PORT ORANGE
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 5, NO. 6
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• FEBRUARY 2022
Volusia awards ECHO grants $3.86 million PAGE 6
BRIEFS State’s controversial abortion proposal Despite fierce objections from Democrats who argued the proposal is unconstitutional, a Florida House panel on Wednesday, Jan. 19, approved a controversial bill that would prohibit doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal closely resembles a Mississippi abortion law that is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. “This would allow Florida to save as many babies as possible, as soon as possible,” Rep. Erin Grall, a Vero Beach Republican who sponsored the bill, said. Grall and Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, filed similar 15-week abortion proposals on the first day of the 2022 legislative session last week. The abortion restriction has quickly emerged as one of the most hotly contested issues before lawmakers. The bill does not include an exception for victims of rape and incest, drawing ire from Democrats and opponents of the measure.
Senate passes scaledback emergency fund
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The Florida Senate on Wednesday, Jan. 19, cut in half the amount of money it would put into a new emergency fund that critics called a “blank check” for Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate overwhelmingly approved two bills (SB 96 and SB 98) that would shift $500 million of general revenue into the pot of money that the governor could tap during declared states of emergency over the next four years. The Senate initially had considered putting $1 billion into the pot. Meanwhile, a House committee moved forward with its version of the proposal, which would provide $1 billion that DeSantis could use at his discretion. The House and Senate would ultimately have to agree on any final amount. The idea for the fund came after the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back to business Tactile art lines the one of the hallways at the Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired.
Conklin Davis Center continues to serve the blind after merger JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
For the last year, the Conklin Center has been going through a metamorphosis. Repairs. Renovations. New staff. More programs. A shared vision. The Conklin Center closed in March 2020 after its contract termination with the Florida Division of Blind Services, reducing the nonprofit’s funding by 60%. But board members couldn’t let their clients — who, in addition to being visually impaired, have other disabilities — go without the ongoing support they were accustomed to that allowed them to live independent lives. So in their search for a solution, they looked to a merger with the Center for the Visually Impaired. The merger was official as of Jan. 1, 2021, and the center reopened two months later as the Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired, with President and CEO Ronee David at the helm of the organization. David was the director for CVI prior to the merger. “When the [Conklin] center lost its contract, the Center for the Visually Impaired just stepped in and continued to provide the help for those people,” David said. The center relaunched its residential program in July 2021, and though initially there were some reservations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, David said the program has run smoothly. The center has 16 dormitories and three one-bedroom apartments, with nine students currently living on campus. As a result of the merger, the center now serves over 500 people a year in Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and Brevard counties through its various programs, such as its blind babies program, senior independent living program and vocational rehabilitation. “There are not too many agencies that have this level of such comprehensive programs,” David said.
WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES
When it came to reopening the center to students, taking care of the property was a major undertaking. “The grounds here are extensive,” said Nancy Epps, secretary of the center’s board. “They’re over seven acres, and we had volunteer work days. Several of our board members came and did a lot of the work.” Board members took down trees, cleared the nature trail in the rear of the building, repaired a waterfall feature and cleaned out the pond. Inside, they painted walls, put down new carpet on the lobby, and are working to renovate the first of the three apartments for students. The board is also hoping to obtain a Community Development Block Grant from the county
to purchase a new air conditioning system. New staff members have been added in the last six months as well. Epps said several of the employees went through the center in the past, and being blind and with other disabilities, are able to connect with the students. “We have a very high success rate for employment, which is unique in the handicap community at large,” Epps said. “We have about an 85% historic rate, whereas the general handicap community is about 25%-30%.” HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR
Looking forward to what 2022 will bring, the center aims to continue to offer programs and classes to prepare their students to enter the workforce. The center offers a workshop with Metra Elec-
Photos by Jarleene Almenas
tronics, a Holly Hill-based manufacturer, where students learn to assemble components. Eight are employed with the manufacturer. The center also has plans to develop an art program for the blind, with the hopes of introducing art exhibits in the future. An art studio space was created in the building, and tactile art from local artists lines one its hallway. David said she would love to start programs for cycling, dance, and other creative outlets for students. “We want them to have varied interests, just like sighted people do,” David said. “Everybody has their own interests other than work, so we want to help cultivate that in the blind students, and some of them have not had those opportunities.”
Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired CEO and President Ronee David and Board Secretary Nancy Epps.
PORT ORANGE OBSERVER
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OrmondBeachObserver.com
FEBRUARY 2022
BIZ BUZZ THOMPSON PUMP ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT AND PROMOTIONS One of the nation’s leading manufacturers of heavy-duty portable bypass and dewatering pumps announces the retirement of John Farrell, Thompson Pump and Manufacturing Company’s vice president of sales and marketing. With Farrell’s retirement comes the promotions of Bobby Zitzka to vice president of sales and marketing
and of Pat Broderick to national sales manager. Farrell announced his retirement after 38 years at Thompson Pump. Hired as a purchasing agent, he then rose through the ranks to purchasing manager, regional sales manager, and, in 2002, he was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing. While with Thompson Pump, Farrell helped establish and grow partnerships with national rental companies, distributors and vendors. Farrell also traveled the world meeting with customers, attending tradeshow and growing Thompson Pump’s international and municipal business as well as its dealer and distributor network to more than 40 business partners across the U.S. and
HALIFAX HEALTH OPENS EXPRESSCARE LOCATION AT BELVEDERE MEDICAL PARK Halifax Health has opened its newest location for walk-in health care. ExpressCare, a Halifax Health Walk-In Clinic Port Orange has opened in the Belvedere Medical Park in Port Orange. The Belvedere Medical Park will also be home to Radiology Associates, Halifax Health Primary Care and Halifax Health Pediatric Care. The Port Orange location of ExpressCare will join locations in Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach Shores and Deltona. The Halifax Health offering represents a partnership with Noon Development of Chattanooga, Tennessee, who will manage the care centers. ExpressCare will offer care for patients age 2 and older for a wide variety of non-life-threatening medical conditions, including colds and flu,
COVID-19 testing, sore throats and strep throat, ear infections, urinary tract infections, broken bones.
and CEO of Halifax Health, “Opening ExpressCare in Port Orange is another way of increasing access to medical care for non-life-threatening conditions. We are looking forward to the opening of our other physician offices in Belvedere Medical Park in February. Our goal is to serve the growing Port Orange area with exceptional service and care at all times.” Locations and hours of ExpressCare locations:
PORT ORANGE
Observer Bobby Zitzka
“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
John Farrell
Canada. “I am humbled and proud to have been such an integral part of the Thompson Pump team … to have helped this company exceed all expectations and grow to be the industry leader it is,” said Farrell. “I will miss being at Thompson Pump each day, but I will be keeping in and staying a part of the family.” “John is and always will be a friend to coworkers, customers and competitors across the globe, and to us. We wouldn’t be where we are today without him and we are forever grate-
Pat Broderick ful,” said Chris Thompson, president. “I know the team is in very capable hands with Bobby and we are looking forward to seeing just how far he can take us.”
SPLASH EXPRESS CAR WASH: GRAND OPENING
Publisher John Walsh, jwalsh@palmcoastobserver.com Executive Editor Brian McMillan, bmcmillan@palmcoastobserver.com Associate Editor Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@ormondbeachobserver.com Staff Writer Brent Woronoff, brent@ palmcoastobserver.com Page Designer Hailey McMillan Senior Account Manager Susan Moore, susan@palmcoastobserver.com Office Coordinator Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@palmcoastobserver.com Operations Manager Maureen Walsh, maureen@palmcoastobserver.com Advertising Coordinator Jessica Boone, jessica@palmcoastobserver.com Circulation Manager David Brooks, david@horizonroad.com DELIVERY The Port Orange Observer is published on the fourth week of every month. If you have delivery questions, call Circulation Manager David Brooks, at 338-5080 or email david@horizonroad.com.
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Mayor of Port Orange Donald Burnette, MBA, Steve Schlossberg, Kim SchlossProprietors of Splash Car Wash, Torrey Medina and his partners Steve Schlossberg and Ty Lohman, recently welcomed guests to the grand opening and ribbon cutting of their second car wash — Splash Express Car Wash at 956 Herbert St., in Port Orange. “It was humbling to see all of our friends, family and community members that came out to support our grand opeing,” said Torrey. “The new wash has welomed a steady stream of
customers and the feedback we have received has all been positive,” added Torrey. Splash Car Wash now has two locations in Port Orange: 901 Dunlawton Ave. (across from Wendy’s), offering a full service, express, and detailing. This location is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 9 to 6. The company’s newest express wash location is located at 956 Herbert St. (on the cor-
ner of Nova Road and Herbert Street) and is open Monday through Sunday from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. The company can be reached online at https://www.mysplashcarwash.com/. Unlimited monthly wash memberships may be used at either location. Send Port Orange press releases to editor@palmcoastobserver.com.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FEBRUARY WED.
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like taking a step back in time, when everyone was dancing.
Annual Mayor’s Breakfast and Awards 8AM Riverside Pavilion 3431 Ridgewood Avenue, Port Orange Info at wwwpschamber.com
Business After Hours hosted by the Port Orange Community Trust 5PM The Lakeside Center 1999 City Center Circle, Port Orange Info at www.pschamber.com
MARCH FRI.
Melissa Manchester
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February 6, 2022 - 7:00 pm
Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester was the first artist to have two Academy Award-nominated songs in a single year, and to perform them both on the same Oscar telecast. She is known for such classic hits as: ”Midnight Blue,” “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” “Whenever I Call You Friend,” and “You Should Hear How She Talks About You.” Her latest album, THE FELLAS, is a salute to the great male singers who influenced her music.
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FEBRUARY 2022
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Space-bound Trend shows demand for aviation maintenance grads at space firms MIKE CAVALIERE DIRECTOR OF NEWS, EMBRY-RIDDLE
Aviation Maintenance Science students have been drawing attention in recent years from a new suitor: commercial space companies. With at least 16 students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s AMS program hired at SpaceX and Blue Origin within the past six years, program leaders credit a steady evolution in the aviation and aerospace sectors — namely, the commercial space boom: an increase in private aerospace companies, rocket launches and space tourism. “The space industry has grown rapidly following the government’s decision to open up contracts to private companies to provide transportation of supplies and personnel to the International Space Station,” said AMS associate professor Marshall Tetterton. “Our students are in demand to commercial space firms, in my opinion, because the program here at Embry-Riddle covers and
“Our students are in demand to commercial space firms, in my opinion, because the program here at Embry-Riddle covers and prepares them for a wide variety of disciplines — such as composites, hydraulics, structural, pneumatics, electrical and powerplant systems — and the core focus is around troubleshooting.” MARSHALL TETTERTON, AMS associate professor
prepares them for a wide variety of disciplines — such as composites, hydraulics, structural, pneumatics, electrical and powerplant systems — and the core focus is around troubleshooting.” Industry demand for aviation maintenance technicians is higher than ever, corresponding with a projected shortage of both technicians and pilots over the next two decades. According to The Boeing Company’s Pilot and Technician Outlook 20202039, 612,000 new civil aviation pilots and 626,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed to fly and maintain the world fleet within the next 20 years, even after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Commercial space firms are only adding to that projected need, however, and according to industry leaders, right now is the most exciting time in the history of space — which means jobs. The versatility of an AMS degree is exactly what drew junior Jack Wernet to the program. “I wanted a hands-on career,” Wernet said, adding that he initially came to Embry-Riddle for an Aerospace Engineering degree, before pivoting to AMS. “I believe an Aviation Maintenance Science degree from this university is the best shot I have at getting a job at SpaceX.” Heading into his final semester in the Aviation Maintenance Science Department, Mathias P. Berdugo has different aspirations, but his vision for the future is just as clear. “Getting the acceptance letter from Embry-Riddle was one of those moments I will never forget in my life,” he said. “When I started to think about my future in high school, aviation maintenance was just something I knew I wanted to do. Then I visited campus, and immediately my heart was set on this place.” A minor in Avionics Line Maintenance, Berdugo has gotten more involved in his program by joining the Society of Aerospace Techni-
Courtesy photo
Mathias P. Berdugo, of Aviation Maintenance Science at Embry Riddle.
cians club and becoming a teacher’s assistant. “Without a doubt, that has been the most rewarding experience,” he said about his assistant position. “I have discovered a passion for teaching, and it is now something I can see myself doing later in my career after I get some industry experience.” After graduation, his dream job is to become a mobile response technician, traveling the world to fix aircraft out in the field. If Wernet doesn’t land a job at SpaceX straight after graduation, the Tampa, Florida, native would like to work in a manu-
facturing shop or repair station. “It is my experience talking to students that, initially, they enter into the A&P (Airframe and Powerplant certification) program with the idea that they will get jobs within the airline industry,” Tetterton said. “However, as they progress through the program they begin to gravitate towards a specific area, like corporate aviation, airlines, general aviation or the space industry. As the number and frequency of rocket launches increase, more and more interest is moving into the space field.”
State agencies grapple with worker shortage The number of applicants responding to state-government job advertisements dropped by nearly 35% over the past three years. DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Amid a national worker shortage, state agencies are struggling to fill vacant positions and retain employees, including those who care for some of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens. Many employees are leaving state government jobs because they’re overworked and underpaid, according to a presentation Wednesday, Jan. 19, to a Senate committee. A flood of better-paying positions in the private sector that have opened up following widespread shutdowns during the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated hiring problems, officials from several state agencies told the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee. The number of applicants responding to state-government job advertisements dropped by nearly 35% over the past three years, while the number of job postings increased by 7%, Department of Management Services Secretary J. Todd Inman
said. The state is receiving 11.6 applications on average for each job posting, compared to an average of 37 applications per advertisement in September 2020, Inman said. Meanwhile, searches for employees continue to skyrocket, with advertisements for state jobs jumping by more than 62% over the past six months, according to Inman. The secretary said his agency, which handles many humanresources issues for the state, is among the departments scrambling to fill vacant posts. “I know we are trying everything we can, whether it’s going to junior colleges for people with trades. We are recruiting actively on LinkedIn. We’re trying to make referrals within our own people and agencies. But we’re trying to use every tool in our toolbox,” he told the panel. Florida has the country’s leanest state employee workforce, with a ratio of 85 full-time employees for every 10,000 residents. But the employee shortage being experienced by businesses throughout the nation is having an outsized impact on state government. Among the agencies being hit hardest are those that care for the state’s most-dangerous or vulnerable people. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities has vacancy rates between 20 and 46% at its four facilities in North Florida, Rose Salinas, the agency’s deputy director for budget
and planning, told the Senate panel. The agency has been forced to contract with private companies as it struggles to hire and retain directcare workers, Salinas said. Wages are the main problem, but job retention and recruitment have become even more challenging as demands on existing employees balloon. As an example, Salinas said that, before the pandemic, the agency’s Sunland Center in Marianna had 15 vacant positions. As of Friday, the facility had 131 vacancies, she said. Direct-care employees working for the state make about $14 per hour, but the agency is paying between $47 and $67 an hour to private contractors to fill vacant slots, Salinas said. “We’re offering the job for $14 an hour and yet we’re paying potentially $65 an hour, so they’re probably making $40, $45 an hour?” committee Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, asked. Salinas said she did not know how much the contractors are paying employees but that nurse assistants in hospitals generally earn at least $16 per hour. The Department of Children and Families is experiencing similar challenges, agency Secretary Shevaun Harris told the Senate committee. Front-line jobs at the agency are “some of the hardest jobs in state government,” she said. “So it may not be hard to fathom why, coming out of the pandemic as most industries are having recruitment challenges, we’ve seen increased vacancies and turnover and a shortage of qualified or willing candidates for many of our critical class positions,” Harris said. The pandemic also has increased the workload for DCF employees, Harris explained. “As you can imagine, declining workforce numbers combined with an increase in workload only exacerbates the turnover rate. I want to assure you that enhancing recruitment and retention strategies is at the forefront of our strategic plan,” she said. Department of Juvenile Justice Chief of Staff Heather DiGiacomo echoed the experiences of other agency leaders.
“I know we are trying everything we can, whether it’s going to junior colleges for people with trades. We are recruiting actively on LinkedIn. We’re trying to make referrals within our own people and agencies. But we’re trying to use every tool in our toolbox.” J. TODD INMAN, Department of Management Services Secretary
“I feel like I could just come up here and say, ‘Ditto,’ right?” she said. DiGiacomo said her agency has a 68% turnover rate for entry-level positions. Again, higher-paying jobs and increased workloads are among the main reasons employees are exiting, she said. “Not only are we seeing elevated turnover, we aren’t seeing the same degree of interest in people applying for these positions, either,” she added. Detention officers at the agency make $14.68 per hour, DiGiacomo noted. “I mean, I’ve heard of people leaving detention to go work at the car wash across the street. Is that correct?” Brandes asked. “I would say that is an accurate statement,” DiGiacomo replied. Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon reiterated hiring struggles at his agency. With more than 18,000 employees, corrections is the largest agency in state government. Dixon said the agency has 5,849 unfilled correctional officer positions, which he called a “significant vacancy rate.” The secretary also said the main reasons are salaries and working conditions. “Because of the void in the workforce, so, too, the conditions deteriorated and the amount of overtime to work and the safety aspect has had a significant impact on our agency,” he said.
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PORT ORANGE OBSERVER
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FEBRUARY 2022
Q + A MICHELLE LEE, PORT ORANGE AUTHOR
‘Between the Lighthouse and You’ JULIA AMBROSE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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ort Orange’s Michelle Lee, a professor at Daytona State College, recently had a novel published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. She spoke with the Port Orange Observer about the writing life and what inspired her story.
Do you keep a schedule for when you write? Are you just writing when you feel inspired?
I have to keep a schedule because I teach at Daytona State and I have a family, so I have to be really careful about making time to write. This year I have a new schedule. I’m getting up really early, at 6 to 8 in the morning, and then writing in the afternoon as well. So I definitely try to carve out time for it. Do you face any challenges when you are writing on that schedule?
Of course: Struggle is part of writing, unfortunately. And so sometimes, you might have an idea for a scene, but it just doesn’t work the way you want it to. It’s just not the right direction to take. Sometimes you sit down and the words just aren’t coming or they seem awkward. So there’s a lot of that, like this afternoon, for example. I was going to write this afternoon, and I needed to actually get off the computer and go to paper and start brainstorming some different directions for a scene because I thought I knew where I wanted it to go, but I needed another kind of another path. So yeah, I think definitely there’s a lot of thinking involved, and a lot of time involved. What drew you to writing a novel that was classified as middle grade instead of doing another age group?
I started out writing literary fiction when I went to graduate school. I was in the fiction program there, and so I was definitely writing what you call literary fiction and poetry. I picked up a young adult novel one day, and then I picked up a middle grade novel, and I realized that the characters in the middle grade were so fun to read because they haven’t experienced a lot in the world, or, if they have, they look at it with very different eyes than adults do. They have a lot more belief, hope, things to experience, humor and risk. I think when you’re younger, maybe you can say things or do things that you couldn’t as an adult because of different
Where did you first get your idea for ‘Between the Lighthouse and You’?
It’s easy for us. We live in a town not far from the beach. So I was thinking one day about just a quintessential message in a bottle. You’re walking along a beach and you find a message in a bottle. But then I started thinking, Well, what if that message was from someone that you knew? What if that message was from someone that you have lost? And then I thought, well, that would be very interesting to get that message. You would open it up and it wouldn’t be from a stranger like that story always goes. What if this was a tradition on an island that people could get these messages every year and they were still washing ashore, and they were communicating with all of the ones who had gone? So that’s the seed that began a story. I have two main characters, and one of the characters was in search of her mother. She didn’t believe that her mother had died in a boating accident. So what happens when a character is searching for their mom? Has the development of the book in any way changed the way you view yourself or the way that you view the outside world?
I think this story especially because there’s the element of belief, especially in this time, and so with this story, it does give me a little bit of magic thinking about possibilities that are beyond life. What if we could communicate with those? What would that look like? What would that feel like? What would I say? I think with hope and belief at the end of it, and that’s all the novels that I’ve written, all the things that I’m going to write will have that element of hope and the, what if, what if this thing were to happen? Do you have any writing quirk or something that makes your work unique to you?
As a reader, I always tell people, “Everyone has that unique voice. Everyone has their own way of telling stories.” It is a way of seeing the world. I definitely know that the concept of the island and the uniqueness drew my agents in. I started writing in verse, which was interesting, so that’s a whole
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“I love stories that are grounded but then all of a sudden there’s a twist that takes them out of reality.” MICHELLE LEE
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“When I was a kid, I would read a book and it would stay with me for a really long time,” Michelle Lee said. “I keep thinking of a story where I wish it hadn’t ended or wish I was still with the characters. I’m hoping that my story does the same for them.”
other voice. When I first had the seed of the story, I had the idea that it would all be in poetry. We decided that prose and a traditional novel format would be better for it, just because of the voice and because of the character development. So when you’re writing in prose, in traditional fiction format, it slows everything down and makes things a little more richer. Why are you most excited for the release of ‘Between the Lighthouse and You’?
I’m excited to have to see what readers think. I’ve had people telling me that they’ve been
ANGLICANS & OTHERS Will 2022 be a year of spiritual growth for you? Would you like to be a part of a warm, friendly parish where you can enjoy the ageless beauty of traditional Anglican worship and orthodox Christian teaching? If you have drifted away from weekly worship, we have good news for you. Faithful parishes are being started up. We have 9 AM Sunday services, with a Bible Study on Wednesdays. For more information, please contact:
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reading it, and it’s both exciting and vulnerable at the same time, but I’m anxious to get it to readers. It’s scary because you wonder, even though your editor and your agents love the book, and other people surrounding you love the book, you hope that kids, readers, librarians, media specialists, will love the story. You hope that they walk away thinking of the story. I know when I was a kid, I would read a book and it would stay with me for a really long time. I keep thinking of a story where I wish it hadn’t ended or wish I was still with the characters. I’m hoping that my story does the same for them.
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responsibilities or situations. I just fell in love with the world, and it enabled me to go back to different situations. There’s a lot of magic and realism. I love stories that are grounded but then all of a sudden there’s a twist or something really interesting that takes them out of reality.
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FEBRUARY 2022
W O R T H O A O T H O U S A N D O W O R D S O A Ormond Beach mother stays connected with son through online word puzzles JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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Despite a physical distance of over 1,000 miles, one Ormond Beach woman and her son have never felt more connected. And it all started with the COVID-19 pandemic and an abundance of acrostic puzzles. At 8 or 9 years old, Peter Galea recalls, he began receiving monthly issues of Games Magazine, and he and his mother, Judy Eaton, would do puzzles together, long before the internet granted access to such things with the click of a mouse. A love of word puzzles has always been a shared passion, and Eaton said that Galea often claims that his parents made him play Scrabble before he knew what letters were. Still, almost four decades later, puzzles are what brought them closer in the middle of a pandemic when so many were feeling isolated. Galea, now 47, had the idea in March 2020 to complete one of New York Times’ acrostic puzzles online every day with his mother as a way to make sure neither would get lonely during the initial shutdowns. A software engineer in Austin, Texas, Galea ensured his 83-year-old mother in Ormond Beach downloaded the software AnyDesk on her
computer so that she could see him typing in the answers to the acrostics as they spoke on the phone. Now, the pair have completed all of the available acrostic puzzles by the New York Times since 1999. That’s over 550 puzzles. “It’s kind of cool,” Galea said. “We didn’t set it out this way. We thought it was going to be a temporary thing as the pandemic started — two weeks or a month or whatever — but we’ve just really enjoyed it. As the quarantines have ebbed and flowed and things like that, we’ve just kind of kept going.” For Eaton, it’s been a wonderful way to communicate. “Even though he’s in Texas and I’m in Florida, we’re more connected than we have been, and we both love puzzles — we’ve always done them individually — so it’s a perfect thing to be doing together,” she said. WORDSMITHS
acrostic puzzles are available online, starting with the Sept. 12, 1999, puzzle, and are published bi-weekly. When Galea and Eaton got started, they never thought they would finish them all, but on Monday, Jan. 10, they finally caught up. Each of them have their own areas of expertise to help solve the clues in the puzzles. Galea is well-versed in the computer science and technology side of things, and Eaton is good with biology. “So we each have a trove of useless facts that occasionally are very helpful,” Eaton said. As they reached the end, she worried about their daily conversations coming to an end when there were no more puzzles to solve, but Galea reassured her he had no plans on stopping. They would just need to find a different kind of puzzle — maybe the puns and anagrams or the cryptic crossword. “I genuinely just enjoy hanging out with my mother,”
he said laughing. “It’s been really nice doing something fun together.”
just very grateful that he was going to do this,” she said. “It seemed like a big gift.” Galea also spends time every day playing online cribbage with his father, who lives in Miami. It’s a little way to connect with his parents, but it’s made a difference. “It’s too bad it took a pandemic to get that to happen, but it’s certainly been a silver lining of the pandemic,” he said. Galea said he looks forward to the activity every day — to hear how his mom is doing, and what her day has been like so far. “I guess doing a crossword puzzle is sort of a silly little thing, but it’s just some little activity, and it takes 15 minutes, and it’s something fun,” Galea said. “It gives a little bit of routine to the day as well, and it gives some connection. If you can find something like that, like my mom and I have, then I would recommend it.”
‘LIKE A BIG GIFT’
Their communication wasn’t always as constant as it is today. Galea lived in Thailand as a scuba diving instructor for seven years, and the conversations he was able to have with his mother were few and far between. The different time zones posed a difficulty, and so did the spotty internet. So when the uncertainty of the pandemic was setting in, and Galea suggested doing daily puzzles together, Eaton felt grateful. With her volunteering, at AdventHealth Daytona Beach and Meals on Wheels, and her mahjong playing groups coming to a pause, it beat doing puzzles alone in her home during the shutdowns. “He’s my only son, so you know, there’s a lot of pressure on him, but I knew I was
What makes acrostic puzzles different from your average crossword? An acrostic involves figuring out a quote by using crossword-style clues, where each letter in the quote corresponds to a letter in one of the clues. The more clue answers you figure out, the more letters you’ll reveal in the quote. “It’s a back-and-forth process, jumping between the clues and the quotes, and we’ve always just kind of enjoyed that — the using of two different skills to solve the puzzle,” Galea said. The New York Times’
Judy Eaton, 83, said she felt grateful that her son suggested doing an acrostic puzzle every day to ward off the loneliness of the pandemic.
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Peter Galea said he remembers doing word puzzles as young as 8 or 9 years old with his mom.
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PORT ORANGE OBSERVER
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OrmondBeachObserver.com
FEBRUARY 2022
$3.86 million in ECHO grants OK’d ‘GrandBob’: Remembering Robert Adams, former real estate CEO
CORPORATE OFFICE - 386-677-SOLD (7653) 900 West Granada Blvd., Ste. 3, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 BEACHSIDE OFFICE - 386-441-SOLD (7653) 2110 Oceanshore Blvd., Ste. B, Ormond Beach, FL 32176 PORT ORANGE OFFICE - 386-767-SOLD (7653) 840 Dunlawton Ave., Ste. D, Port Orange, FL 32127 COMMERCIAL OFFICE - 386-253-8565 140 S. Atlantic Ave , Ormond Beach, FL 32176
OBYRNE
SALE PENDING
SAND DOLLAR CONDO
SALE PENDING
Riverfront Condo, just moments away from the “World’s Most Famous Beach” Luxury is an understatement when describing this 2 Bedroom 2 Bath condo on the Halifax! A true Entertainers dream! The open concept of this condo leaves nothing to be desired. MLS#1088126 $629,000 Call Tom Foster 516-233-8992.
Great Investment Opportunity and perfect for your own beach getaway! This unit is bright and open. It includes a kitchen with stove top and full fridge. This unit has great rental history! MLS#1092025 $97,000 Call Ashley Brodick 386-473-8247.
Beautiful 2010 3 BR 2 bath home with a nice sized office that could easily be converted to a 4th bedroom! This home has curb appeal galore with beautiful landscaping and a lush well cared for lawn. MLS#1091136 $294,900 Call Bonnie Karet 386-295-2109.
Own your hidden and private country paradise on 7.5 acres in the desirable Samsula area of New Smyrna Beach. This property sits high and dry. Enjoy views of deer, sandhill cranes, and much more. A beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 bath manufactured home installed in 2020 provides a spacious 2,280 sq.ft. MLS#1086847 $799,000 Call Gabi Sessions 386846-7996.
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Cute solid concrete block home close to colleges, restaurants, houses of worship. Features include a large main bedroom with en suite full bath, large tiled bonus room, eat in kitchen, inside laundry room and large fenced backyard. MLS#1089703 $139,900 Call Elena Scott 386-566-6984.
loved the Florida Keys, where he and his wife, Ryan — whom he married in 1967 — later purchased a second home. Aside from his wife of 55 years, he is survived by his four children: John, Erin, Ryan and Lauren; and nine grandchildren who called him “GrandBob.” John Adams said that’s something many people didn’t realize — how devoted he was to his grandchildren. “That was the most thrilling thing for him, and he got so excited, and he would go and pick them up from school and do other things to take care of the grandkids,” John Adams said. “He just loved having them over, and, even though it sometimes got a little bit nutty in the room with a bunch of little kids running around, it was one of his happiest moments.” A celebration of life will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at St. Brendan Catholic Church, at 1000 Ocean Shore Blvd. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Adams Cameron Foundation, which was cofounded by Adams in 2017.
BEAUTIFULLY remodeled unit, rooms very clean and remodeled w/ high-end quality finishing. Mattresses are new, sold furnished, This building has had a remodel and is absolutely amazing. MLS#1091982 $149,900 Call Airy McCurdy 904-454-4554.
SALE PENDING
Beautiful 4 bedroom and 2 bathroom Pool Home offers breath taking views, set on over an acre of land. This spacious home, offers 3 bedrooms and 2 baths in the main house and a full In Law Suite attached offering a oversized bedroom, living room and full kitchen. MLS#1089652 $675,000 Call James Brodick 386-527-5027.
Adorable and Affordable Beachside Bungalow just steps to Daytona “World’s Famous Beach”. Perfect setup for a Single individual, couple or small family. It’s all about location and this property is in the heart of it all. MLS#1091646 $279,900 Call Brent Dennison 386-451-0161.
SALE PENDING
Perfect for an investor or for your first home, this house sits on an oversized corner lot in the quiet neighborhood of Silver Ridge Estates. Inside of this 3bd/2ba home you will find newer vinyl flooring in the majority of the main living area, terrazzo flooring in the main bathroom and tile through the rest of the home. MLS#1088720 $247,500 Call Alecia Barrett 386-262-3685.
MCGILL PARK
DAYTONA GARDENS
With the beach at your doorstep, you may never want to leave! Sand Dollar offers a triumph of style, function & income opportunity. Offered fully decorator furnished and upgraded this 2 bedroom 2 bath beach home showcases an oversized balcony and delivers an unrivaled value. MLS#1091731 $349,000 Call Sandy Cook 386-547-1156.
2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, renovated and fully furnished. Your Vacation Rental is here! Legally zoned to rent nightly, weekly, no restrictions, adorable beach house in Ormond with a strong rental history! Ocean view and a quick walk to sand. MLS#1091325 $699,000 Call Krista Goodrich 678-928-1100.
MARINA GRANDE
Beachside 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath, 2 Car Garage, End Unit Townhouse, where a 3 minute stroll lands you on the Atlantic Sea Shore. The main level provides a galley kitchen, a spacious living room with a wood burning fire place! MLS#1090943 $385,000 Call Leslie Wackerman 386-846-2549.
EDGEWATER
TOWNHOMES AT OCEANS
DAYTONA BEACH SHORES- 386-766-SOLD (7653) 3118 S. Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118
Courtesy photo
Robert L. Adams was the president and CEO of Adams, Cameron and Co. Realtors.
OCEANSIDE INN
Pictona at Holly Hill is located at 1060 Ridgewood Ave.
Robert L. Adams, former president and chief executive officer of Adams, Cameron and Co. Realtors, died peacefully on Jan. 11, surrounded by his family. He was 79. Adams, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, moved to Ormond Beach in 1971 where he entered the real estate profession to work alongside his mother, Helen Adams, in her boutique firm that at the time only had five other agents. According to his obituary, provided to the Observer by his family, Adams and his mother redefined “the way real estate was transacted in the local area” in 1978 after the merger of Helen Adams Realty with Cameron Realty. Adams was appointed president and and CEO of the new company, just four years after he had become a partner and sales manager of his mother’s real estate company. Together, they grew Adams, Cameron and Co. Realtors into one of the area’s largest real estate companies. For his son John Adams, current president of the company, one of the lessons he learned from his father was to take the time to understand others, to take into account their goals and invest in building relationships. “That’s so much more important than I ever realized in the past, because those relationships and those connections in a community the size of ours last much longer
GENEVA
Jarleene Almenas
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
SILVER TERRACE
Photo by
JARLEENE ALMENAS
than any deal you’re going to put together,” he said. And Robert Adams certainly made connections. He was the first president and chairman of the Board of the Realty World Brokers Council of East Central Florida, the founding director of the International Association of Realty World Brokers, and in 1979, received the Board of Realtors Diamond Pin award. In 1982, Adams founded Adams Cameron Title Co. He later served as president of the Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors, was named Realtor of the Year in 1991 and was recognized as an Honorary Lifetime Member in 2001, to name a few of his accolades. Outside the real estate community, Adams, a Seabreeze High School alumnus and graduate of the University of South Florida, was part of of the Daytona Beach Quarterback Club, University Club, and the Ormond Beach Rotary Club. John Adams said overall, his father was very social and personable. “He could strike up a conversation with just about anybody, and he used to do it,” John Adams said. “I’d get together with him and we’d go to lunch, and he’d start a conversation with somebody else who was in the restaurant or even the waiter or waitress and begin talking to them about what interested them and what their goals were.” Robert Adams, a native of Buffalo, New York, served on local bank boards as well, and founded the Board of Coquina Bank. Adams loved to take his family to Ponce Inlet by boat on the weekends. He also
Solidly built, clean home with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, located close to colleges, shopping and public transportation. The home come with hurricane shutters and there is an 80sf shed located in the back yard that accommodates laundry. MLS#1091300 $170,000 Call Helen Tucker 386-290-7577.
VACANT LAND
The Volusia County Council approved $3.86 million in ECHO grants on Tuesday, Jan. 18, which will go toward nine projects throughout the county; the bulk of funds will go toward neighboring Holly Hill’s Pictona project. Holly Hill requested a $2.5 million grant, considered a “exceptional grant,” for phase II of the pickleball complex. The city plans to add 24 more courts, a championship court, stadium and an education center, and put forth a $3.3 million total match for the project. The council approved the grant request 6-1, with County Council Chair Jeff Brower voting against. Brower said he didn’t think the Pictona project had enough countywide support to merit an exceptional grant from ECHO, a voter-approved county initiative that funds environmental, cultural, his-
Robert Adams died on Jan. 11, surrounded by his family.
DAYTONA BEACH RESORT
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
looking to get to the endgame.” Councilwoman Barb Girtman said the project can be a great model for the community. “I like what it’s doing for Holly Hill,” she said. “I think it’s a part of a resurgence and a re-envisioning of Holly Hill, and I think those types of investments are what we need in our community.” Holly Hill had previously acquired a $400,000 ECHO grant for the first phase of Pictona. “Holly Hill doesn’t come asking for much, but this project well extends outside of our boundaries, across the county, and I can’t tell you the amount of conversations I have every single day with people throughout the county, not from our own city, that tell me the benefits of [Pictona],” said Holly Hill Mayor Chris Via to the council. The council also approved the following grant requests: $150,000 for the construction of an operations center in the city of DeBary $15,750 for the Enterprise Preservation Society building’s new roof $208,298 for the Marine Science Center’s raptor education and conservation exhibit $140,892.52 for the renovation of the Mary DeWees Baseball Field in the city of Oak Hill $600,000 for the Veterans Memorial Plaza project in Daytona Beach $107,000 for Riverside Conservancy’s living shoreline, primitive classroom and kayak launch project $112,500 for shade structures at the Ormond Beach YMCA $29,900 for the DeLand YMCA to upgrade a playground
BAYBERRY LAKES
JARLEENE ALMENAS
torical and outdoor recreation projects. He also stated that there was a public perception that the city of Holly Hill was being given “special treatment,” as its match was comprised of Community Redevelopment Area funds and in 2012, an ECHO grant request from the city of Daytona Beach was turned down for the same reason. He also thought its feasibility study, a requirement for an exceptional grant, was not as extensive as the 2012 feasibility study for the stadium at Earl Brown Park in DeLand, the last recipient of an ECHO exceptional grant. “I think Pictona is an excellent endeavor,” Brower said. “... I think it’s going to grow. I think it’s already put Holly Hill on the map. My struggle is I don’t think it rises to the level of an exceptional grant.” The rest of the council was in favor of the grant request. Councilwoman Heather Post, whose district includes Holly Hill, said Pictona has proven to be a successful project, with influence locally, regionally and internationally, having hosted numerous pickleball tournaments. “They’ve already proven that they’re way ahead of the game,” Post said. “They’re
NEW SMYRNA BEACH
The dollars will fund nine projects, including phase II of Holly Hill’s Pictona pickleball complex.
INVESTOR ALERT! This is a 7 parcel package all bundled into one deal. It is 7 individual lots of 1.25 acres, giving you a total of 8.75 acres. These lots are not adjoining, and are ‘’land locked’’. They are in a gorgeous, rural area of NSB that is highly sought after. Buyers are to do their own due diligence. MLS#1089562 $35,000 Call Bryan Morford 386-299-1131.