The Hammock Observer 10-09-25

‘It’s just a speculation project’

County deputy administrator killed in crash

Officials mourn Jorge Salinas and wife Nancy after crash.

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County to maintain Ocean Hammock’s dunes

Ocean Hammock will pay Flagler County $175,000 annually for dune maintenance on its privately owned shoreline.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Coast over

school.

The Flagler County Commission has approved another dune maintenance agreement with a privately owned development in The Hammock. The Ocean Hammock Property Owners Association owns shoreline property between 16th Road and Jungle Hut Road in The Hammock. With the agreement, Ocean Hammock agrees to pay Flagler County $175,000 annually, which will be exclusively used by the county for beach maintenance on Ocean Hammock’s property.

The agreement is similar to one the county approved in August with the Hammock Dunes Owners Association. The HDOA owns 2.3 miles of shoreline and will pay Flagler $570,000 annually for beach maintenance.

County Engineer Hamid Tabassian said the Ocean Hammock, Hammock Beach resort and the Hammock Dunes beach areas are not currently eligible for Federal Emergency Maintenance Agency’s Category G funding.

“This agreement would make these areas eligible for Cat-G with future [storm] events,” Tabassian said.

Commissioner Kim Carney said the $175,000 didn’t sound like it would pay for much sand placement. Tabassian said the amount is based on trucking in six cubic yards of sand for that length of the beach.

The payment agreement will continue until Flagler County finds another source of funding for maintaining the property.

But the funds in these agreements can only be used for the stretches of shoreline property that is owned by these private entities.

Flagler County is still trying to iron out methods of paying for regular

beach maintenance.

In December 2024, Flagler County instituted a special taxing district called an MSBU for The Hammock area. Though nothing was levied this year, the county will likely levy a tax through the MSBU for the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget.

Flagler County is also considering a half-cent sales tax to use for maintenance funding. But the issue has divided the board, with Commission Chair Andy Dance and Commissioner Greg Hansen

supporting the initiative and Vice Chair Leann Pennington and Commissioners Pam Richardson and Kim Carney against it.

The county is instead considering sending the half-cent sales tax to a referendum. If implemented, not all the funding from the halfcent would go to beach funding. Some would be kept by the cities to dedicate to other projects like infrastructure.

The Category G funding is part of FEMA’s Public Assistance program, which provides financial and direct

federal assistance to states and territories. Category G is the section that specifically refers to parks, recreational and other facilities. Tabassian said the county is currently in negotiations with the Hammock Beach resort for a similar agreement.

The commission approved the Ocean Hammock dune maintenance agreement 5-0 at its Oct. 6 meeting.

Send news tips to Sierra@ observerlocalnews.com.

Ocean Hammock in The Hammock. Photo by Sierra Williams

State to pursue death penalty for suspect in police officer’s killing

A suspect in an unrelated case — a driver who hit an Ormond Beach car head-on — has also been indicted for firstdegree murder.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty for the suspect who killed an offduty Edgewater police officer in September.

A Volusia County Grand Jury has indicted the suspect, Eduardo Labrada Machado, 24, on a first-degree murder charge.

Two other men who were indicted in unrelated cases.

One is Stevens Charles, who was fleeing Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies when he crashed into the car of a 71-year-old Ormond Beach woman. The second was Brian Whittaker, who is accused of shooting his neighbor multiple times outside of his Deltona condo on Sept. 29. The victim died at the scene.

State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced the grand jury’s indictments in a press conference on Oct. 6.

‘ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT’

Off-duty Edgewater police officer David Jewell, 45, was killed on Sept. 15 after Machado shot Jewell multiple times in the head, at the Circle K gas station at 2460 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Ormond-by-the-Sea.

Larizza said there were 24 shell casings at the scene. The medical examiner said

Photo by Sierra Williams

“I’ve been in this business since 1980, and I’ve seen things that curl my hair. And then I say, ‘Well, I don’t know if there’s anything that can top that. ... This is one of those cases.’”

R.J. LARIZZA, state attorney

there were at least 20 gunshot wounds but “he couldn’t tell for sure because there were so many.”

Larizza said this case was “bizarre and disturbing.”

“I tell you, I’ve been in this business since 1980, and I’ve seen things that curl my hair. And then I say, ‘Well, I don’t know if there’s anything that can top that,’” Larizza said. “But unfortunately, it seems to have happened again, and this is one of those cases.”

In surveillance footage, Machado, an employee at the gas station, is seen walking out of the store after Jewell walks into the store. Macahado goes to his car and returns to shoot Jewell.

The gun used to kill Jewell was purchased several days prior. Jewell then waited to pick it up about two hours

before Jewell was shot.

Family members of Machado said the 24-year-old had mental health issues. But when asked by a reporter at the press conference whether Machado had any mental health problems, Larizza said that, so far, nothing in the investigation points to mental health issues.

“It’s unclear what, if any, motive there actually was,” Larizza said. “But it’s very clear that this was premeditated, and it’s very clear that this case deserves the ultimate punishment.”

Larizza said the intent to seek the death penalty was filed on Oct. 6.

FATAL WRONG-WAY CRASH

Charles, the larceny suspect driving a car that fled from Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Sept. 16, is also facing a first-degree murder charge for the death of 71-year-old Julia Wagner, an Ormond Beach resident.

“If he would have stopped and surrendered to law enforcement — that’s all they had to do — he wouldn’t be facing first-degree felony murder charges,” Larizza said. Larizza said Wagner was on her way home from a volunteer shift at a hospital when she was hit by Charles’ car.

“Imagine this, coming off the interstate, you get ready to go home, and all of a sudden, here comes this suburban coming up the wrong way on that exit ramp,” Larizza said. “She just didn’t have a chance, God bless her.”

Charles drove his car the wrong way up an Interstate 95 off-ramp on Highway U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach while fleeing FCSO deputies at speeds “of up to 110 mph,” a SAO press release said.

NEWS BRIEFS

Travel agency defrauded over 100 at Seabreeze High, VSO says

A 56-year-old owner of a Massachusetts travel agency is facing grand theft and fraud charges after detectives say he defrauded 104 Seabreeze High School students and chaperones out of $400,000 for a canceled international trip, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office reports. VSO reports that Robert

COPS CORNER

SEPT. 16

GOING OUT ON A LIMB

1:10 p.m. — 100 block of Williamson Blvd., Ormond Beach

Found property. Police were dispatched to a local restaurant after a prosthetic leg was found on the property.

According to a police incident report, the tan prosthetic leg with a white Reebok sneaker was lying on the grass in front of the restaurant, as observed by the reporting officer. She picked it up and transported it back to the station for safekeeping.

SEPT. 19

SOUNDS OF DISTRESS

9:40 p.m. — 1600 block of North U.S. 1, Ormond Beach Suspicious incident. A hotel tenant called police after she heard what sounded like someone screaming for help followed by gunshots, but when police arrived, the property owner advised she hadn’t heard anything unusual. Police later discovered the sounds hadn’t come from inside the hotel property at

Goodwin and his agency, Stone and Compass Travel, canceled the students’ nine-day class trip to Italy and Greece without refunds in May 2024. The students’ trip, which was not schoolsponsored, was set to begin in June 2024.

The agency emailed the students that it was going out of business one month before the trip, stating there was no money to offer refunds. Each traveler had paid a minimum of $3,550 in travel fees for airfare, lodging and excursions, according to a VSO post on Facebook.

Shortly after sending out the email, the agency’s website went down and all

all. They originated from a man who was found lying in the road in front of the hotel, yelling and appearing intoxicated, according to an incident report. The officer determined this is likely what the tenant heard. Police found no evidence of a shooting.

SEPT. 23

DESPERATE NEED FOR A TRIM

6:30 p.m. – Interstate 95, mile marker 287, Flagler County Speeding. A Welaka, Florida, man was caught by a Sheriff’s Office deputy driving 50 mph over the posted speed limit.

The deputy’s radar clocked the suspect’s vehicle as going 107 mph while he was on patrol on I-4. The deputy also noticed the man was “aggressively passing multiple vehicles,” according to the suspect’s arrest report.

The suspect told deputies he was driving so quickly because he had a haircut schedule in New Smyrna Beach, the report said. He was arrested and taken to the county jail.

OCT. 2 MAN BREAKS DEPUTY’S CLIPBOARD 1:35 p.m. – First block of Red-

contact phone numbers and emails were inactive. VSO reports that detectives with its Financial Crimes Unit began their investigation into Stone and Compass Travel in May 2024 after the case was referred to VSO by the State Attorney’s Office.

VSO’s investigation revealed the travel agency was being sued by other organizations for similar allegations, including Flagler College in St. Augustine. Goodwin faces two counts of grand theft (over $100K) and two counts of organized scheme to defraud (over $50K). His bond is set at $4 million.

bud Road, Flagler County Criminal mischief. A Flagler County man was taken to jail for breaking a deputy’s clipboard.

Sheriff’s Office deputies were called out to the home because the suspect said his roommate had hit him. The roommate, who was sleeping when deputies arrived, said it was actually the suspect who had hit him for no reason. Because neither party wanted to prosecute, the deputies started to leave. But not before communications received another call from the suspect, stating that the roommate had punched him, the report said. Once again, the man had no injuries to support his story. While talking to deputies, he “became irate” and grabbed one deputy’s clipboard and broke it over his knee,

The suspect was charged with criminal mischief and petit theft. The suspect was taken to the Flagler County jail, and, the whole way, he kicked the walls of the backseat of the cruiser and spit several times. Send news tips to jarleene@ observerlocalnews.com.

Sports complex: a winner, or mere speculation? Tragedy strikes Flagler County government

A third-party firm says that there is high demand for a large sports complex, but is Flagler County enough of a destination?

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Though an independent analysis supported the viability of a sports complex in Flagler County, the County Commission expressed caution in the face of moving forward.

“Everyone’s rushing on this idea,” Vice Chair Leann Pennington said. “P3s (public private partnerships) — it’s just not something we do a lot around here.”

As of yet, the Flagler County Commission has not committed to building a sports complex in the county, though there has been some interest.

At an April County Commission meeting, Synergy Sports proposed a $100 million facility with indoor and multiple outdoor fields.

Synergy Sports’ Jason Boudrie told the commission in April that the complex would begin returning revenue to the county by its third year. The facility Synergy proposed would include an outdoor grass stadium, a mix of grass and turf flat fields and indoor facilities (pickleball, basketball and volleyball

courts and a 200 meter indoor track). The track would be only the second indoor track in the state.

The proposal projected 250,000-400,000 unique annual visitors.

If the county goes forward with the proposal, it would be through a public private partnership. In the April presentation, it was said the landowner — Rayonier, a global forester company — had offered to donate the land to the county, which would then lease it to a private company for $1.

That company would then build the facility out of its own pocket and lease the facility back to the county, until the county eventually paid it off.

County Administrator Heidi Petito likened it, at the April presentation, to paying back a mortgage.

The facility would not be paid off by taxpayer funds but instead by revenue generated from the facility.

But is Synergy’s proposal viable?

To explore that question further, the county hired JLL, a global real estate services company, to evaluate the proposal and the market feasibility. JLL’s Dan Fenton said that while there is a high demand and a market for the kind of facility proposed by Synergy, “there was certainly more aspiration, let’s call it, in the proposal from Synergy.”

That doesn’t mean the proposal was without merit. Fenton said the youth sports

industry generates $40 billion in annual revenue and, in their own research, was a spending category that was resilient.

“Youth sports was one of the last things that families wanted to actually reduce, in terms of expenditures,” Fenton said.

The industry is also growing year-over-year in participation, he said.

The joint indoor-outdoor facility that Synergy proposed was unique compared to what is currently available, he said. However, he said, those in the industry are looking for more than just the facility, but an experience for tournament attendees, too.

This is more than a “build it and they will come” project, Fenton said.

“One of the things that’s going to be important as an analysis here is also looking at all of the sort of features that are being proposed and making sure that we’re competitive in terms of what we’re offering,” Fenton said.

Pennington said she was skeptical about jumping into a P3, especially as the county might not have those amenities organizers are looking for.

“I don’t think we have destination amenities to attract [people],” Pennington said.

“It’s a stretch.”

More concerning to her was the risk of not securing the naming rights. One of the ways the facility would be funded is through the sale of the naming rights to the facil-

“You don’t nail the naming rights, you’re in the red from day one.”

LEANN PENNINGTON, Flagler County Commission vice chair

ity.

“You don’t nail the naming rights, you’re in the red from day one,” Pennington said. “I think it’s just a speculation project, really, for me.”

Pennington said she gets nervous at the potential for oversaturation, after looking at similar complexes around the country. She said she was unsure if the return on investment was there or not.

St. Johns County has already broken ground on their own complex, though that is only for outdoor fields.

Commissioner Pam Richardson said the size of the project concerned her, considering Flagler is an environmental county without a lot of tourist attraction.

“And we have issues with roads right now,” she said. “How much is it going to cost us to support them, if they even come?”

The next presentation on the sports complex will be held on Dec. 8, when staff will present a review of Synergy Sports’ previous projects, their financial performance, the contract types and a deep dive into naming rights, sponsorships, financial terms and risk assessment.

Jorge Salinas, who died with his wife in a car crash on Oct. 4, was county’s second in command since 2020.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Flagler County has announced that Deputy County Administrator Jorge Salinas and his wife have died in a “tragic car crash.”

Salinas, 59, and his wife, Nancy, 60, were two of three fatalities in a hit-and-run car crash in Volusia County over the weekend. On Oct. 4, an SUV slammed into a sedan which then hit a motorcycle and the Salinases’ Honda Pilot.

Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Tara Crescenzi confirmed the Salinas were two of the crash victims.

“Jorge was a very strong partner in leading Flagler County,” Administrator Heidi Petito said. “I can’t even imagine the depth of his loss to our community or the pain his children and family must feel. He is already missed.”

The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners shared Petito’s sentiment, and Chair Andy Dance said Salinas’ death left a “significant void has been created in our Flagler County community.”

“I am very saddened,” Dance said. “He was a trusted and respected member of the leadership team. My heart goes out to his children and family. Thank you, Jorge, for your service to us and your country.”

The car crash occurred at 9:55 p.m. on Oct. 4 in the eastbound lanes on I-4, near mile

“Jorge was a very strong partner in leading Flagler County. I can’t even imagine the depth of his loss to our community or the pain his children and family must feel. He is already missed.”

HEIDI PETITO

marker 108 in DeBary.

A Dodge Durango changed lanes from the center lane to the right lane, hitting the driver side of a 2013 Ford Focus, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report, which then hit a motorcyclist. The Deltona man, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Focus was run off the road and hit the guardrail, before it reentered the eastbound lanes and hit a 2020 Honda Pilot, driven by Salinas.

The Salinases were pronounced dead on the scene while the driver of the Ford Focus, a 47-year-old Deltona woman, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the report said. The driver of the Dodge Durango fled the scene. The SUV was later found empty by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in an unoccupied parking lot.

“We’re extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Deputy County Administrator Jorge Salinas,” the FCSO said in a Facebook post on Oct. 6. “He was a dedicated public servant, and his contributions to Flagler County will always be remembered.”

The City of Palm Coast shared its own post extending the “deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues” of Salinas.

Salinas worked for Flagler County for the last five years. He was originally hired in 2020 to become chief of staff for former Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron. He remained as Petito’s right hand after she took over in 2021.

Flagler Home Builders Association sues Palm Coast over fee increases

The lawsuit asks for the court to refund and stop the collection of impact fees after recent increases.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A lawsuit demanding Palm Coast’s recent impact fee increases be declared invalid and illegal was filed in Flagler County’s 7th Judicial Circuit Court on Oct. 1. The Flagler Home Builders Association and six other local

plaintiffs have joined together to file the lawsuit against Palm Coast in response to the city doubling its impact fees last June. The lawsuit is asking Flagler County’s courts to declare the ordinance levying the impact fees as invalid, to stop their collection both “temporarily and permanently” and refund any impact fees collected under the ordinances. Impact fees are fees paid by developers to a municipality to pay for growth-related infrastructure costs. These fees can primarily only be used for new projects, not

fixing existing infrastructure. There are multiple types of impact fees, earmarked for specific kinds of growth: fire services, parks and recreation and transportation.

The lawsuit alleges Palm Coast violated Florida law by increasing the impact fee rates for transportation, parks and recreation, and fire services over the 50% cap set by Florida Statute 163.31801. But the city, after reviewing studies on the city’s needs, argued the need for a greater increase fell under the statute’s “extraordinary circumstance” clause. Studies presented to Palm

Coast by consultant firms Nue Urban Concepts and Raftelis stated Palm Coast’s extreme growth and the nation-wide increase in inflation costs over the last six years qualified as the “extraordinary circumstances” required to substantially increase impact fees.

The FHBA chose to take up legal action after the city dramatically increased its impact fees over the summer, and sent the city a notice of intent to sue in August. The city sent a reply stating it was “prepared to defend” the increases.

The FHBA created a page on its website dedicated to

the legal challenge, called “Standing up for Fair Fees.”

The website details its stance against Palm Coast and includes copies of the lawsuit for the public to review.

‘EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES’?

Florida Statute 163.31801 does not expressly define “extraordinary circumstances.”

A third section, which went into effect after Palm Coast adopted its increases, requires a unanimous vote to adopt increases over 50%.

While Palm Coast held workshops and completed the studies within the time limit, the FHBA and the lawsuit allege the studies were faulty and failed to demonstrate a need to exceed the statutory limits.

Instead, it states that a “demonstrated-need study justifying any increase” in excess of the 50% cap be “completed within the 12 months before” rates are increased. The study must demonstrate the extraordinary circumstances, and the city is required to hold at least two publicly noticed workshops dedicated to explaining those circumstances.

Volusia County Council OKs 1.7-mile stretch for dog beach in Daytona

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

Daytona is on track to get its own dog-friendly stretch of beach, with officials selecting a location for the new section.

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Volusia County Council approved 6-0 for staff to proceed with amending a county ordinance to add a second dog beach location, proposed for a 1.7-mile section from Williams Boulevard to the Seabreeze Boulevard approach. This comes after the council directed staff in May to begin the process.

Daytona Dog Beach Inc. will pay for the startup costs — estimated to range between $7,800 and $9,760 for signage, dog bag dispensers and water bowls — as well as the $2,500 annual costs. As with the Ormond dog beach, the nonprofit will also supply dog waste bags and volunteer efforts to keep the beach clean. Councilmen thanked Nanette McKeel Petrella, president of Daytona Dog Beach, for stepping up. When asked by Council Chair Jeff Brower if her nonprofit could fund dog beaches throughout the county, Petrella said Daytona

Dog Beach is prepared to do so — they would just need to figure out initial costs for dog waste dispensers and the necessary yearly commitment for volunteers.

“I am constantly getting emails or things on Facebook from people in other parts of the county that want this in their areas,” Petrella said. “My feeling has been, ‘Well, we got to take it one step at a time, or one paw at a time,’ as I like to say. But yes, I think we could do it.”

Two other options were presented to the council: a 1.48-mile section from Hart-

ford Avenue to Seabreeze Boulevard, and a 1-mile section from Zelda Boulevard to Seabreeze Boulevard.

Petrella and Daytona Dog Beach supported the approved option.

“We are grateful we were given the chance to provide input to this opportunity based on our experience funding and hosting the dog beach in Ormond for two years,” Petrella said. “We appreciate all of you challenging us at times, encouraging us at times, being open and willing to change your positions and then say so. Hopefully you

have seen we’ve delivered on our commitments in the past, and that you are confident in our ability to deliver on them again hosting a successful dog beach in Daytona.”

Deb Coursey, board treasurer with Daytona Dog Beach, said since opening the dog beach in Ormond, volunteers have removed 8,600 pounds of trash on the 0.6-mile stretch in Ormond between Milsap Road and Rockefeller Drive. When factoring in the beach cleanups that the nonprofit held prior to the launch of the dog beach pilot, that figure rises to 10,157 pounds of trash collected since

July 2021. “Every bit of beach you give us will be just that clean, and we thank you for the opportunity,” Coursey said.

Councilman Troy Kent, who has spearheaded the initiative, said the addition of a dog beach in Daytona will equal 2.3 miles of dog-friendly areas out of the county’s 47 miles of coastline.

“This is still a drop in the bucket, and it allows your group (Daytona Dog Beach) to make sure the proof is in the pudding and make that equally as clean as the half-mile in Ormond Beach,” Kent said.

Jorge Salinas. Image courtesy of Flagler County

The Boombah Sports Complex in Sanford. Image from Flagler County meeting documents

Palm Coast children under 11 can no longer use E-bikes in public spaces

Riders will also be required to carry a photo ID, which includes a school ID as an acceptable option.

Palm Coast children under the age of 11 will no longer be able to ride their E-bikes on cityowned property, effective immediately.

The Palm Coast City Council approved an ordinance restricting E-bike use in Palm Coast in a 4-1 vote at its Oct. 7 meeting. The restrictions include implementing a minimum age limit of 11 years old to use an E-bike on any cityowned property, including roads, bicycle paths and sidewalks.

“I think this ordinance is the right thing to do from a public safety perspective,” Councilman Charles Gambaro said.

A sticking point for City Council members in each reading of this ordinance has been the age limit. Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri, the sole dissenting vote against the ordinance, said she could not support an ordinance that contained an age limit.

“I just can’t support what I think is government overstep into the purview of parenting by telling a parent they can or cannot put their child on a certain type of bike,” Pontieri said. “Particularly when a regular bike can be ridden in an unsafe manner as well.”

Originally, the ordinance included an age limit of 15, but it was lowered at a September council meeting.

“I will not sign the ordinance if it doesn’t have an age,” Councilman Dave Sullivan said.

Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance, who has attended the meeting as a Palm Coast resident and avid E-bike user, said one argument for an age limit is the weight of the bikes.

E-bikes, he said, are heavy and younger riders may not be able to handle the weight or speed of an E-bike.

“[E-bikes] are anywhere from 50 to 70 to 80 pounds,” he said. “They can’t stop as quickly, and they hit things with different force. That’s where the age is important.”

In a document he sent to the council detailing suggested changes to the ordinance, Dance included the suggestion that the age limit be set to 13, with an allowance for 11- and 12-year-olds to ride E-bikes with direct adult supervision on sidewalks and shared-use paths.

But Pontieri was concerned about the precedent it set.

“What precedent are we setting,” she said, “by telling parents they can or cannot allow their children to ride a certain type of bicycle?”

The rest of the council felt the ordinance with the age was the right direction. Mayor Mike Norris said if needed the council could revisit the ordinance and make any necessary changes.

E-bike riders of all ages must also carry a government issued photo ID while riding on city-owned property and present that identification to law enforcement when requested. “Government issued photographic identification” includes a driver license, passport, military ID and a school ID.

Those who violate the ordinance could be subject to a fine of up to $100 for each violation, according to the ordinance’s penalty section.

Law enforcement officers are

“I just can’t support what I think is government overstep into the purview of parenting by telling a parent they can or cannot put their child on a certain type of bike. Particularly when a regular bike can be ridden in an unsafe manner as well.”

THERESA PONTIERI, Palm Coast vice mayor

also authorized to remove and impound an E-bike that was violating the ordinance. The ordinance was brought up after multiple people brought up safety concerns from some E-bike riders driving recklessly in the city. E-bikes, by state statute, can be ridden wherever bicycles can. The city ordinance now requires E-bike riders to comply with all pedestrian traffic signs and intersections and makes it “unlawful to operate an E-bike … in an unsafe and reckless manner.”

A “reckless manner” includes failing to yield or slow for pedestrians and riding at excessive speed. Riders also are prohibited from using E-bikes with a modified propulsion system in city limits. E-bikes are also required to have a light and reflector gear equipped while riding at night, just as a bicycle is required to have.

Humane Society’s overpopulation addressed as city renews contract

Vice Mayor Pontieri was asking for a metric Palm Coast can use to help track when the shelter is overcrowded.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Palm Coast City Council approved another one-year contract with the Flagler Humane Society in a 5-0 on Oct. 7. The contract is similar to the contract adopted by Flagler County in September. The city will have two liaisons, a council member and staff member, meet quarterly with two FHS board members to review financial reports, intake reports and contract performance.

Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri had several concerns she asked to be addressed before approving the item. Primarily, Pontieri wanted to work out a definition for “overpopulated” in the contract, which states the shelter “must not be overpopulated,” but does not provide a metric.

“We have to be able to track these things,” she said.

FHS Executive Director Amy Carotenuto said the shelter being overcrowded could mean different numbers depending on the situation. When FHS took in the 98 cats taken from a Palm Coast home, Carotenuto said she had several cats in her office for a while. Other times, she said, she’s had to borrow cages from the Halifax Humane Society to accommodate an influx of animals. Each population is different, she said,

“We make do, and then once those animals get adopted, we’re back to normal again. But the animals ... never suffer because of that.”

AMY CAROTENUTO, Flagler Humane Society executive director

and there isn’t a hard-fast number in place.

“We make do, and then once those animals get adopted, we’re back to normal again,” Carotenuto said. “But the animals themselves never suffer because of that.”

But Pontieri said if the FHS does not know the number, it makes it difficult for the city to know what its future needs are. Pontieri said there should be a standard of how many animals can fit in a certain amount of space.

“Because, no offense, but you can’t even really define it,” Pontieri said, “We can’t define it, you can’t define it. What does overpopulation look like?”

Councilman Ty Miller said, by definition, anytime the FHS has to create temporary housing for animals or borrow cages from other shelters, “that’s when we’re overpopulated.”

Pontieri asked Carotenuto to work out with Palm Coast Code Enforcement a solution to that definition.

“I think we just need to keep the lines of communication open,” Pontieri said.

The Palm Coast City Council, with Councilman Charles Gambaro attending over the phone, approved the new E-bike ordinance in a 4-1 vote. Photo by Sierra Williams

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

SMALL SIZE , BIG DEAL

Palm Coast dedicates Safe Haven Baby Box

‘If a moment of crisis comes, there is a safe ... and compassionate choice available,’ Gambaro said.

BRITTANY KERSHAW

CONTRIBUTING

The Palm Coast City Council, Fire Department, and community partners gathered on Sept. 30 to dedicate and bless a new Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station 25, located at 1250 Belle Terre Parkway. The addition of the Baby Box provides parents in crisis with a safe, secure, and anonymous option to surrender their newborn.

While Florida’s Safe Haven Law already allows parents who cannot care for a newborn to hand the child off at any fire station, hospital, or police station, the parent must do so in person. The Safe Haven Baby Box is unique because it allows for complete anonymity.

The ceremony featured remarks from Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Box; Bryant Perszyk, Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus; Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill; and Palm Coast City Council Member Charles Gambaro.

Father Manny Lopez, pastor of Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church in Flagler Beach, delivered a blessing over the new resource, and Kelsey offered final remarks before unlocking the box to officially mark its dedication.

Despite steady rain falling throughout the afternoon, the crowd remained gathered outside Fire Station 25, showing their support.

Berryhill spoke about the project, saying, “As firefighters, our mission has always been to protect lives. Some days that means rushing into burning buildings, other days it means responding to medical emergencies. Today, it means dedicating a resource that can protect the most vulnerable lives in our community — newborn children.”

Gambaro reflected on the impact these devices have had in communities nationwide, sharing the story of a baby safely surrendered in Ocala. “Having this box here means that if a moment of crisis comes, there is a safe, secure, and compassionate choice available. It stands as a promise that every child deserves a chance at life and every parent deserves dignity and compassion in their most difficult hour.”

Safe Haven Baby Boxes have been installed at 383 locations nationwide, including 10 in Florida, as part of a growing movement to prevent infant abandonment. Since 2017, 69 infants have been safely surrendered in Baby Boxes across the country, and the national 24/7 crisis hotline (1-86699BABY1) has connected parents in need to resources.

The Palm Coast Safe Haven Baby Box was made possible through the Knights of Columbus, Flagler Palm Coast Kiwanis, and community partners who worked tirelessly to bring this resource to Palm Coast. Together, they raised nearly $41,000 to make this resource possible.

Monitored 24/7 by the Palm Coast Fire Department, the Baby Box immediately alerts first responders when activated, ensuring an infant receives care within minutes.

NEWS BRIEFS

Hammock Beach earns silver Stella Award

The Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa has been awarded with a 2025 Northstar Stella Award by Northstar Meeting Groups.

The resort earned the silver medal for Best Golf Resort in the southeast, according to a Hammock Beach press release. The Stella Awards combine “public planner voting with third-party judging to spotlight the very best in quality, service, and innovation for meetings and events.”

This recognition places Hammock Beach among the top destinations in the country for both golf and group experiences, the press release said.

Four honored with Life Saving Award

Four Flagler County Fire Rescue firefighters and paramedics were recognized for helping save the life of a Flagler County patient who did not have a pulse when paramedics arrived.

Rescue Supervisor Beau Kruithoff, Rescue Supervisor Tyler Allesee, Firefighter/ Paramedic Marcus Ellis and Paramedic Sebastian Eichenlaub-Bowden were honored with a Life Saving Award at the Oct. 6 Flagler County Commission meeting. The call occurred in September, Fire Chief Michael Tucker said.

The team was able to revive the patient, Tucker said.

On the way to the hospital, the patient lost their pulse again, and the team had to initiate CPR again.

The patient survived and is now home from the hospital with their family.

Tucker said “it was an honor to be part of the team and to

be their leader.”

“And I can tell you, the future of Flagler County Fire Rescue is bright, and citizens are being served by some of the best that I’ve ever worked with.”

Flagler Cares welcomes Sirius Healthcare

Flagler Cares, a one-stop health and social care organization, welcomed Sirius Healthcare as a new community partner on Sept.15.

Located in the Flagler County Village in Palm Coast, Sirius Healthcare is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals impacted by HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted diseases, a press release said. Sirius Healthcare is focused on improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations through education, support and tailored comprehensive care.

Current and new patients can be seen in person at 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B302.

CEO of Flagler Cares Carrie Baird said Sirius Healthcare’s presence “is a win for the most vulnerable members of our community.”

“When agencies come together in one location, people can get the care they need faster and with less stress,” Baird said.

To learn more about Sirius Healthcare, call (888) 8081540 or complete an intake form.

Palm Coast hosts Land Development Code workshops

Palm Coast is asking for residents’ input on updating the city’s Land Development Code through a series of public workshops.

The city is reviewing and updating its LDC and is holding the public workshops during Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Regulation Board and City Council meetings. The first workshop will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Palm Coast City Hall.

The amendments to the LDC will align the LDC with the recently updated Imagine 2050 Comprehensive Plan, clarifying existing code requirements, update references and technical language and implement goals, objectives and policies from the Comprehensive Plan, according to a Palm Coast press release.

“Public participation is a key part of ensuring the Land Development Code continues to reflect the needs and priorities of our community,” Palm Coast Planner Manager Phong Nguyen said.

The workshops will be organized by chapters of the LDC

and occasionally more than one workshop may be held for a particular chapter, the press release said. For more information, visit the interactive project website at palmcoast.mysocialpinpoint.com.

Furry adds JCD Consulting to Congressional campaign team

Will Furry has announced the addition of JCD Consulting to his Congressional campaign team.

Furry, the Flagler County School Board chair, is a Republican candidate for Florida’s 6th Congressional district. He is running in the 2026 Republican primary against incumbent Randy Fine and other candidates, including Palm Coast City Councilman Charles Gambaro.

“JCD Consulting will provide strategic guidance, data analysis, and communications insight,” Furry said in a press release. “... Adding JCD Consulting to our campaign is an important step in strengthening our ability to connect with voters and deliver our message across Florida’s 6th Congressional District.” JCD Consulting has managed over 200 political campaigns throughout the nation, according to the press release.

Fire Chief Mike Tucker presented Life Saving Awards to Rescue Supervisor Beau Kruithoff, Firefighter/ Paramedic Marcus Ellis and Paramedic Sebastian Eichenlaub-Bowden. Rescue Supervisor Tyler Allesee also received the award, but was absent from the meeting. Photo courtesy of Flagler County

FC3 names new leaders, recommends grants Old Kings Elementary para wins state award

Flagler County Cultural Council also announced winners of student photo contest.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Flagler County Cultural Council announced its new officers, highlighted the recipients — pending City Council approval — of the City of Palm Coast’s cultural grants, and chose winners for Flagler Palm Coast High School’s Student Photo Contest.

FC3 held its annual meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the Palm Coast Community Center, with outgoing chairwoman, Nancy Crouch, highlighting last year’s initiatives, the Palm Coast cultural grant recommendations and the local arts agency’s strategic plan.

The strategic plan’s three pillars include:

„ Support of the arts in the county, through grants, scholarships and advertising

„ Advocacy, engaging with local and state officials

„ Foster collaboration, including connecting with artists to develop new events and opportunities

FC3’s eight Palm Coast cultural grant recommendations to the City Council will total $77,799. They include:

„ Palm Coast Songwriter’s Festival, $12,000

„ Hispanic American Cultural Society, $8,520

„ Flagler Auditorium, $12,000

„ Flagler County Education Foundation, $10,000

„ City Repertory Theatre, $11,186

„ Palm Coast Historical Society and Museum, $2,013

„ African American Cultural Society, $12,000

„ Community Chorus of Palm Coast, $10,000

The newly elected officers are Chair Danielle Anderson, Vice Chair Denise Garcia and Treasurer Julia Truilo, who is continuing that role for , another term. Flagler County Destination Development

and Community Engagement Manager Deborah Morgan will take over clerical duties.

FC3 members voted for their favorite photos entered in the Flagler Palm Coast Photo Contest in connection with the Creekside Festival. Over 30 photos were judged from FPC Fine Arts Instructor Angela Biggs’ advanced photo class.

The Peoples Choice award for the contest will be announced at the Creekside Festival, which has been rescheduled to Feb. 7-8, 2026, at Princess Place Preserve.

FC3 handed out $750 in cash awards to students for the photos with the most votes:

„ First place: Isabella Cuccinello, “A Colorful Interlude,” $300

„ Second place: Jordyn Carnelli, “Play of Paradise,” $200

„ Third place: Brayden Roe, “House of the Past,” $125

„ Fourth place: Annabelle Murray, “The Busy Bee,” $75 „ Fifth place: Abigail Minder, “Victory in Sight,” $50 At the end of the meeting, Justin and Lindsey Hein of PixelWall Designs demonstrated wallPen direct-towall printing technology.

Suzanne Carter was honored for her work with visually impaired students, including holding Maverick Fitzgerald’s hand while he walks to class.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Old Kings Elementary School paraprofessional Suzanne Carter has been selected by the Florida Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (FAER) as the winner of the 2025 Outstanding Achievement by a Paraprofessional Award.

Carter will be honored at the organization’s convention later this month for making significant contributions in working with Old Kings fifthgrader Maverick Fitzgerald. She was nominated for the award by Ginette Mora Diaz, who is Old Kings’ teacher of visually impaired students and is a certified orientation and mobility specialist with Flagler Schools.

Carter has been working with ESE students as paraprofessional for 15 years, but Maverick is the first blind student she has worked with. This is her second year working with Maverick. When she started, he wasn’t able to walk independently. Now he walks from one class to another while holding Carter’s hand.

“He has just come so far in the last year,” she said. “He has always been very uncomfortable in a classroom, but he’s starting to find some comfort with friends.”

Mora Diaz and Carter have begun teaching Maverick Braille. “He’s very interested in that,” Carter said. “His mother reads him stories at home, and I’ve told him, when he learns Braille he can read a story to Mommy. He gets a big smile on his face, and so that’s his incentive. He is very smart, he is able to memorize things instantly.”

Carter will receive her award at the FAER convention Oct. 22-24 in Altamonte Springs. She is one of 10 statewide award winners in different categories.

“It’s truly an honor, and I’m just very thankful,” she said. “I feel that I’m only representing the wonderful team here at Old Kings. Everyone works very hard to ensure the best education possible for our children, and we call our four classrooms the nest. So I think that’s an appropriate name. The kids are nurtured.” Send school news to brent@ observerlocalnews.com.

Old Kings Elementary School paraprofessional Suzanne Carter works one-on-one with fifth grader Maverick Carter. “He’s starting to find some comfort with friends,” she said. Photo courtesy of Flagler Schools

Detail from fourth-place winner: Sophomore Annabelle Murray’s “The Busy Bee.”

Second-place winner in the 2025 Flagler Palm Coast High School Student Photo Contest as voted by FC3 meeting attendees: Sophomore Jordyn Carnelli’s “Play of Paradise.” Courtesy photo

Third-place winner: Junior Brayden Roe’s “House of the Past.”

Flagler County Cultural Council board members, including new chair Danielle Anderson, far right. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Fifth-place photo: Sophomore Abigail Minder’s “Victory in Sight.”

United Way Volusia-Flagler honors volunteers at annual celebration

The nonprofit also spoke on its strategic plan and how it’s been put into action at the celebration.

OBSERVER STAFF

Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties held its Annual Impact Celebration on Friday, Sept. 26, highlighting the impact of the nonprofit’s work in the community and recognizing individuals who have made a difference.

The theme of the celebration was “Rooted in Local Giving.”

United’s four pillars are philanthropy, impact, communication and organizational excellence.

“Philanthropy in Volusia and Flagler Counties isn’t just about generosity — it’s about strategy, sustainability, and unity,” Women United

YOUR TOWN

Iranian American Society of Daytona hosts Persian filmmaker

The Iranian American Society of Daytona Beach celebrated its 28th anniversary on Sept. 27, with a film screening featuring filmmaker Bahman Maghsoudlou, at Cinematique Theater.

The featured film was “Razor’s Edge: Legacy of Iranian Actresses,” a Persian documentary on Iranian actresses and the challenges they face in a patriarchal society.

Cabinet Volunteer of the Year; Cindy Dalecki Morrissey, Women United - Flagler Volunteer of the Year; and Ryan Page, President & CEO, Intracoastal Bank, President’s Award Honoree. Courtesy photo

Volusia Vice Chair Lauren Wilmot said. “At the Community Foundation and United Way, we define philanthropy as a powerful partnership between donors, nonprofits, and community volunteers, all working together to create

lasting change.”

United Way’s workplace campaigns raised $1.5 million in 2024-2025, and the nonprofit has seeded two new community endowments this year: one to address food insecurity, and a second to

strengthen the Flagler community.

Since last year’s Annual Impact Celebration, the Community Foundation and United Way saw 12 new funds established.

“This now brings us to over

40 unique funds to serve our community at large — from arts and culture to faith-based organizations, financial education programs and many more,” said board member and former chair Nicole Miller. “These charitable funds mean continuous, sustainable funding for our nonprofit partners, investments in solutions for our community’s most pressing issues, and a commitment to philanthropy.”

This year, the nonprofit reached a milestone of $20 million in assets under management, meaning more dollars invested into education, grants and community initiatives, she said.

The celebration also recognized the following honorees:

„ Michelle Bennett, VITA Volunteer of the Year

„ Karen Jacobs, Board Member of the Year

„ Emmanuel Kamel, CF/ UWVFC Staff Member of the Year

„ Robin King, Impact Circle

Maghsoudlou, who holds a doctorate from Columbia, is a member of PEN America. According to a press release, he is known for his mono-

graph-style documentaries on iconic Iranian artists and filmmakers, including Ahmad Shamlou, Abbas Kiarostami, and Bahram Beyzaie.

The IASDB’s mission is to promote the Iranian culture and engage in a cross-cultural, educational exchange through literacy and social events, the press release states. Visit IASDB.org.

Grand Haven Woman’s Club hosting fundraising cruise

Grand Haven Woman’s Club is hosting a luxury cruise to raise money for its charities. The club supports about 30 organizations in the Palm Coast area.

The cruise will be April

26-30, 2026, aboard the MSC Seashore. The ship departs from Cape Canaveral. Destinations are Nassau and Ocean Cay Marine Reserve (MSC’s private island).

Yacht club cabins include balcony, 24-hour butler service, premium extra drink and wi-fi package, ship-wide VIP treatment, dedicated restaurants, thermal spa access. The price is $1,899 per person, all-inclusive with taxes, services and Grand Haven Woman’s Club donation included. A $99 reservation fee is applied to the invoice.

Contact Pam Walker of walkeradventures.com at pam@ walkeradventures.com.

Pinning Honoree

„ Teresa Wiggins, 2024–2025

Generation IMPACT Volunteer of the Year

„ Stephanie Renick, Women United - Volusia Volunteer of the Year

„ Stephanie Parks, Community Impact Cabinet Volunteer of the Year

„ Cindy Dalecki Morrissey, Women United - Flagler Volunteer of the Year

„ Ryan Page, President & CEO, Intracoastal Bank, President’s Award Honoree

“As we look ahead, we’re excited about what’s on the horizon: Fund Choice giving opportunities, continued fund growth, a refresh of our strategic plan, and bold new pillars that will spark a true grant-making revolution,” said Courtney Edgcomb, president and CEO of CF/ UWVFC. “And, we’ll be celebrating a major milestone — our 85th anniversary — with even more ways to engage and give back.”

Flagler American Legion Post hosts annual fundraiser golf tournament

American Legion Post 115 held its fifth annual fundraiser golf tournament on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Palm Harbor Golf Course.

The tournament offered an enjoyable day on the course for over 90 participants and raised funds to support the Flagler County post’s programs and services. The event exceeded its fundraising expectations, according to a press release.

The American Legion supports groups such as Florida Sheriff’s Ranch, FHP Cadet Academy, Flagler Special Olympics, Emory Bennett VA Nursing Home and many more. The presenting sponsor for the tournament was SmartTechnologies with additional support from Palm Coast Ford. A committee of more than a dozen volunteers helped recruit sponsors, players and prizes and ensured that the players had a firstclass experience on the golf course.

Email Your Town stories to brent@observerlocalnews. com.

The 2025 Annual Impact Celebration Honorees: Michelle Bennett, VITA Volunteer of the Year; Karen Jacobs, Board Member of the Year; Emmanuel Kamel, CF/UWVFC Staff Member of the Year; Robin King, Impact Circle Pinning Honoree; Teresa Wiggins, 2024–2025 Generation IMPACT Volunteer of the Year; Stephanie Renick, Women United - Volusia Volunteer of the Year; Stephanie Parks, Community Impact

School districts can’t use NDAs to restrict public information

Volusia County Schools’ staff NDAs hinder the School Board from doing its job: district oversight.

DONNA BROSEMER GUEST WRITER

Always in search of unique ways to discourage public scrutiny while touting transparency, the Volusia County School District got creative. They drafted non-disclosure agreements for 113 of their staff to sign, because what they do is none of your business unless they say it is, and then it can only be shared in district-approved spin. They say the NDA “ensures only accurate information, information in its proper context, and correct interpretation is circulated.”

In other words, we are guaranteed nothing but the district’s spin, with no opportunity for opinion,

analysis, or alternative perspective. What they do, how they do it, and who pays for it, is none of your business. Three of the School Board members agree.

The school district administration — not the board — created in the NDA at least five new categories of information and communication that they have decided are now confidential. Breach can result in “irreparable harm” to this “public” agency. The definition they actually changed is that of “public.” But what else is new? Even as a board member, I have no access to legal counsel on board matters, and I have to pay for any records I request. There is a reason Florida school districts don’t use NDAs in this way: The Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes say they can’t. Only the Legislature can remove public information — written or oral — from disclosure, by first filing a bill that defends the public purpose to be served, and then getting two-thirds of both the House and Senate to approve it.

Volusia County Schools has decided that doesn’t apply to them. They made up their own reasons. Under the law, their reasons don’t matter.

So two weeks ago, I broached this subject with the board. Our job is oversight of the district’s operation. When a constitutional issue is raised by district action, one might expect at least some measure of curiosity on the part of the elected officials. But no.

I analyze these questions as I did for eight years in legal research and writing for circuit and appellate courts in South Florida. I found the answers alarming, so I prepared and shared my legal memo with the board members.

Of course, my memo was easy to dismiss because I am not properly credentialed in the world of “listen to the experts,” and “consider the source.” It also had not been publicly noticed and posted, so the consensus was to workshop it. The district’s general counsel said he would provide a memo from outside counsel to explain where I was wrong.

For the workshop, I paid for and provided a properly-credentialed attorney’s memo six days before the meeting, asking for it to be attached to the agenda item. It wasn’t. It still isn’t.

MY VIEW VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

Neither was the district’s memo. It was given to us as the agenda item was being introduced for discussion. We were given 15 minutes to read it.

The legal questions are clear, because the language of the NDA is clear. The district’s defenses did not cite either Constitution or statute, but relied on case law that in most cases applied to the private sector. And of course, we were treated to the obligatory MYOB message from the administration to the board — or rather, to me.

That was just fine with the board majority, who has yet to grasp the concept of oversight.

The obvious question is “why”? Why did the district need this NDA?

Beyond that are several equally important questions:

1. What are the board’s statutory obligations?

Section 1001.41, F.S., outlines the long list. Included among them, under “General Powers,” the board is charged with “[determining] policies and programs for operating the school district.” The board has no policy regarding NDAs, and apparently believes they don’t need one; they ignored my recommen-

dation that we create one.

That’s easier. They won’t have to fully understand the legalities, and can just accept what they’re told.

2. Why does the district have both a staff lawyer and outside counsel with attorney-client privilege, and the board has neither, either individually or collectively?

At the workshop, both the staff attorney and outside counsel represented the district’s legal position. The district’s general counsel’s title includes “board attorney,” but we have neither equal access nor privilege. When I noted the obvious conflict, I was told that it had become “too costly” for the board to have that access.

The board members lost theirs. The district did not.

The board has surrendered its ability to challenge, question, or research any action by the district, and the district makes it as difficult as possible to get answers or information in any form.

How will we know whether information provided by any staff member in any form is all there is to know, and not just what the district wants us to know?

This board doesn’t care.

District NDAs are narrow and protect sensitive information

Editor’s note: This is a response to School Board member Donna Brosemer’s My View above.

VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

The concerns raised about Volusia County Schools’ use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are not new; they have been addressed in School Board meetings, workshops, legal memoranda, and public inquiries.

USE OF NON-DISCLOSURE

AGREEMENTS

The claims criticize the district’s decision to implement NDAs for approximately 100 district staff members, suggesting this undermines transparency and public accountability. That char-

acterization is misleading. NDAs are a standard and lawful tool used to protect sensitive information. The district’s intent is not to obscure information, but to preserve the integrity of what is shared publicly. Transparency and accountability remain guiding principles, but they must be balanced with responsible information management.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PUBLIC INFORMATION

The claim that the district has unilaterally created new categories of confidential information misrepresents both the intent and the legal framework guiding these actions. This argument overlooks the plain language of the NDA which is not inconsistent with Article 1,

Section 24(a) of the Florida Constitution. Also, it is important to note that the plain language of the definition set forth in the NDA is “for this agreement only”; it is not to expand the laws or Constitution of the State of Florida.

Moreover, the NDA specifically provides that “Confidential Information does not include information that is required to be disclosed by law, regulation, or court order.” The district fully complies with Florida’s constitutional and statutory requirements for public records. NDAs are narrowly tailored to protect specific types of information that, if disclosed improperly, could cause significant harm to district operations. These protections are not arbitrary;

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Issue on Palm Coast advertising dollars was subterfuge to punish free speech

Dear Editor: National partisan politics and issues of free speech surprisingly made an appearance at a recent Palm Coast City Council meeting. A podium speaker asked for a motion to cease advertising dollars the city expends for public information and announcements published on FlaglerLive because of some inconvenient truths that the local blog wrote critical of Charlie Kirk’s very controversial views. The issue of advertising dollars was clearly a “red herring” to disguise the speaker’s true intent, which was to punish speech he didn’t agree with. It was disingenuous rhetoric.

From past observations of City Council meetings, the usual protocol exercised in response to gripes and spiels from speakers is to just politely thank them for their comment and simply move on. However, the council took the bait. They bought the subterfuge and decided to litigate free speech under

the guise of taxpayer-funded advertising dollars. They entertained the stunt and spent 15 minutes doing so, seemingly failing to recognize what it really was from the get-go. This is a council that regularly fails to disallow or correct misinformation, call out conspiracy theories and decry slanderous comments when they are too often presented by speakers at council meetings. But, on this occasion, they opted to engage in and entertain a topic involving blatant retribution and the suppression of free speech while seemingly pretending to be good stewards of tax dollars.

A momentary return to sensibility concluded with the issue being rejected by the council, at least for now, but not before the expected dig at FlaglerLive by the mayor, who has been FlaglerLive’s poster boy of bad behavior and poor city leadership. The mayor, the only one in support of the move to cancel FlaglerLive’s advertising contract, spoke in disingenuous reverence for the First Amendment, while in the same breath wanting to kill it, a common phenomenon witnessed nowadays,

and even more pronounced as a result of the Charlie Kirk matter.

Admittedly, I’m a fan of FlaglerLive, its detailed fact-based reporting and well thought-out opinions, and was appalled by a staged effort to stifle it by attaching a dollar value to its right to exist simply because someone disagrees at times with its content. The City Council should never have considered the speaker’s politically biased presentation to be anything more than a “thank you for your comment, next speaker please.”

MARGARET MINUTAGLIO Palm Coast

Palm Coast firefighters union endorses Gambaro for Congress

Dear Editor: The Palm Coast Professional Firefighters Union Local 4807 has endorsed Palm Coast City Councilman Charles Gambaro in Florida’s 6th Congressional District race. In its endorsement, union President Daniel Hackney

they are consistent with legal standards and operational necessities.

LEGAL AND OVERSIGHT CONCERNS

The questions about the board’s oversight role and access to legal counsel overlook and misrepresent several key facts. The School Board functions as a collegial body — individual members do not possess independent authority unless explicitly granted by the board as a whole. Legal counsel represents the board, not individual members.

Volusia County Schools employs a general counsel who provides legal guidance, policy review, and litigation support to both the district and the board. The board attorney is and always has been available to discuss

matters with any member of the board. In arranging for outside counsel to independently review the issues raised, Board Attorney Dr. Evans acted ethically and within the scope of his professional responsibilities. His obligation is to advise the board in accordance with Florida law.

It is also important to clarify that communications between individual board members and the board attorney are not privileged. The client is the board as a whole. Furthermore, discussions involving the board and its attorney are subject to Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law, with limited exceptions for settlement negotiations and litigation strategy. These parameters are dictated by state law,

We build community spirit and bridges of understanding through accurate and compelling journalism.

We build the local economy by helping businesses strategically connect with our print and online readers.

Publisher Brian McMillan, brian@observerlocalnews.com

Managing Editor Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@observerlocalnews.com

Associate Editor

said, “Charlie Gambaro is a leader, veteran and patriot who has been fighting for what’s right in his community and our nation for decades. He has stood by our firefighters without hesitation, advocating for longterm benefits that matter to our union members and the Palm Coast Fire Department. Charlie is exactly the kind of leader that our community deserves representing us in Congress. We are proud to offer Charlie our full support and endorsement.”

Gambaro said he is honored to have earned the support and endorsement of the union.

“The men and women of the Palm Coast Fire Department represent the very best of our community and I am proud to stand with them,” Gambaro said. “I look forward to working with Local 4807 to drive positive solutions for issues that are important to the fire service.”

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

not by the board attorney or superintendent.

CLARIFYING GOVERNANCE ROLES

Finally, the distinction between the roles of the School Board and the superintendent must be clearly understood. The board governs, establishes policy, requests information, approves annual budgets, employs the superintendent, monitors progress, and represents the public interest. The superintendent implements board policies, oversees daily operations of district, reports progress, and acts in the public interest.

This division of responsibilities is fundamental and is firmly rooted in Florida law.

FACEBOOK FEEDBACK

The following story and lightly edited comments were posted on the Palm Coast Observer’s Facebook page.

New analysis supports market for sports complex, but some Flagler commissioners express caution

Derrick El Dorado Griffin

All the teenagers here that are active in sports are a part of AAU. We travel to other cities often to participate in sports when we can keep that money local. ... If the city wants to get ahead of things they should focus on the youth.

Nicole Nichols Magsino

Our 15U Mad Dogs Elite Flag Football made it to the Junior Olympics this year and brought the bronze medal back home. This achievement resulted from traveling to tournaments outside of Palm Coast. But…Palm Coast could easily host IF they would consider the youth are an important piece to our community.

Kerry Sheahan-Ball I agree, a lot of youth sports organizations here. We’ve been to a lot of really nice multi sports complexes for baseball

in other cities, and I always wondered why we don’t have something like that. They would make money off hosting tournaments as well as the local teams paying to practice there. Let’s face it, there isn’t much for kids to do in this city other than sports. And the field space we have at the parks now is so limited

Andrew Werner Investing in our youth is an investment in the future of our county. As long as the numbers make sense, and our tax payers are not unfairly burdened and on the hook, we should move forward.

Dan Priotti Great let the private sector fund it. Only thing government should do is give property tax breaks, nothing more

Johnny Hampton I always find posts like this interesting. The same people who will complain about the youth in our county getting into trouble are the very same ones who never want the city to build anything to keep our youth out of trouble.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Survivors’ spirit

BRENT WORONOFF

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There was a sea of pink Sunday morning, Oct. 5, for the 15th annual Pink Army 5K, on the grounds of AdventHealth Palm Coast.

John Subers, executive director of the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation, said a record of nearly 1,000 human participants, ages 2 to 84, ran in the 5K or walked in the 1-Mile Pet Friendly Fun Walk. Dogs of all shapes and sizes also participated.

Perhaps another 500 people cheered the runners or just showed their support for a good cause. Nearly everyone wore Pink Army T-shirts in support of women with breast

Nearly 1,000 enter Pink Army 5K and Fun Walk

cancer.

All of the money raised stays in the community to support breast cancer screening and diagnostics.

Regan Hansen, a recent stage 1 breast cancer survivor, was this year’s official starter.

Hansen rang the bell just a couple of months ago to signify the end of her treatment.

“We caught it,” she said.

Hansen’s parents, Linda and Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen, supported their daughter at the event.

Linda is also a breast cancer survivor. Greg is a prostate cancer survivor.

“With mine, two years ago, the mammogram discovered just two cells,” Linda said.

“My story would have been

different if I had waited a year” to get a mammogram.

Before the start of the race, over 20 breast cancer survivors rang the bell that was brought over from the Freytag Cancer Center on the hospital grounds.

Bob Massaglia, 53, of Palm Coast won the 5K race with a time of 17:52. Madelyn Yorgey, 12, of Palm Coast, was the first female to finish with a time of 21:17. Madelyn placed seventh overall. For complete results, go to runsignup.com/Race/ Results/5085#resultSetId

Frankie, a miniature schnauzer owned by Casey and Michele Luedke, won the dog costume contest. Maverick, owned by Lisa Asbill, placed second.

The largest group running in the 5K was Team Tricia with 57 people.

Four generations of the Wires family participated with great grandmother Gina, grandmother Jeri, Lauren, daughter-in-law Bethany and young Mateo with Patti Sturmer. Jeri and Patti are both breast cancer survivors.

The top three finishers in the girls, age 13-15, bracket. Photos by Hannah Hodge

AdventHealth Palm Coast Director of Oncology Operations Shawn Rhoton, right, with his radiation and oncology team. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Pink Army 5K official starter Regan Hansen, center, with her parents, Linda and Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Pet costume contest winners.

Danielle Desousa, Ilyse Pinette and Takisha and Meredith Autry at the Pink Army 5K at AdventHealth Palm Coast.

Paisley, Gabby, Tony, Tiffany and Memphis with their dog Raven at the 1-mile Pet Friendly Fun Walk. Photo by Brent Woronoff

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, OCT. 9

HALIFAX GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

When: 1:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach

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

free. Visit https://flcfv.org/ italian-festival.

BREAK THE TAPE AND BRING BACK BOOKS

When: 12 p.m,

Where: Fern & Fable, 51 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond

Beach

GENEALOGY IN THE LIBRARY

p.m.

When: 1-4

Where: Meeting Room 3, Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond

Beach

Details: “Coming to America: Immigration Prior to the 20th Century,” presented by Bernice Gleason. Free.

PALM COAST PUBLIC WORKS TOWN HALL

When: 6-7 p.m.

Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast Details: Register at www. parksandrec.fun.

AUTUMN ECHOES SYMPHONIC BAND CONCERT

When: 7-9 p.m.

Where: News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St., Daytona

Beach

Details: See the Daytona State College Symphonic Band perform.

SATURDAY, OCT. 11

SIXTH ANNUAL VMA ROBOT BRAWL

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s ICI Center, 1 Aerospace Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Over 16 schools will battle it out in head-to-head robot competitions. The event will also feature the Volusia STEM bus, a bomb squad and Embry-Riddle clubs. Tickets cost $5 in advance per individual and 10 per family; or $10 per individual and $20 per family at the door. For tickets, visit vmaonline.com.

SECOND ANNUAL

ITALIAN FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell

Details: Family Life Center, in partnership with the City of Bunnell, is hosting the second annual Italian Festival. Proceeds will benefit survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault. Admission is $1 per person. Children under 12 are

Details: Celebrate the last day of Banned Book Week with Citizens for Truth and Justice in Education and the National Coalition Against Censorship Right to Read Network. Students are encouraged to drop by starting Oct. 4 to pick up their “Break the Tape kits” and decorate their backpacks with caution tape to spread awareness about book bans.

1940S EXHIBIT

OPENING PARTY

When: 5-9 p.m.

Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd.

Details: Inspired by “Casablanca,” this kick-off event will feature 1940s themed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Then step into the museum’s re-created Rick’s Café Américain as the party moves upstairs to the rooftop terrace for dancing and live music. Tickets cost $35.

FLAGLER COUNTY NAACP FREEDOM FUND

LUNCHEON

When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Coquina Ballroom at Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, 100 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach

Details: “The Fierce Urgency of Now.” The event will feature Monique Worrell, state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida as thee keynote speaker. Reception and luncheon costs $125; luncheon only is $85. Visit fcbnaacp.org.

ISLAND FEST 8

When: 12-9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12

Where: The Stage at Town Center, 1500 Central Ave., Palm Coast

Details: Attend this two-day Caribbean and Latin music and food festival, featuring vendors, a kids’ zone, food trucks and live music. Tickets: $15 for one day, $20 for both. Visit https://www.ofaatinc. com.

Details: This is a free, oneon-one research assistance program offered by Halifax Genealogical Society volunteers to anyone interested in researching family history. To register, contact halifaxgensociety@gmail.com.

SIT DOWN FOR STAND UP

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach

Performing Arts Ceter, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach

Details: See this live comedy show known for its rotating lineup of stand-up talent. This show is for those 18 and older. Tickets cost $25-$40. Visit https://ormondbeachperformingartscenter.csstix.com.

MONDAY, OCT. 13

GOLF BENEFIT

When: 10:30 a.m.

Where: Grand Haven Golf Club, 500 Riverfront Drive, Palm Coast

Details: The Knights of Columbus Council 11961 are hosting their second annual golf benefit for the St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery. To register or become a sponsor, go to Carmelite.perfectgolfevent.com or contact the golf committee at jjthomas.10@ icloud.com or the monastery at 386-437-2910.

SCHOOL’S OUT FOR ART

When: 2-3:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd.

Details: Ages 5-12 will learn how to make their own weaving loom and weave fabric. Costs $13 for members and $16 for future members. Visit www.ormondartmuseum.org/ classes-programs.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15

PROBUS CLUB When: 11 a.m. to noon

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

Details: Guest speaker is Amelia Fulmer, from the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center. Contact Larry Wright at palmcoastprobusclub@ gmail.com or 386-597-3055.

FOCUS ON FAITH

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church hosts Fiesta Latina

On Saturday, Sept. 27, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Palm Coast held a Fiesta in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15.

Father Rob Trujillo organized the event in “celebration of culture and faith.”

The congregation expressed their thanks to the Hispanic community for sharing their heritage, music, food and stories.

One parishioner stated that the “Fiesta was more than fun and festivity. It was a living testament to our unity in Christ, and a beautiful way to honor” another culture.

Recovery Church of Palm Coast to host conference

Recovery Church of Palm Coast is hosting the 2025 Breaker Conference from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, at The Rock Transformation Center in Bunnell. Maribeth Motosicky, a member of Recovery Church, said that there will be “multiple pastors speaking at the event and we anticipate a great couple days together. Register at Onefamilyfl. com/event-details/2025breaker-conference-flaglercounty.

Tomoka Christian Church to hold

festival Halloween is right around the corner, and Tomoka Christian Church invites the community 6-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, for a street festival. Located at 1450 Hand Ave. in Ormond Beach, the church’s festival will feature candy, games, music, a

BUSINESS

Rockefeller’s in Ormond Beach launches first food menu

An outdoor deck is also in the works next month, bringing total seating to 100.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Almost two years after opening, Rockefeller’s full kitchen is up and running, just in time for its busiest time of year.

Slate Gray, who co-owns Rockefeller’s with his father Kevin, said the addition of food, prepared by local Chef

Angie Lutts, will aid in the transition to a cafe and brasserie. They launched their food menu on Friday, Oct. 3, during a special “Taste of Rockefeller” event. Regular offerings will include sliders, flatbreads, sandwiches, soups and appetizers. Rockefeller’s will soon also offer coffee and brunch items. Their outdoor deck, Gray said, will be completed in the next month, and once that is in place, Rockefeller’s will be able to seat 100 people, counting space in the plaza’s courtyard and inside bar seat-

Hot Yoga Lounge grows, adding Ormond Beach

Shortly after opening in Ormond, owners Doutrick and Erdman acquired One Love Yoga in Flagler Beach.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

Hot Yoga Lounge in Palm Coast has expanded to Ormond Beach — and a third studio in Flagler Beach is coming soon.

Studio owners Heather Doutrick and Stephaney Erdman celebrated the opening of their new Hot Yoga Lounge location in Ormond Beach in early September. Located at 400 S. Atlantic Ave. on the second floor of the Aliki Plaza, the studio offers group classes, private instruction and workshops.

Doutrick, an Ormond Beach resident, said they wanted to establish a new yoga community in her hometown. She opened Hot Yoga Lounge in Palm Coast 15 years ago, where she lived at the time, having moved to raise her family.

“I’ve always wanted to expand, and my partner gave me the push, the fire, to say, ‘Let’s do this,’” Doutrick said.

Yoga has been a part of her life for 18 years. Doutrick said it’s not only benefitted her physical health, but her mental wellness, too.

Before Erdman was her business partner, she was a student at the Palm Coast studio. Erdman started taking classes in 2012, and, five years later, the two began running teacher training programs. They had talked about opening new studios in years past, but the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on hold.

The Ormond Beach location was up and running on Sept. 5. “It’s been wonderful,” Erdman said. “It’s super exciting to see something come to fruition that we’ve dreamed

ing.

“We get great feedback for Rockefeller’s — we truly do,” Slate Gray said. “People always say all the time we have the best energy in town, all types of really kind compliments, but we know ... that food is always going to be the thing that separates us from everybody else.”

It’s what people have been requesting the most since Rockefeller’s opened, he added. Gray’s vision is to turn Rockefeller’s into a place for people to come by all day, not just for late nights.

“We know that with food finally being here, it’s truly

going to be full-service,” Gray said, explaining that customers won’t have to eat dinner elsewhere when planning to visit Rockefeller’s for a drink.

They’ve always wanted to be a place for locals, hosting networking groups, music DJs and events like karaoke nights. This month, Rockefeller’s has transformed its interior into all things spooky to act as a Halloween pop-up bar; a costume contest will be held on Oct. 31.

Kevin Gray said their vision has always been to make it a home for people of all ages.

“I think the biggest thing that we want to do is we want

to give it back to the community,” he said. Last karaoke night, they had about 35 people sign up to sing. Rockefeller’s stayed open until they each got their turn.

“If they sign up, they want to sing,” Kevin Gray said. Good food, good drinks and good entertainment — that’s what Slate Gray said he wants Rockefeller’s to be known for.

“Every city needs one place that goes above and beyond and is just truly for the community and truly for the city, and that’s what we truly want to be,” Slate Gray said. “... That’s what we envision.”

about.”

Shortly after getting started in Ormond, the chance to acquire One Love Yoga in Flagler Beach came about.

Doutrick and Erdman jumped at the opportunity.

“It was kind of a synchronicity moment,” Erdman said. “We had one baby we were nurturing and then we were offered another.”

They took ownership of the Flagler Beach studio on Oct. 1.

The location in Ormond also presents opportunities for Hot Yoga Lounge to offer classes

“It’s super exciting to see something come to fruition that we’ve dreamed about.”

STEPHANEY ERDMAN

like sunrise and beach yoga in the future, Doutrick said.

“Everybody’s been very welcoming and very excited that we’re here to give them a few other options in the community,” she said. “Or, if they don’t practice yoga, a new home, maybe, for them. Ideally, what we want is this will be their second home.”

Expanding Hot Yoga Lounge has been a “dream come true,” said Erdman. After putting in so much work to open the Ormond Beach studio, it meant a lot to her to see students and instructors celebrate their opening on Sept. 5. “We tore it down from what it was,” she said. “We built it up to what it is, and walking in and seeing everyone see it for the first time, it melted my heart because there was such a great reception.”

Visit www.myhotyoga lounge.com.

Scott A. Selis, Esq.

Scott A. Selis is an estate planning and elder law attorney with offices in Ormond Beach & Palm Coast. Mr. Selis was an Elder Law Attorney of the Year selected by the Florida Bar’s Elder Law Section in 2016.

When most people hear the words “estate planning,” they picture big houses, stacks of stock certificates, or maybe a yacht or two. Estate planning is for everyone — and it’s about more than just money. It’s about ensuring your family isn’t left with a legal mess and that your wishes are honored, whether you own a mansion or a modest condo.

At its heart, estate planning is about control. You decide who makes decisions if you can’t. You decide how your property is divided. Without a plan, the State of Florida has one waiting for you — and let’s just say the government doesn’t know (or care) which niece promised to take care of your dog or who always hosts Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, wills and trusts are important, but estate planning is also about values. Maybe you want to make sure your children don’t squabble over family heirlooms — like Grandma’s gravy boat that nobody uses but everybody suddenly wants. Or perhaps you want to leave a legacy by supporting your favorite charity. These are the personal touches that plan truly yours.

Then there’s the practical side: health care directives and powers of attorney. Think of them as instructions for life’s “what-ifs.” If you’re in the hospital, who makes medical decisions for you? If bills need to be paid while you’re recovering, who handles them? Planning avoids the costly and stressful process of guardianship. It’s like buying an umbrella before it rains — you hope you won’t need it, but you’ll be glad you have it. And don’t forget the conversations estate planning starts. Sitting down with family to talk about these decisions can feel uncomfortable at first, but it often leads to meaningful discussions. It’s your chance to share not just what you want done, but why — and maybe clear up which child is inheriting the gravy boat once and for all.

Estate planning isn’t about how much you own. It’s about peace of mind, protecting the people you love, and making sure your wishes carry on. A good plan keeps your family out of court, out of conflict, and maybe even out of counseling. After all, a little planning today can save a lot of drama tomorrow.

Phone: 386-888-6060

Web: SelisLaw.com Serving Clients throughout Florida Offices – Ormond Beach & Palm Coast

Palm Coast studio owners Heather Doutrick and Stephaney Erdman. Photo courtesy of Paola Ohlson

REAL ESTATE

House in Palm Harbor sells for over $1.4M

Ahouse at 78 Old Oak Drive S., in Palm Harbor, was the top real estate transaction for Sept. 20-26 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The house sold on Sept. 12, for $1,425,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 4/3 and has an outdoor kitchen, a pool, a hot tub, a boat dock, a boat house and 3,011 square feet.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

FLAGLER BEACH

Reserve East

A house at 45 Perseus Ave. sold on Sept. 26, for $374,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,786 square feet.

A house at 40 Perseus Ave. sold on Sept. 25, for $439,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/3.5 and has 2,319 square feet.

A house at 69 Pegasus Road sold on Sept. 24, for $524,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/3.5 and has 2,823 square feet.

PALM COAST

Cypress Knoll

A house at 45 E. Diamond Drive sold on Sept. 25, for $395,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 1,944 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $241,000.

A house at 29 Ethan Allen Drive sold on Sept. 25, for $325,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,610

the house is a 4/2 and has a pool, a hot tub and 1,971 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $101,000.

Ocean Hammock A house at 7 Atlantic Place sold on Sept. 25, for $1,050,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/4.5 and has a pool, a hot tub and 3,823 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $735,000.

Palm Harbor A house at 4 Crossleaf Court E. sold on Sept. 26, for $515,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/2

square feet.

A house at 17 Emmons Lane sold on Sept. 25, for $347,000. Built in 2014, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,157 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $250,000.

Flagler Village A house at 28 Derbyshire Drive sold on Sept. 26, for $329,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,607 square feet.

Grand Haven

A house at 89 Southlake Drive sold on Sept. 22, for $495,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool, a hot tub and 2,334 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $620,000.

Grand Landings A house at 304 Grand Landings Parkway sold on Sept. 26, for $482,500. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,493 square feet.

Indian Trails A house at 36 Birchshire Lane sold on Sept. 26, for $490,000. Built in 2004,

COAST

House on North Beach Street tops list: $1.9M

A

house in the Ormond Terrace neighborhood at 297 N. Beach St. was the top real estate transaction in Ormond Beach and Ormondby-the-Sea for the week of Sept. 13-19. The house sold on Sept. 18, for $1,925,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a fireplace, a pool, a spa, a boat lift, a boat house, a boat dock and 2,895 square feet. It last sold in March 2025 for $1.9 million.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

Condos

The condo at 1183 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 602, sold on Sept. 16, for $435,000. Built in 1995, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,198 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $315,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Archer’s Mill

The house at 3330 Arch Ave. sold on Sept. 15, for $484,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 5/4.5 and has 3,345 square feet.

Coquina Point

The house at 30 Coquina Point Drive sold on Sept. 17, for $334,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,988 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $310,000.

Halifax Plantation

The house at 3189 Connemara Drive sold on Sept. 15, for $400,000. Built in 2016, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,919 square feet.

The house at 1442 Carlow Circle sold on Sept. 17, for $312,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,684 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $205,000.

The house at 2798 Portadown St. sold on Sept. 17, for $349,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,828 square feet.

The house at 3018 Glin Circle sold on Sept. 18, for $334,500. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,658 square feet. It last sold in 2006 for $289,000.

Hunter’s Ridge

The house at 115 Pergola Place sold on Sept. 16, for $355,000. Built in 2016, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,983 square feet. It last sold in 2016 for $254,000.

Northbrook

The house at 948 Northbrook Drive sold on Sept. 18, for $402,000. Built in 1980, the

house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,482 square feet. It last sold in 2003 for $157,500.

Not in subdivision

The house at 85 John Anderson Drive sold on Sept. 18, for $815,000. Built in 1957, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,895 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $725,000.

Oak Forest The house at 65 Sycamore Circle sold on Sept. 19, for $425,000. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,078 square feet. It last sold in 1995 for $109,000.

Pineland The house at 258 Sandoval Drive sold on Sept. 15, for $385,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,334 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $284,500.

Plantation Bay

The house at 1324 Dovercourt Lane sold on Sept. 19, for $830,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool, a spa and 2,605 square feet. It last sold in 2014 for $560,000.

Reflections Village

The house at 25 Reflections Village Drive sold on Sept. 17, for $359,900. Built in 1997, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,630 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $250,000.

The Trails

The house at 119 Shady Branch Trail sold on Sept. 19, for $650,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2.5 and has two fireplaces and 2,601 square feet. It last sold in 1983 for $250,000.

Tomoka Oaks

The house at 3 Tomoka View Drive sold on Sept. 18, for $1 million. Built 1967m the house is a 5/4 and has two fireplaces, a pool, a spa, a boat lift, a boat dock, a boat house and 3,060 square feet. It last sold in 2010 for $637,500.

Woodmere

The house at 130 Kimberly Drive sold on Sept. 16, for $300,000. Built in 1984, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,824 square feet.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Raymonde Shores

The house at 11 Briggs Drive sold on Sept. 18, for $252,000. Built in 1957, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,269 square feet. It last sold in 1981 for $51,000.

Seabridge South

The house at 31 Sea Harbor Drive E. sold on Sept. 17, for $515,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,748 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $230,000.

DAYTONA BEACH

Latitude Margaritaville

A house in Latitude Margaritaville at 894 Attitude Ave. was the top real estate transaction in Daytona Beach’s 32124 zip code for the week of Sept. 13-19. The house sold on Sept. 15, for $735,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,493 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $410,600.

The house sold on Sept. 15, for $735,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,493 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $410,600.

Grande Champion

The house at 320 Wentworth Ave. sold on Sept. 15, for $470,000. Built in 2016, the house is 4/3 and has 2,097 square feet. It last sold in 2016 for $264,000.

The house at 1063 Morfontaine St. sold on Sept. 18, for $399,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 5/3 and has 2,601 square feet.

LPGA

The house at 276 Gala Circle sold on Sept. 18, for $295,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,318 square feet. It last sold in 2002 for $116,353.

Mosaic

The house at 165 Azure Mist Way sold on Sept. 15, for $486,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a spa and 1,647 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $460,000.

The house at 597 Mosaic Blvd. sold on Sept. 19, for $485,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,979 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $478,000.

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

For this new business, it’s personal

After surviving domestic violence, a mother-daughter duo opened B.S.A. Cleaning & Restoration.

ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fourteen years ago, Cherina Ezell packed up her life, loaded her three children into the car and headed south in search of a new beginning. On Sept. 2, that journey came full circle when Ezell and her daughter, Savannah Hernandez, officially opened their own business: B.S.A. Cleaning & Restoration.

The company provides residential and commercial cleaning services throughout Palm Coast and Flagler Beach. While the business currently focuses on everyday cleaning, Ezell has her sights set on expanding into crime scene and hazmat cleanup.

Ezell said that mission shapes every part of their work.

“We aren’t just a cleaning service,” she said. “We bring our strengths to families who might not have it in them. We help create space for people to spend more time with their families without worrying about a chaotic house.”

For Ezell, the venture is more than just a business — it’s the continuation of her family’s story. Her life on the move began in 1998, traveling the country for her former husband’s job. When circumstances shifted, she took her children and everything they could fit in the car, determined to build a safe, stable home.

That spirit of resilience is woven into the logo of B.S.A. Cleaning & Restoration.

Designed by Ezell’s son, Walter — nicknamed “Bobo,” the inspiration for the “B” in the company name — the logo is based on a tattoo Ezell carries on her arm, which represents the initials of her children’s names in front of a purple ribbon.

“The ribbon is the awareness symbol for domestic violence and abuse, which makes it deeply personal for me,” Ezell said. “But my children walked that journey with me. We are all survivors. For us, it’s more than just a logo — it’s a symbol of strength and compassion that we carry into our business and our community.”

The company also makes community support a priority, offering discounts to U.S. veterans and first responders. For Hernandez, the real reward has been working side by side with her mother.

“This has been such a great opportunity to spend more time together,” she said. “Every day, I learn something new about her. Watching her determination and fearlessness has been inspiring. I believed in this business from the start because I believe in my mom. I’ve seen her strength and resilience, and I knew if she was determined to make it happen, she would succeed. My belief in B.S.A. comes from my belief in her.”

Despite having no prior business experience, Ezell and Hernandez dove headfirst into entrepreneurship. They applied for their LLC in July 2025 and received their official licensing on Sept. 2. “I don’t have a background in business,” Hernandez said. “But learning how to build the infrastructure — everything from documentation to sending out quotes, tracking hours and money, and handling social media — has been really exciting. Doing it alongside my mom has made it even more meaningful.”

ORMOND BEACH AND WEST DAYTONA BEACH

B.S.A. Cleaning & Restoration owners, Cherina Ezell and her daughter Savannah Hernandez. Photo courtesy of Cherina Ezell

SPORTS

On the comeback trail

Cole Walker tossed a touchdown pass to Ladarien Baker to give the Pirates a 17-13 win over Mount

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Matanzas Pirates raised the Jolly Roger on Friday

night, Oct. 3, signifying a football victory for all the people driving by on Matanzas Woods Parkway to see.

Matanzas snapped a twogame losing streak, defeating Mount Dora 17-13 on Senior Night at “the Ship” in a game they likely had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Pirates dominated the Hurricanes in just about every statistical category, yet they trailed 13-10 with less

than two minutes left before Cole Walker hit a wide-open Ladarien Baker on a slant for an 18-yard touchdown pass.

“Wow,” Matanzas coach Matt Forrest said. “What an amazing football game.”

Matanzas produced 394 yards of offense while holding Mount Dora to 192 and led in time of possession (31:15 to 16:45), total offensive plays (78-42) and first downs (279). But the Hurricanes tied the score at 10-10 in the third quarter on Cayden McCoy’s 42-yard field goal. And then, early in the fourth quarter, with rain pouring down, McCoy booted a 54-yard field goal to give Mount Dora the lead.

The Pirates’ ensuing drive stalled at midfield, but they got the ball back with 3:32 left after Jack Ferguson sacked Mount Dora quarterback Nicholas Kerr on third-and-2.

“That was the best complementary football I think we could possibly play,” Forrest said. “The defense stood tall. They gave us the ball back when it mattered most.”

Starting at their own 20, the Pirates marched down the field with Walker completing six passes for 78 yards to three different receivers. Bak-

er caught the final three passes including a 23-yard catch to the Mount Dora 18-yard line despite pass interference.

On the next play, Walker faked a hand off and hit Baker for the touch down with 1:44 left.

“That whole drive, and pretty much the whole game, we kept running inside zone over and over, and we got that backer to creep up to the box really tight,” Walker said. “So, that last play we knew he was going to crash down into the box and leave that slant window wide open for Ladarien to score.”

reach the playoffs is with an at-large bid.

After the Mount Dora win, they moved up one spot to 10th in the Region 1-5A rankings. Only eight teams make the playoffs. So, they would need to pass two teams in the rankings.

The Hurricanes turned the ball over on downs with 1:08 left, and the Pirates ran out the clock.

Walker completed 23 of 33 passes for 226 yards with Baker catching eight passes for 99 yards. The Pirates also rushed for 168 yards with Wiley Conner gaining 99 yards on 28 carries and Antone Jenkins adding 68 yards on 12 carries.

“This win feels good, because we know we got to win out,” Baker said. “So we have to go game by game, win by win.”

Matanzas improved to 4-3 with three games to play. The Pirates host Belleview (1-6) on Friday, Oct. 10, in their final district game on Homecom-

“This is basically round one of the playoffs for us. We have to win out the rest of the season to have any chance of getting back to the playoffs. So, this win is huge.”

JACK FERGUSON, Matanzas linebacker

The Florida High School Athletic Association informed its member schools on Oct. 2 that it is adding a second postseason tournament, the Florida Invitational Tournament, for 16 teams in each classification that do not make the playoffs. But the Pirates’ goal is to make the playoffs.

“This is basically round one of the playoffs for us,” said Ferguson, who had two sacks and 3.5 of the Pirates’ six tackles for loss. “We have to win out the rest of the season to have any chance of getting back to the playoffs. So, this win is huge.”

Matanzas held the ball for 20:11 out of 24 minutes in the

first half. The Pirates took a 10-7 lead on Alex Procek’s 33-yard field goal and Walker’s 1-yard touchdown run. But late in the second quarter they missed opportunities to add to their lead.

Jenkins’ 20-yard touchdown run was called back for holding. Later in that drive, with the ball at 5-yard-line, Walker, under pressure, threw a pass into double coverage which was intercepted by Chase Strickland. The Pirates got the ball back, and drove inside the 10 again, but time ran out in the half as Thomas Larywon was tackled at the 8 after making a catch.

“It’s been one of those seasons where we’ve just had so many ups and downs,” Forrest said. “(Mount Dora) beat us really handedly last year (360). That is a really good football team. So, for these guys to fight through all that and win a football game, I’m just really proud of our team.”

REFEREE MIC-ED UP

Fans in attendance at the Mount Dora-Matanzas football game on Oct. 3 were treated to an amenity that rarely occurs at high school games.

The referee was mic-ed up, so everyone in the stadium could hear the calls directly from the officials.

The game was officiated by the North Florida Officials Association, because the local A-1 Officials Association was short for the night, Matanzas athletic director Zach Rigney said.

“[The NFOA] made it happen. I thought it was the next level for us,” Ri-

gney said. “It really contributed to the atmosphere of the ship.”

NFOA has the mics if the schools have the technology to hook them up, and Flagler County does, Rigney said.

“Ryan Diesling (Flagler Schools’ chief of technology) and our technology department had us hooked up and ready to go,” he said. “Flagler technology can handle it, so what a great night to have it. It helps with confusion. Not everybody knows the signals, so, to get the explanation clarified helps a lot.”

Matanzas receiver Ladarien Baker, right, tries to make a onehanded catch.

Dora.

Matanzas Army JROTC seniors were honored on Senior Night.

Matanzas senior band members were honored on Senior Night.

Matanzas honored senior cheerleaders on Senior Night.

Matanzas honored senior football players on Senior Night.

Flagler Palm Coast turnovers on muddy field lead to loss to Fletcher

The Bulldogs gained over 200 yards on offense but made costly mistakes in sloppy conditions.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

A sloppy field, four turnovers, a fumbled snap inside the red zone. It was that kind of night for Flagler Palm Coast football. Messy. The Bulldogs outgained Neptune Beach Fletcher on offense by one yard (203 to 202) and played “lights out” on defense, but costly mistakes led to a 28-12 loss on Friday, Oct. 3, at Sal Campanella Memorial Stadium.

“We gave them the ball (four) times on turnovers and some in pretty good spots,” FPC coach Patrick Turner said. “The defense played lights out, but they were put in compromising positions with turnovers, and Fletcher did what good teams do — they capitalized on turnovers.”

Turner said only one of the turnovers, an interception, was an “earned turnover.” The others were due to field conditions.

“Both teams play in it — it’s even — but you have to capi-

“We’re knocking on the doorstep to be a good football team. (This game) was just not in our favor.”

PATRICK TURNER, FPC football coach

talize on messy turnovers,” Turner said. Fletcher (5-2) turned the ball over three times.

FPC (2-4) scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from La’Darius Simmons to Nolan Caliendo and a 1-yard touchdown run by Ehimen Ajede. Simmons ran for 110 yards and passed for 27 yards.

After the Senators scored with 18 seconds left before the half to go up 21-6, the Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a 14-play drive that consumed nearly five minutes. They advanced to the Fletcher 3-yard line but turned the ball over on downs, fumbling the snap for no gain on fourthand-1.

“To have that long drive inside red zone and not come

away with points was the turning point,” Turner said.

After Ajede scored in the fourth quarter, a penalty forced the Bulldogs to rekick the kickoff. The Senators returned the re-kick for a touchdown to go up 28-12.

“We did a lot of things well, but you can’t turn the ball over and win, and you can’t give up a kickoff return for a touchdown. The offense did some good things, the defense played really, really well,” Turner said. “We’re knocking on the doorstep to be a good football team. (This game) was just not in our favor.”

Turner said linebacker Zaiden Greene played his best game. Greene had 13 tackles with four four loss. Defensive end Mathias Parker had five tackles with one for a loss. Dwayne Webb had sev-

en tackles and Reagan Melland had a forced fumble and recovery. Safety Kenneth Robinson intercepted a pass. The Bulldogs lost linebacker Josiah Hathaway to an elbow injury in the fourth quarter.

FPC has an arduous schedule coming up. Their next three opponents — DeLand, Yulee and Spruce Creek — have a combined 18-0 record.

FPC will visit DeLand (6-0) on Friday, Oct. 10. DeLand is ranked third in the state in Class 7A and sixth overall.

“The schedule has been pretty tough even to this point,” Turner said. “That’s a testament to where we are, that we are in these games and playing really good competition. I think we’re going to have a really good week of practice.”

Fletcher’s Nicholas Preacher, right, gets his hand on a La’Darius Simmons pass. Photos by Hannah Hodge

An FPC color guard member performs on the sideline between quarters.

FPC’s Dwayne Webb, right, makes the tackle.

DeLand’s Moore too much for Mainland in Bulldogs’ 28-20 win over Bucs

Running back Taihj Moore scored three touchdowns, passed one; Bulldogs stop Bucs in red zone twice.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Mainland drove inside the DeLand 20-yard line twice in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs held the Buccaneers to zero points during both trips to preserve a 28-20 victory Friday, Oct. 3, in DeLand. The Bulldogs snapped a four-game losing streak to their east county rivals with their first win against the Bucs since 2019.

Sophomore running back

Taihj Moore had a hand in all four DeLand touchdowns. Moore ran for three touchdowns and threw for a 29-yard score on a doublepass play on fourth down late in the second quarter. Moore rushed for 153 yards on 19 carries. Marceles Carey added 53 yards rushing on 12 carries for the Bulldogs, who improved to 6-0 and moved up to No. 2 in the Class 7A rankings behind Vero Beach. Braylyn Simmons rushed for 97 yards with two touchdowns for the Bucs (4-2).

Kadin Flores scored on a kickoff return in the second quarter. Simmons scored on a 23-yard run on the last play of the third quarter. The Bucs missed the extra point to trail 21-20. But Moore scored his third touchdown early in the

fourth quarter to extend the Bulldogs’ lead.

With a chance to tie, Simmons fumbled inside the 20-yard line. The Bucs got the ball back and moved inside the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line with under three minutes left, but were held to 1 yard on four plays.

Mainland coach Jerrime Bell said DeLand and Coffee, Georgia, were probably the two best football teams the Bucs have played this season.

“They’re a really good football team,” he said of DeLand. “They’re about on par with Coffee. They’re both tough in the trenches, have really good running backs and stout defenses. They have similar style offenses as well.”

The Bucs defeated Coffee 14-7 on the road on Sept. 19.

Bell said linebackers Tamaj Woodard (12 tackles) and Dennis King (10 tackles) had big games even with the Bulldogs piling up 315 yards of offense.

“They both played lights out,” Bell said. “You’re not going to stop that offense. They did a good job of containing the run game.”

Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson completed 10 of 18 passes for 126 yards. It was the first game this season that the Bucs were held to under 200 yards passing.

Mainland has a bye this week. The Bucs will be back home on Oct. 17 against Palm Bay Heritage.

“We need (the bye week) to get healthy,” Bell said. “With a schedule like we’ve had, it’s good to rest and get healthy and get ready for another deep playoff run.”

Mainland linebackers Tamaj Woodard (3) and Dennis King (1) celebrate a defensive stop against Matanzas on Sept. 25. File photo by Keishia McLendon

SIDELINES

Bowling Senior Night for Matanzas, FPC

High school senior nights are always a joyous time for seniors, their families and their coaches.

The Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas bowling teams’ Senior Night on Monday, Oct. 6, at Palm Coast Lanes was one that Matanzas boys bowling coach Laura Oliva will always remember. Oliva coached the FPC girls team up until this season.

“It was nice because I got to present for both teams and say goodbye to my bowlers that I have had and known for all four years of high school,” Oliva said. “My niece (FPC’s Isabella Oliva) was one of them.”

Five FPC seniors were honored: Isabella Oliva, Victoria DeSilva-Carvalheira, Kailyn Ball, Anthony Seeley and Jason Gall. Matanzas

honored its three seniors: Timmy Rock, Olivia Rabbat and Skyleen Ramos. Because of the senior presentations, the teams played only two five-person games. They did not play the Baker games. FPC’s boys won both games, 912-744 and 956-909, while the girls split with FPC winning the first game 714-651 and Matanzas winning the second game 666-637.

FPC’s boys had three bowlers roll 200 games: Cole Osypian (225), Trey Wood (216) and Seeley

Leaves are falling, and so are new beginnings at Paradise

(208). Matanzas’ JP Rabbat averaged 203 and Trey

O’Janovic bowled a 204. Olivia Rabbat led the Matanzas girls with a 186 average for the match.

Seabreeze boys bowlers prevail

Seabreeze and Flagler Palm Coast split in their bowling match on Monday, Sept. 29, at Palm Coast Lanes. Seabreeze won the boys match 7-0, while FPC won the girls match 7-0 with only two Seabreeze girls bowling. In the boys match, the Sandcrabs posted a Game 2 score of 1,131 with Russell Brayden bowling 289, Dalton Boice 279 and Xavier Subia 233. In the first game, Boice bowled a 234 and Subia a 208 as Seabreeze topped FPC, 985-952.

Cole Osypian led the Bulldogs with a 221 and a 204. Anthony Seeley (216) and Trey Wood (203) also scored in the 200s in the first game. Seabreeze won the Baker points, winning two out of three games. The Sandcrabs won total series, 2,664 to 2,280. FPC’s Isabella Oliva had the high games in the girls match with a 170 and 158. Casey Martin bowled a 155 and Victoria DaSilva-Carvalheira bowled a 154. Katelyn Miller bowled a 154 for Seabreeze. Pirates 2nd at night cross country meet The Matanzas boys and girls each finished second behind host school Ponte Vedra in the Craig Speziale Shark Bite at Night Cross Country Invitational on Friday, Oct. 3. Three Matanzas boys finished in the top 10: Brant Tarsitano, third in 16:57; Enzo McGovern, seventh in 17:31; and Matthe Ciardi eighth in 17:38. Sara Van Buren led the Matanzas girls in 12th place in 20:56 and Megan Rhee was 14th in 21:10. The Ponte Vedra girls compiled a perfect team score of 15 points, while the Pirates had 79 points. The Ponte Vedra boys were near perfect with 17 points with Matanzas totaling 44 points.

Volleyball season winding down Volleyball season is winding down. Seabreeze improved to 12-9 with a 3-0 win over Pine Ridge on Oct. 6. The Sandcrabs play their final regular-season match at Father Lopez on Thursday, Oct. 9. Matanzas (8-8) was scheduled to visit county rival FPC (9-9) on Oct. 8. The Flagler teams also close out the regular season on Oct. 9 — Matanzas at Spruce Creek and FPC at home against Atlantic. Mainland finished the regular season with a 2-18 record. After losing 16 in a row, the Bucs won two of their final four matches.

Email brent@ observerlocalnews.com

FPC’s Fred Denker.

Seabreeze’s Jonathan King bowls in a match against FPC at Palm Coast Lanes.

FPC’s Victoria DaSilva-Carvalheira bowls in a match against Seabreeze at Palm Coast Lanes. Photos by Brent Woronoff

are intended to finance certain public infrastructure improvements, including, but not limited to, earthwork, marina/seawall, paving, drainage, potable water, reuse, sanitary sewer, and other infrastructure improvements (together, “Project”), benefitting certain lands within the District. The Project is described in more detail in the Engineer’s Report (“Engineer’s Report”). Specifically, the Project includes a Capital Improvement Plan to provide public infrastructure benefitting all lands within the District, as identified in the Engineer’s Report. The Debt Assessments are

SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS; DESIGNATING THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS; DECLARING THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, THE PORTION TO BE PAID BY ASSESSMENTS, AND THE MANNER AND TIMING IN WHICH THE ASSESSMENTS ARE TO BE PAID; DESIGNATING THE LANDS UPON WHICH THE ASSESSMENTS SHALL BE LEVIED; PROVIDING FOR AN ASSESSMENT PLAT AND A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT ROLL; ADDRESSING THE SETTING OF PUBLIC HEARINGS; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OF THIS RESOLUTION; AND ADDRESSING CONFLICTS, SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

WHEREAS, the Lighthouse Community Development District (“District”) is a local unit of special-purpose government organized and existing under and pursuant to Chapter 190, Florida Statutes; and WHEREAS, the District is authorized by Chapter 190, Florida Statutes, to finance, fund, plan, establish, acquire, install, equip, operate, extend, construct, or reconstruct roadways, sewer and water distribution systems, stormwater management/earthwork improvements, landscape, irrigation and entry features, conservation and mitigation, street lighting and other infrastructure projects, and services necessitated by the development of, and serving lands within, the District; and WHEREAS, the District hereby determines to undertake, install, plan, establish, construct or reconstruct, enlarge or extend, equip, acquire, operate, and/or maintain the portion of the infrastructure improvements comprising the District’s overall capital improvement plan as described in the District Engineer’s Report, dated May, 2025 (“Project”), which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference; and WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the District to pay for all or a portion of the cost of the Project by the levy of special assessments (“Assessments”) using the methodology set forth in that Master Special Assessment Methodology Report, dated August 13, 2025, which is attached hereto as Exhibit B, incorporated herein by reference, and on file with the District Manager at c/o Wrathell, Hunt & Associates, LLC, 2300 Glades Road, Suite 410W, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (“District Records Office”); NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT:

1. AUTHORITY FOR THIS RESOLUTION; INCORPORATION OF RECITALS. This Resolution is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Florida law, including without limitation Chapters 170, 190 and 197, Florida Statutes. The recitals stated above are incorporated herein and are adopted by the Board as true and correct statements.

2. DECLARATION OF ASSESSMENTS. The Board hereby declares that it has determined to undertake the Project and to defray all or a portion of the cost thereof by the Assessments.

3. DESIGNATING THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF IMPROVEMENTS. The nature and general location of, and plans and specifications for, the Project are described in Exhibit A, which is on file at the District Records Office. Exhibit B is also on file and available for public inspection at the same location.

4. DECLARING THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, THE PORTION TO BE PAID BY ASSESSMENTS, AND THE MANNER AND TIMING IN WHICH THE ASSESSMENTS ARE TO BE PAID.

A. The total estimated cost of the Project is $26,369,711.78 (“Estimated Cost”).

B. The Assessments will defray approximately $36,410,000.00, which is the anticipated maximum par value of any bonds and which includes all or a portion of the Estimated Cost, as well as other financing-related costs, as set forth in Exhibit B, and which is in addition to interest and collection costs. On an annual basis, the Assessments will defray no more than $3,234,206.85 per year which excludes cost of collection and discounts, again as set forth in Exhibit B. C. The manner in which the Assessments shall be apportioned and paid is set forth in Exhibit B, as may be modified by supplemental assessment resolutions. The Assessments will constitute a “master” lien, which may be imposed without further public hearing in one or more separate liens each securing a series of bonds, and each as determined by supplemental assessment resolution. With respect to each lien securing a series of bonds, the special assessments shall be paid in not more than (30) thirty yearly installments. The special assessments may be payable at the same time and in the same manner as are ad-valorem taxes and collected pursuant to Chapter 197, Florida Statutes; provided, however, that in the event the uniform non ad-valorem assessment method of collecting the Assessments is not available to the District in any year, or if determined by the District to be in its best interest, the Assessments may be collected as is otherwise permitted by law, including but not limited to by direct bill. The decision to collect special assessments by any particular method – e.g., on the tax roll or by direct bill – does not mean that such method will be used to collect special assessments in future years, and the District reserves the right in its sole discretion to select collection methods in any given year, regardless of past practices.

OF THE HEARINGS. Pursuant to Sections 170.07 and 197.3632(4)(b), Florida Statutes, among other provisions of Florida law, there are hereby declared two public hearings to be held as follows:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

DATE: November 5, 2025

TIME: 11:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Chiumento Law 145 City Place, Suite 301 Palm Coast, Florida 32174

The purpose of the public hearings is to hear comment and objections to the proposed special

Florida Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1, or 1-800-955-8771 (TTY) / 1-800-955-8770 (Voice), for aid in contacting the District Office. Please note that all affected property owners have the right to appear and comment at the public hearings and meeting, and may also file written objections with the District Office within twenty (20) days of issuance of this notice. Each person who decides to appeal any decision made by the Board with respect to any matter considered at the public hearings or meeting is advised that person will need a record of proceedings and that accordingly, the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which such appeal is to be based. District Manager RESOLUTION 2025-34 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT DECLARING

5. DESIGNATING THE LANDS UPON WHICH THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS SHALL BE LEVIED. The Assessments securing the Project shall be levied on the lands within the District, as described in Exhibit B, and as further designated by the assessment plat hereinafter provided for.

6. ASSESSMENT PLAT. Pursuant to Section 170.04, Florida Statutes, there is on file, at the District Records Office, an assessment plat showing the area to be assessed certain plans and specifications describing the Project and the estimated cost of the Project, all of which shall be open to inspection by the public.

7. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT ROLL. Pursuant to Section 170.06, Florida Statutes, the District Manager has caused to be made a preliminary assessment roll, in accordance with the method of assessment described in Exhibit B hereto, which shows the lots and lands assessed, the amount of benefit to and the assessment against each lot or parcel of land and the number of annual installments into which the assessment may be divided, which assessment roll is hereby adopted and approved as the District’s preliminary assessment roll.

8. PUBLIC HEARINGS DECLARED; DIRECTION TO PROVIDE NOTICE

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Kenneth Cole leather laptop bag. Sells in Kohl’s for $239.00. Selling $50 386-793-3155

Electric Roaster $10, Waffle Maker $10, Bread Machine $20, Set of 12 Avon Harley Motorcycle Replicas $100 For Set. 6’ Mini Blind $10, Temptations Green Old World Serving Pieces

$10 Ea. Princess House Bowl $100. Text 386-444-1851

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Real Estate

Palm Coast 4 Bedroom House

Nineteen Hundred Square Feet Living Space. has new roof ,air conditioner appliances, waterheater, just painted asking $335,000.00 obo 1-386-4377058 landline.

Yard Sale

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

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon; Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

The Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Palm Coast Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property. Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025 CP 000587 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF DAVID P. MCKAIG Deceased.

The administration of the estate of David P. McKaig, deceased, whose date of death was June 27, 2025 is pending in the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 E. Moody Blvd. Bunnell, FL 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is October 9, 2025.

Personal Representative: Serra McKaig 216 W. Virginia Avenue DeLand, Florida 32720

Attorney for Personal Representative: Diane A. Vidal

Attorney Florida Bar Number: 1008324

LAW

GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION CASE NO. 2024 CA 000513 LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. NIKOLAS ALEXIOU, JR., et. al. Defendant(s), TO: NIKOLAS ALEXIOU

foreclose a mortgage on the following property: LOT 27, GRAND RESERVE PHASE 4, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 40, PAGES 15 THROUGH 19, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on counsel for Plaintiff, whose address is 6409 Congress Avenue, Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33487 on or before /(30 days from Date of First Publication of this Notice) and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition filed herein. THIS NOTICE SHALL BE PUBLISHED ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO (2) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court at Flagler County, Florida, this 10/3/2025. Tom Bexley CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT (SEAL) BY: Margarita Ruiz DEPUTY CLERK Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487 PRIMARY EMAIL: flmail@raslg.com 24-231094 October 9, 16, 2025 25-00245G

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA

Case No.: 2025 DR 000229 Division: 47 Savanna Watson, Petitioner, and Jesse Watson, Respondent, TO: Jesse Watson 7320 Lowery rd Fort Worth, TX 76120

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Savanna Watson, whose address is 86 Forsythe Ln Palm Coast, FL 32137 on or before Nov. 6, 25, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 1769 E. Moody Blvd. Bld. 1 - Bunnell, FL 32110 before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: None

Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current

INSERTION NOTICE OF SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO. 2025 CA 000197 WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, v. KELLY KOWALCZYK; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF KELLY KOWALCZYK; UNKNOWN TENANT 1; UNKNOWN TENANT 2; HOMEINC, LLC; BUYING AMERICAS HOMES LLC; BLUE LINE ROOFING Defendants.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered on September 11, 2025, in this cause, in the Circuit Court of Flagler County, Florida, the clerk shall sell the property situated in Flagler County, Florida, described as: LOT 4, OF BLOCK 5, OF PALM COAST, MAP OF WYNNFIELD, SECTION 21, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 7, PAGES 43 THROUGH 49, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA.

a/k/a 11 WENTWORTH LN, PALM COAST, FL 32164-7823 at public sale, to the highest and best bidder, for cash, online at www.flagler. realforeclosure.com, on October 24, 2025 beginning at 11:00 AM. Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens must file a claim before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed. If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724 (386) 257-6096; Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. Dated at St. Petersburg, Florida this 26 day of September, 2025. eXL Legal, PLLC Designated Email Address: efiling@exllegal.com 12425 28th Street North, Suite 200 St. Petersburg, FL 33716 Telephone No. (727) 536-4911 Attorney for the Plaintiff /s/ Peter E. Lanning Peter E. Lanning FL Bar: 562221 1000010876 October 9, 16, 2025 25-00242G

CLASSIFIEDS

Items under $200

PLANT LADY HAS ASSORTED

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Electric Roaster $10, Waffle Maker $10, Bread Machine $20, Set of 12 Avon Harley Motorcycle Replicas $100 For Set. 6’ Mini Blind $10, Temptations Green Old World Serving Pieces

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AM-2:00PM. Tools, Clothes, Jewelry, Crafts, Antiques, and More! Come Shop!

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

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon; Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

The Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.

*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Palm Coast Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property. Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025 CP 000587 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF DAVID P. MCKAIG Deceased.

The administration of the estate of David P. McKaig, deceased, whose date of death was June 27, 2025 is pending in the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 E. Moody Blvd. Bunnell, FL 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is October 9, 2025. Personal Representative: Serra McKaig 216 W. Virginia Avenue DeLand, Florida 32720

title or interest in the property described in the mortgage being foreclosed herein. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property: LOT 27, GRAND RESERVE PHASE 4, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 40, PAGES 15 THROUGH 19, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on counsel for Plaintiff, whose address is 6409 Congress Avenue, Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33487 on or before /(30 days from Date of First Publication of this Notice) and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief

THIS

PUBLISHED ONCE A

FOR

(2) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. WITNESS my

and the

of

at Flagler County, Florida, this 10/3/2025. Tom Bexley CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT (SEAL) BY: Margarita Ruiz DEPUTY CLERK Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487 PRIMARY EMAIL: flmail@raslg.com 24-231094 October 9, 16, 2025 25-00245G

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA

Case No.: 2025 DR 000229 Division: 47 Savanna Watson, Petitioner, and Jesse Watson, Respondent, TO: Jesse Watson 7320 Lowery rd Fort Worth, TX 76120

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Savanna Watson, whose address is 86 Forsythe Ln Palm Coast, FL 32137 on or before Nov. 6, 25, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 1769 E. Moody Blvd. Bld. 1 - Bunnell, FL 32110 before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: None Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the

Plaintiff, v. KELLY KOWALCZYK; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF KELLY KOWALCZYK; UNKNOWN TENANT 1; UNKNOWN TENANT 2; HOMEINC, LLC; BUYING AMERICAS HOMES LLC; BLUE LINE ROOFING Defendants. Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered on September 11, 2025, in this cause, in the Circuit Court of Flagler County, Florida, the clerk shall sell the property situated in Flagler County, Florida, described as: LOT 4, OF BLOCK 5, OF PALM COAST, MAP OF WYNNFIELD, SECTION 21, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 7, PAGES 43 THROUGH 49, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA. a/k/a 11 WENTWORTH LN, PALM COAST, FL 32164-7823 at public sale, to the highest and best bidder, for cash, online at www.flagler. realforeclosure.com, on October 24, 2025 beginning at 11:00 AM. Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens must file a claim before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed. If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724 (386) 257-6096; Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. Dated at St. Petersburg, Florida this 26 day of September, 2025. eXL Legal, PLLC Designated Email Address: efiling@exllegal.com 12425 28th Street North, Suite 200 St. Petersburg, FL 33716 Telephone No. (727) 536-4911 Attorney for the Plaintiff /s/ Peter E. Lanning Peter E. Lanning FL Bar: 562221 1000010876 October 9, 16, 2025 25-00242G

Rhonda Richardson, APRN