehicles • Travel Trailers Home • Condo • Renters • Landlords

JONATHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

In Bunnell Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year April Adams’ 17 years as a teacher and 15 years teaching in Flagler County, she has received a “highly effective” rating on her final evaluations every year, and earned the state Department of Education’s “High Impact Teacher” designation for every year that the DOE has released the list.

Adams emphasizes writing skills in her classroom, integrating writing into other subjects.

In the last year, 70% of her 47 students made gains on their English language arts FSA score.

“One of my favorite songs has always been ‘Greatest Love of All,’ which opens with the lines, ‘I believe the children are our future; teach them well and let them lead the way,’” she wrote in her application statement for the Teacher of the Year award. “The students who enter my room do not do so just to receive an education in academics. One of my goals is to ensure that all of my students are also becoming role models and leaders for the other students.”

To that end, she’s served as a

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Leah Graf

Graf has taught at two schools: South Daytona Elementary and Pathways.

She said her favorite thing about teaching is watching her students grow. Many things are out of her control when her students are not with her, she said, but when they’re in her classroom, she can teach, love, guide and listen to them.

“The students who feel safe, in all ways, make such growth,” Graf said. “I love seeing this happen.”

Graf has been married to her husband Brian for 21 years, and they have three children: twin daughters currently attending the University of South Florida and a 16-year-old son who attends Mainland High School.

mentor for students, and helped form a student running club.

“Every kid does need a champion and a positive role model in their life who they are able to conPhoto courtesy of Flagler Schools

April Adams

nect with, and I’m honored to be that person for some children at our school,” she wrote.

Adams has also taught an Information and Communication Technologies Multimedia Essentials class to her students for the past two years, and her students passed at a rate of 81% last year and 91% the previous year.

“These 78 students will now be able to add this certification to their resume in the future when they apply for a job,” she wrote.

She’s recently received two Flagler County Education Foundation grants: One, last year, helped teach students to use QuickTime, which they then used to interview

“Every kid does need a champion and a positive role model in their life who they are able to connect with, and I’m honored to be that person for some children at our school.”

APRIL ADAMS

Don’t Forget Your Winter Tune Up!

Visit us in

Booth 247 Traffic Ticket? Lose the Points!

SIGN UP FOR TRAFFIC SCHOOL Easy classroom, DVD and Online Courses available!

www.aciaonline.com 99 Old Kings Road, South Suite #3 | Mon. - Fri. 9am - 5pm 386-439-9254 (phone) 386-439-9257 (fax)

324924-1001

CAC185644 CAC185644

CALL TODAY 386.253.7621 www.CunninghamOil.com

24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE ON ALL MAKES & MODELS

326049-1

10

www.CunninghamOil.com

United Way fights for the Education, Financial Stability, and Health of every person in our community.

unitedwayvfc.org

REAL ESTATE

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

Top transaction: $1.3 million plus A

|

JANUARY 2020

11

STANDING O

Jon Welker spreads kindness for WARM daycare kids

house on Redbourne Lane was the top sale in Plantation Bay. Volusia Residential Construction LLC, of Daytona Beach, sold 1339 Welker: ‘We suffer when Redbourne Lane to Pranav and Bhumika Shah, our community suffers.’ of Ormond Beach, for $1,374,152. Built in 2019, PAOLA RODRIGUEZ the house has four bedrooms, four baths, two STAFF WRITER half-baths and 2,500 square feet. Following is a Four years ago and while on K9 duty, Cmdr. Jon Welker learned partial list of the week’s other sales.

WAYNE GRANT REAL ESTATE EDITOR

Volusia Residential Construction LLC, of Daytona Beach, sold 896 Creekwood Drive to Gail and Ronald Simmons, of Ormond Beach, for $494,763. Built in 2019, the house has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,565 square feet.

Clifford and Geraldine Smith, of Ormond Beach, sold 1405 Regal Pointe Lane to William and Kathleen Gradante, of Ormond Beach, for $395,000. Built in 2003, the house has four bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 2,453 square feet. It sold in 2003 for $317,800.

Robert and Ann Marie Bishop, of Ormond Beach, sold 1224 Harwick Lane to Larry and Leoma Milligan, of Ormond Beach, for $383,000. Built in 2006, the house has four bedrooms, three baths, a swimming pool and 2,240 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $305,000.

Volusia Residential Construction LLC, of Daytona Beach, sold 808 Creekwood Drive to Brewster and Emmylou Restauro, of Ormond Beach, for $354,285.

Built in 2019, the house has four bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 2,241 square feet.

William and Donna Kidd, of Ormond Beach, sold 1219 Hampstead Lane to Glenn and Diane Kopczynski, of Ormond Beach, for $340,000. Built in 2005, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 1,998 square

Courtesy photo

The top transaction features four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

feet. It sold in 2005 for $292,200.

William and Margaret Southwick, and Richard Southwick, of Ormond Beach, sold 57 Villa Lago Lane to John Hein, of Ormond Beach, for $271,000.

Built in 1996, the house has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,710 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $205,000.

Vincent and Eselassie Kumordzie, of Dumfries, Virginia, sold 1152 Kilkenny Lane to Seymour and Annamarie Horowitz, of Ormond Beach, for $239,900. Built in 2005, the house has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,910 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $289,300 Robert Reese, as trustee, sold 78 Kingsley Circle to Henry Bandy, of Ormond Beach, for $205,000. Built in 1986, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 2,266 square feet. It sold in 2002 for $175,000.

of the dozens of infants and children that are part of the daycare at WARM, which is a residential behavioral health care program in Bunnell, serving substance abuse victims who are pregnant women, postpartum or parenting young children with the assistance of Easter Seals.

Welker and his wife have worked with the preschool to learn about each child and purchase gifts for the children each year. This selfless act of kindness has inspired fellow members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the K9 unit to volunteer and assist him in delivering gifts and treats to add to the Christmas and wellbeing of kids and staff members of the sanctuary.

Twenty-four children in the daycare this year have received gifts.

“There is a time in your life when you come to an opportunity when you can do something to help or give something to somebody, and I feel all of us are in this together, so I do it,” Welker said. “We are members of the community, and most of us live in the county. We are not a robot in a uniform that drives around a car enforcing the law. There is a lot more to it. We suffer when our community suffers, and because of our position, we have the unfortunate frontrow seat to a lot of that misery. ...

We hear the calls as we work the shifts. Addiction is happening right now in our community, and it is not somebody else’s problem,

Jon Welker

Photo by Paola Rodriguez

WHY I NOMINATED JON WELKER

“This act of kindness by Commander Welker helps ensure these children have a happy holiday season and is a positive reflection of law enforcement to the children and adults in this situation.”

RICK STALY, Flagler County Sheriff

or elsewhere in the United States, it is here.”

Welker’s reward is the smiles on the faces of the children at the WARM daycare.

He is visibly emotional when he talks about the situation of the mothers and kids.

“One of the parts that hit me the most when I first found out about was hearing about babies that are born drug-addicted, or with mental or physical disabilities as a result of addiction and how it hinders the future of kids,” he said.

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

WATER DAMAGE? MOLD?

Happy New Year, We’ve Expanded!

Earning Your TRUST On Every Job!

Call or stop by to learn more about locking in today’s prices forever!

Exceptional Customer Service to Homeowners for Over 20 Years!

Insurance Company Preferred Vendor

starting at $795

• Water Damage & Mold Specialists

386-255-4440

RYTECHinc.com/north-central-fl

(in Marvin’s Garden Complex)

• Professional IICRC Certified Technicians

It’s Not Dry Until It’s Rytech Dry.

from $2,995

Bunnell, FL 32110

(386) 437-6566 www.HeritageFlagler.com Locally Owned & Operated

325505-1

Flager-Volusia, Brevard

BURIALS

4601 East Moody Blvd, G-7

• 24-Hour Emergency Response

324097-1001

RYTECH

CREMATIONS

PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER

|

JANUARY 2020

10

REASONS TO LIST OR BUY with Venture Developement Realty Inc.

On-Site Presence

On-site in Plantation Bay since 1988.

No other real estate company has an office inside Plantation Bay.

Professional

Client satisfaction and personal service is our top priority. Our full service real estate company is proficient in all aspects of buying and selling a home in Plantation Bay and the Daytona Beach area.

Rapid Response & Follow Up

By providing a continuous stream of service throughout the duration of the sale, including long after the deal has been made, homebuyers or sellers will develop meaningful relationships that extend beyond the original transaction.

Discovery Tours

We have the unique ability to allow buyers the ability to experience Plantation Bay as its residents would, with full access to all amenities.

Performance

Over $50,000,000 in real estate sold by Venture Development Realty in 2019!

Powerful Advertising

We open the door to an extraordinary audience of potential buyers that are being marketed to visit Plantation Bay. We advertise specifically for Plantation Bay, marketing your home locally, as well as, extensively in the Midwest and NE US.

Social Reach

VDR demonstrates social media leadership on multiple social media channels, expanding reach and connecting with more potential buyers.

Property Management

VDR offers online application for tenants, tenant screening and placement.

Rent collection and timely remittance to owner.

Repair coordination & tax statement administration.

PB Inside Track

Venture Development Realty is the only Real Estate Company that offers buyers up to $10,000 in membership discounts at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club.

Commission Credit Program

$

Ask us about our commission credit program*

Contact us for more info. 386.437.6840

Carol Paquette Realtor 386.846.1759

Larry LaGrotta Broker Assoc.

386.212.1202

Debbie Spelman Realtor 386.690.6511

Elizabeth H. Kargar Broker Assoc.

386.585.2904

Steve Adams Realtor 386.338.4737

Angie Carulli Property Manager 386.547.4342

*Seller must list an existing home with Venture Development Realty, Inc. (an affiliate of ICI Homes) and enter into a purchase agreement to purchase a new home from ICI Homes without the participation of an outside broker. The new home cannot be an inventory home or a model. ICI Homes will reimburse seller an amount equal to the real estate commission paid on seller’s existing home, up to, but not to exceed 6% of the purchase of the new ICI Home. This reimbursement will be paid at time of closing on the new ICI Home and may be used for closing costs, options, upgrades or a discount on the base price of the new ICI home but will not be paid out in cash. Not valid with any other discounts. ICI Homes reserves the right to change or discontinue this promotion at any time without notice. Additional restrictions may apply.

324273-1

12