Yes, The Hammock Observer was delivered this week to just about every mailbox in Island Estates, Hammock Dunes, Ocean Hammock, Sea Colony, Matanzas Shores, etc. Overall, the circulation this week is over 4,700, while last week it was 1,000.
The goal of this expansion is this: When you pick up the front page, you get the feeling that everyone else in your neighborhood is doing the same thing at the same time. All your neighbors are reading the same headlines. That’s the definition of a community moment, and that’s what the Observer is all about.
That increased circulation comes with a few changes. First, the U.S. Postal Service delivery arrives on Fridays, which is a day later than we’d like. Hopefully that’s a small sacrifice. Second, our newsstand delivery is being cut in half, since so many of our regulars are now getting the paper in their mailboxes instead. That means routines will be shaken up a bit, but, again, hopefully that’s a small sacrifice. In essence, you just got a free subscription, thanks to the businesses that are choosing to sponsor our front-page ads on our direct mail delivery. If you like what you see, give them a call and say thanks! If you want to be taken off the list, email info@ observerlocalnews.com.
If you’re a business that wants to take advantage of this expanded delivery to do your marketing (is it hyperbole to say that this is now the best way to advertise in the history of The Hammock?), email advertise@observerlocalnews.com.
The circulation may fluctuate from week to week, as we build our sponsorships, but we hope it’s a regular thing. Thanks for reading your free, hyperlocal newspaper.
— BRIAN AND HAILEY MCMILLAN, OWNERS
‘We really thought a lot about the future,’ Hammock Community Association President Stillman said.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
At its first meeting of the new year, the Hammock Community Association announced changes to its strategic plan.
The Hammock has changed a lot over the last several years, HCA
President Lora Stillman said, and the HCA board felt the previous strategic plan needed to reflect the issues the HCA has been working for and against. The new strategic plan is not that different, she said, but outlines “a clear vision for the future” with “actionable goals to fulfill the mission statement.”
“We really thought a lot about the future,” Stillman said. “It’s hard. You don’t have that crystal ball.”
The Hammock Community Association is a nonprofit organization that has the overarching goal to preserve the natural beauty of The Hammock. Over the years, the HCA has provided input to Flagler County on how incoming developments in the area could impact the community.
Its mission statement is to “inform and influence community members, organizations and government officials about the importance of protecting and preserving The Hammock.”
The new strategic plan, outlined at the Feb. 3 meeting, is divided into four goals, each with actions the HCA and HCA members can do to support those goals. Those goals are: increasing engagement with elected officials, boards and county staff; increase community engagement and fundraising; preserve the natural environment; ensure safe access, responsible recreation and protection of people and property throughout The Hammock.
Many of the action items are things the HCA is already doing, including challenging developments proposed for The Hammock area that the group feels do not adhere to county’s Comprehensive Plan or the Scenic Corridor Overlay requirements. The HCA
Hammock
Community Association confirms new board, officers
Four HCA board members had terms that expired in 2025 while the officer elections needed to be elected. At the Feb. 3 meeting, the board, with unanimous approval from the members present, voted on filling the seats. All four officers were reelected to their positions for another term: Lora Stillman as HCA president, Jan Sullivan as vice president, Todd Swinderman as secretary and Joyce Skaff as treasurer. Kathy Viehe, Skaff, Dr. Lynne Bravo Rosewater and Carl
has also been active in pushing for safety improvements along State Road A1A.
One new way the HCA is hoping to enact its goals is by reaching out to the local homeowner’s associations to share concerns and progress.
“What we’re concerned about often will come together. They’re the same thing,” Stillman said, “but we’re not talking together. We’re in little bubbles.”
This updated strategic plan has been approved by the board, Stillman said, but despite that, it remains a fluid document.
“It’s always fluid,” she said.
“You’ve got to be able to adjust, otherwise you get left behind.”
But despite that, the strategic plan goals work to preserve The Hammock’s beauty. The number
Jordan all had terms as board members that expired in 2025. All four were reconfirmed for as board members for another term. Two additional board members were also elected, as the HCA’s bylaws allow up to 13 board members, and the HCA had 11. The two new board members are Donna Contrado and Karen Leader. HCA meetings are held at the Hammock Community Center on Mala Compra Road. The meetings are open to the public but only dues-paying members may vote on action items. Membership dues are $15 per person. The HCA’s website is TheHammock.org.
one thing Hammock residents want, Stillman said, is to keep The Hammock the way it looks now.
“We all want to keep trees, we want to keep our dunes, and we want to be able to have the hammock look like it is now,” Stillman said. “The way The Hammock looks when you’re driving down the A1A is why you love this place, and that’s why you chose to live here.”
The HCA also elected its constitutional officers and board members at the Feb. 3 meeting. Afterward, the HCA hosted an educational presentation on sea turtles and a question and answer session with Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen, who represents The Hammock in District 2. What’s happening in The Hammock? Email Sierra Williams at sierra@observerlocalnews.com.
HCA President Lora Stillman. Photo by Sierra Williams
NEWS BRIEFS
Ormond police arrest man after bomb threat at Temple Beth-El
The Ormond Beach Police Department has arrested a 57-year-old man in connection with a bomb threat made to a local synagogue on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Police report that at 10:45 a.m., Robert Tuck made a call to Temple Beth-El, located at 579 N. Nova Road. The synagogue reported the bomb threat to law enforcement and the Temple Beth-El elementary school was placed on lockdown.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office bomb squad assisted OBPD by conducting a sweep of Temple Beth-El, and a bomb detection K-9 found no explosives, according to a press release.
Tuck was arrested at 12:57 p.m. a halfway house in Daytona Beach. He is being charged with four felonies and one misdemeanor, including a threat to throw, project, place or discharge a destructive device and making a false report
concerning the planting of a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction.
“I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork and professionalism shown by our officers and our partners at the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in apprehending the suspect quickly,” Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said in the press release. “We take every threat very seriously and remain committed to the safety and peace of mind of our community.”
Cuban national ‘grilled’ for Publix meat thefts
Deputies arrested Heannys O. Alvarez Reyna, 30, of Jacksonville, for retail theft after they determined he had beefed up his freezer with nearly $4,000 worth of stolen steaks, roasts and lamb –tenderly removing them from store shelves without paying a single buck.
Alvarez Reyna later told detectives that after his stealing spree, he drove to his girlfriend’s residence, only to discover she was there cooking with another man, which prompted him to toss most of the stolen meat.
“This wasn’t just a case of someone trying to ‘meat’ their budget. This was a calculated,
had a broken leg and arm, so police transported her to the hospital. After she was cleared, she was taken to jail.
JAN. 24
JAN. 23 PUBLIC BATHING
6:26 p.m. — 300 block of North U.S. 1, Ormond Beach Indecent exposure. A 42-year-old Port Orange woman was arrested after she was caught showering, nude, in a fountain in front of a cityowned building. It wasn’t the first time; the woman had done the same thing a couple of days before. The woman told police she
BAD CALL
5:12 p.m. — 700 block of Hull Road, Ormond Beach Fight. Officers responded to a city sports park after multiple 911 calls came in regarding a fight caused over a referee’s call during a youth football league game.
The incident report states: “The scene was chaotic, countless juveniles and adults were in the area, and informa-
‘high-steaks operation’ that left two stores with significant losses,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “While this suspect’s selection was choice, his method wasn’t kosher. He really tried to milk the system and by now he’s found out that the Green Roof Inn does not serve premium meats.”
Home health worker arrested for stealing from patients’ homes
On Jan. 4, deputies responded to a home in the F-Section of Palm Coast for a reported theft. The victim told deputies that she had hired Vitas Home Health to provide hospice care for her husband and that she believed one of their employees, identified as Jnese Stephens-Buners, 38, of Palm Coast, had stolen multiple pieces of jewelry from a jewelry dish on top of her dresser while inside their home.
Further investigation determined that Stephens-Buners pawned the jewelry on Dec. 18, 2025, and that nearly all of the jewelry had been melted down. Only one item was recovered.
Detectives obtained an
tion was being provided from countless sources.” Police report the referee’s call led to a physical fight between the two teams of 15-year-old boys. Then one juvenile, who was not part of either football team, got involved and threatened one of the coaches with bodily harm.
The coach wished to pursue charges and provided a statement to police.
After the fight, a man was walking some of the teens back to their parents when he saw three of the juveniles run somewhere to try and continue the fight. He stepped
arrest warrant for StephensBuners on Jan. 27, and she was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she was later released on a $2,500 bond.
Palm Coast man accused of construction fraud
On Jan. 28, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Palm Coast man on an active warrant issued a day earlier following the completion of a fraud investigation in which the suspect used his customers’ credit card to purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of items unrelated to a construction project he was working on.
The victims told detectives the suspect, identified as John Nashmy, 41, of Palm Coast, was given their credit card in May of 2025. They also told detectives they had given Nashmy $1,800 for the construction project through Cash App.
During the investigation, detectives determined that Nashmy had made $3,473.78 worth of unauthorized transactions, purchasing items completely unrelated to the construction projects, includ-
in to break them up, during which he was attacked by about four or five other teens before a parent stopped the altercation. The teens fled the scene before police arrived. The man declined to press charges, though police noted he had significant swelling and redness in his eyes from the attack.
Police noted allegations that a coach also punched one of the teens, but no evidence corroborated the allegation and a victim was not present.
ing a lawn mower. “A simple background check could have saved the victim from a lot of hassle,” said Sheriff Staly. “Nashmy is a known felon, with a history of domestic violence and drug abuse. The victims should never have trusted him with their credit card. When you have construction work to do, hire a licensed and insured contractor. You can search for reputable contractors on the Flagler Home Builders Association website.”
Nashmy is being held on $5,000 bond.
Daytona man fires
gun inside Bunnell bar to pop a balloon
A Daytona Beach man was arrested on Jan. 23 in connection to a Jan. 3 incident where a gun was fired inside the Bimini Bar in Bunnell on State Road 100.
Richard William Graham, 73, allegedly fired a gun to pop a balloon inside the bar while multiple other patrons and bar employees were present. Graham fled the scene after the shooting, according to a Bunnell press release.
Ormond Beach police officers arrested Graham after
JAN. 29
SUPER SHOPLIFTER
3:10 p.m. — 5100 block of State Road 100, Palm Coast Retail theft. An Ormond Beach woman was arrested after she stole from a chain supermarket six times across two store locations in Palm Coast and Daytona Beach.
The woman was trespassed from the store and taken to jail.
JAN. 30
THE JIG (SAW) IS UP
he was pulled over at a traffic stop. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail with a $13,500 bond and released the next day on bond.
Former Flagler paramedic sentenced to 10 years in prison
During a hearing on Feb. 1, defendant James Melady was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of probation. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
A Flagler County jury in December found the defendant guilty of sexual battery, saying that, in October 2021, Melady, a former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic, raped an unconscious patient in the back of an ambulance.
“The defendant was a first responder who raped an unconscious patient when he was supposed to be providing her with proper medical care,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said after the sentencing. “His crime was disgusting, demented, and deserving of the maximum sentence permissible by law.”
7:08 p.m. — first block of Garden Street North, Palm Coast Shoplifting. A family of three were caught stealing power tools from a local home improvement store. A woman and man, with the woman’s underage son in tow, attempted to steal a cordless jig saw, a cordless oscillating multi-tool and jig saw blades by hiding the tools behind the woman’s purse in a shopping cart. Both adults had a history of petit theft or retail theft charges and were taken to the county jail. The child’s adult older brother took custody of him.
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County begins conflict resolution process with Flagler Beach
In the proceedings over Summertown, both parties felt the issues could be resolved without a lawsuit.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
The Flagler County Commission has started the clock on conflict resolution procedures with Flagler Beach, but several commissioners said they felt the issues will be resolved outside of a lawsuit.
“I think this is much ado about nothing,” Commissioner Greg Hansen said. “I don’t think there’s a problem here.”
Summertown is one of two major developments that has been undergoing the annexation process into Flagler Beach from unincorporated Flagler County. The 500-acre development lies along the west side of John Anderson Highway and would add 1,600 residential units, a hotel and a commercial area. After two years being reviewed by Flagler Beach, the city approved the annexation, , zoning and land use application, on Jan. 8.
Flagler County has cited five items in the development that may conflict with Flagler Beach’s and Flagler County’s comprehensive plans. The county has 30 days from when the Summertown development was approved in Flagler Beach — making Feb. 9 the deadline — to file a dispute.
State law requires that before one local government can file a lawsuit against another local government, it is required to enter a conflict resolution process to hopefully avoid a lawsuit.
The moment City Attorney Michael Rodriguez would file the dispute against Flagler Beach, it would trigger that process, “freezing” the dispute lawsuit while the two parties mediated, he said.
In hopes of avoiding a law-
suit, the county has agreed instead to enter into what is called a tolling agreement with Flagler Beach. This would, Rodriguez said, retain the county’s right to file a lawsuit challenging the Summertown comprehensive plan amendment while the parties attempt to resolve the problems at hand. If they were to come to an impasse, the county could still file its legal challenge. “I don’t think that will happen,” Rodriguez said.
The Flagler Beach City Commission will need to hold a special meeting of its own to vote on entering the tolling agreement on its end. Flagler County approved the process in a 4-1 vote, with Hansen dissenting.
At present, the areas of conflict are only with the Summertown development, not its sister development, Veranda Bay, which is still under review by Flagler Beach. Should the city approve the Veranda Bay development, the county would then have to file a separate dispute.
The county’s problems will not deter the development from coming online or reverse the annexation.
Rodriguez specifically said the annexation met the threshold requirements and the city’s problems lie specifically with items in the land use and zoning approvals that may contradict with the city’s
comprehensive plan.
There are five specific items of conflict outlined by the county in regard to Summertown: a reclaimed water facility, floodplains, and three areas of potential impact to John Anderson Highway.
WATER
WARS AND FLOODPLAINS
Item A is a callback to the Water Wars settlement from 2007 that involved the county, Flagler Beach and Palm Coast.
In the context of Summertown, the county is questioning how the development is fitting in with that settlement agreement. Assistant Attorney Sarah Spector said the settlement agreement states that the city is responsible for providing the reclaimed water but that the developer is required to build the facility.
The developer has already started laying the pipework for the reclaimed water, but the city — which updating its water and wastewater facilities — wants to build the reclaim facility itself.
The answer could be as simple as receiving a letter from the city that it plans to take responsibility for the facility, Flagler County Growth Management Director Adam Mengel said. Flagler Beach City Attorney Drew Smith said the city has the home-rule authority to decide this issue.
Commissioner Andy Dance
said in the meeting that Item A seems to be a debate between the attorneys. Ultimately, he said, no one wants to be challenged on home rule.
“I just know if we were on the opposite side,” Dance said, “we would not want to be challenged on something that we agreed to, and it was defensed by our attorney.”
Item B questions Summertown’s impact on sensitive lands, but this item could already be on its way to being resolved with the county’s purchase of 150 acres of sensitive floodplains near Bulow Creek.
The developer is willing to sell, though the parties have not agreed on a price yet, and the county is still in the process of securing the grants to purchase the land. Dance said the county’s initiative satisfies the comprehensive plan requirements.
“I feel that we did the work for the city,” Dance said. “I don’t know what else we need to do on that.”
Mengel said that though Flagler Beach has sent a letter of support in regard to the purchase of the land, the policy calls for more. But, Dance argued, the comprehensive plan doesn’t say the city needs to be the driving force.
“This one seems to me an easy resolution today,” Dance said. “We’re looking for something to firm it up a little
bit, [but] the hard work’s been done.”
JOHN ANDERSON HIGHWAY
There are three concerns outlined in the resolution regarding John Anderson Highway: maintenance of the roadway from development growth, evacuation impact, and whether an adequate traffic study was conducted.
The traffic study may be one of the easiest issues for the commission to resolve:
Developer Ken Belshe brought a physical copy of the traffic impact study with him to the meeting.
“It’s always been part of the record,” Belshe said. “I’m not sure where the breakdown was.”
The traffic study, he said, began more than two years ago, when the Veranda Bay team was contemplating annexing into Palm Coast instead. With the presentation of the traffic study, the commissioners and county staff will need to review the study.
Item E is the maintenance of John Anderson Highway and who is responsible for it. Currently, Flagler County is responsible for the maintenance, but won’t receive impact fees for the maintenance of the roadway from Summertown because the transportation impact fees would go to the cities instead.
Commission Chair Leann Pennington said it’s a similar issue that they are seeing in
Bunnell, too.
“Roads that were not meant to hold a lot of cars, not meant to hold 6- or 7,000 commuters, are left within the county for us to deal with,” she said, “while impact fees and others are collected by the cities and not passed along to help us.” Flagler Beach Commissioner Eric Cooley said during the public comment portion that most of the traffic concerns relate more to Veranda Bay than Summertown.
“This is about Summertown only, which changes your content significantly,” Cooley said. “When you’re looking at Summertown only, on the west side of the road, the impacts to John Anderson become negligible.”
Item C deals with the potential impact Summertown may have on evacuations along John Anderson Highway. The highway serves as a major evacuation route to State Road 100, and the concern is that the influx of residents — Summertown is approved for a maximum of 1,640 residential units — will slow the evacuation timing. But, when 150 residential units are built, Chiumento said, Summertown will be required to complete a planned spine road that will connect to S.R. 100 before it can build more residential units. Whether the commercial section of the development is built before the residential units will depend on market conditions, he said. The spine road will take some of the pressure of John Anderson.
Pennington said most of the problems could be resolved outside of entering a lawsuit, but that the county needs to protect its rights.
“We have to have this formal resolution out there so that we can solve it,” she said. The county, she said, is working on putting together joint committees so that in the future these problems can be addressed without having to implement conflict resolution procedures.
Dance said he felt all the issues could potentially be resolved outside of a lawsuit. He thanked the Flagler Beach Commissioners for attending the meeting, too, and committed to working cooperatively to help solve the issues at hand.
“We have a lot of important work that we have to do together,” Dance said.
Sheriff’s employees and 911 caller recognized for saving kidnap victim
A 911 caller whose actions saved a kidnapping victim from a registered sex offender was among those who were honored during the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s 2025 Fourth Quarter Awards Ceremony held on Jan. 29 at the FCSO Operations Center.
“I am honored to not only recognize our outstanding team members but also members of our community,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I am honored to be able to recognize these outstanding men and women who serve and protect the citizens of Flagler County. They exemplify the best of the best.”
Three employees received Employee of the Month recognition and two were recognized for reaching years of service milestones.
LIFE-SAVING AWARD
Cody Clark (Civilian)
LIFE-SAVING AWARD
Irvin Sandoval (Civilian)
On Nov. 15, 2025, numerous 911 calls were received regarding a subject leaning over the edge of the Matanzas Woods overpass of Interstate 95. A passing motorist, Irvin Sandoval, pulled over, called 911, and tried to stop the individual from jumping. When Sandoval walked up to the individual, he noticed they were holding a knife. Deputies arrived on the scene and witnessed Sandoval wrestling the weapon out of the individual’s hand. The individual was placed into protective
On Dec. 31, 2025, the Flagler County Emergency Communications Center received a call from a concerned citizen, Cody Clark, regarding suspicious and unusual activity in a white Ford F250 that had children in it. The investigation resulted in locating a kidnapped 11-year-old victim, leading to two arrests. Due to Clark’s vigilant observation of noticing suspicious activity, the child was brought to safety.
custody under a Baker Act and transported to the hospital. Other life-saving awards were given to the following, for assisting with Narcan and/or CPR: Deputies Kaleem Chohan and Kyle Manka; Public Safety Telecommunicator Stephanie Mayberry (Flagler County Emergency Communications Center); Deputies Kailen Jackson, Ashley Jacques, Austin Miller, and Cameron Punsky; Cpl. Craig Rossi; Deputies Kyle Manka and Brendon Torres; Deputy First Class Shayna Favorite; Deputy Jeremiah Velazquez.
UNIT CITATION
Deputy First Class Jennifer Prevatt; Detective Joseph Costello and Detective Shannon Smith; Deputies Zackary Guinnup and Matthew Hirschi; Real Time Crime Center
Specialist Taylor Cousin
On Aug. 29, 2025, 17 burglaries were reported overnight across western Flagler County, resulting in the theft of five handguns. The teamwork and dedication of this unit resulted in three suspects being charged with a total of 36 felonies.
UNIT CITATION
Cmdr. Scott Vedder; Sgt. Samuel Bell; Sgt. Troy Van Pelt; Detention Sgt. Timothy Abruzzo; Cpl. Andrew Cangialosi; Cpl. Brandon Fiveash; Cpl. William Lowe; Master Detective Omar Ocampo; Deputy First Class Branden Hartley; Training Coordinator Beth Doyle
On Oct. 16, 2025, a retired law enforcement officer accidentally shot himself in the leg during a firearms qualification. Detention Sgt. Timothy Abruzzo safely secured the retiree’s firearm and helped him sit on the ground to render first aid. Firearms instructors applied a tourniquet. Multiple employees continued providing aid and kept the retiree alert.
Jensen, Kayleigh Perkins, and Jonathan Schmidt; Lt. Jesse Hunter and Firefighter/ EMT Andrew Wheeler (Flagler County Fire Rescue); Paramedic Sean McBride and Firefighter/EMT Cole DiPatre (Palm Coast Fire Department); and Jack Pamer (Civilian)
On Dec. 19, 2025, civilian Jack Pamer located a vehicle associated with a Silver Alert abandoned in a hunting club on the northwest side of the county. Upon arrival, Detective Cpl. Seth Green, Deputy Kayleigh Perkins, and Cmdr. Ryan Emery found the unoccupied car and searched on foot for the subject while waiting for additional resources. Green located the unconscious but breathing subject in a wooded area about 50 yards away. Deputies Kyle Jensen, Zackary Guinup, Jonathan Schmidt, and Evan Bishop carried the man and transported him for treatment by firefighters. He was later airlifted to Halifax Hospital and expected to make a full recovery.
UNIT CITATION
Detective Sgt. George Hristakopoulos; Sgt. Carmine Celico; Sgt. Paul DeSousa; Sgt. Trevor Jacob; Detective Cpl. Michael Breckwoldt; Cpl. Brad Stogdon; Detective First Class Stacy Kusek; Detectives Nicole
Marsan and Hayleigh Prentiss; Deputies Christopher Alecrim, Austin Dalrymple, Nathaniel Drew, Jorge Fernandez de Lara, Tyler Harmon, Kailen Jackson, Ashley Jacques, Troy Magnuson, Jacqulyn Medina, Austin Miller, and Cameron Punsky; Real Time Crime Center Specialist Victoria Hanlin; Crime Scene Investigators Caitlin Butler and Mirey Centeno-Negron; Public Safety Telecommunicator Supervisor Lisa Nesbitt, PST Lead Laine Rittenour, PST II Lucas Santos and Angelica QuirogaJoya, PST I Megan Flores and Crystal Long (Flagler County Emergency Communications Center) On Nov. 16, 2025, deputies responded to Flagler Beach Village with reference to a disturbance with weapons. One subject was found in front of the nearby 7-Eleven, with a gunshot wound to the chest. The second subject was contacted within an apartment of Flagler Beach Village, with a gunshot wound to the leg. An arrest warrant was obtained for the suspect involved.
YEARS OF SERVICE
10 years – Detention Deputy Ian Christensen; 20 years – Detention Sgt. Timothy Abruzzo
Flagler Beach Attorney Drew Smith talks to the Flagler County Commission about the Summertown development. Photos by Sierra Williams
Flagler Beach Commissioner Eric Cooley.
Flagler County Commission Chair Leann Pennington.
Flagler County Attorney Michael Rodriguez.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and Cody Clark. Courtesy photo
HEAR YOUR BEST with Atlantic Hearing
ICI Homes asks Palm Coast Council for more houses in development
Council asks, where is the local benefit, then approves first reading on condition developer makes changes.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
A developer is seeking more homes in an E Section development but the Palm Coast City Council wants to know: Where is the public benefit?
For 14 years, CP and HG Residential Lots LLC, a subsidiary of local builder ICI Homes, has been approved to build 58 homes in a 37-acre Master Planned Development called Easthampton. The developer is now seeking to increase the number of homes by 13 lots to 71 homes, reducing the minimum lot sizes from 8,250 square feet to 5,500 square feet.
ICI Homes Vice President of Land Development Dick Smith told the council point-blank that it would be cost-prohibitive to build the approved 58 homes, which would each need to be sold at around $600,000 because of the overhead costs.
“That’s the bottom line,” Smith said, “That we can’t make that work.”
The proposed changes would bring the selling prices down to the $450,000 range, more in line with the neighboring homes, he said.
The Palm Coast City Council tentatively approved the first reading of this application in a 3-2 vote on Feb. 4, with Councilman Ty Miller and Mayor Mike Norris dissenting. Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri told the developer that she needed to see a public benefit by the second reading, and larger minimum lot sizes that complied with Palm Coast’s land development code. The city’s LDC requires a minimum of 6,000 square-foot lots..
“I can’t approve a 5,500 square foot lot,” Pontieri said. “I just can’t do it.”
The development is located just south of Eric Drive, north west of the State Road 100 and Belle Terre Boulevard Intersection, and has had the building entitlements for the 58 homes since 2012. Those entitlements are the result of a lawsuit settlement between the developer and Palm Coast.
In 2009, per the city’s newly adopted 2020 Comprehensive Plan, the land was redesignated from residential-low density, which allowed 1-3
units per acre, to City Greenbelt, which only allows 1 unit per acre. The developer sued Palm Coast over the change, and the two parties reached a settlement agreement in 2012.
That agreement ended in a land-swap to protect existing wetlands, and rezoning the developer’s property with the entitlements to build the 58 lots as an MPD. The developer’s application now is to amend that settlement agreement.
The proposed changes drew a crowd of E Section residents opposed to the increase. Miller said at the meeting that its important residents understand there’s nothing the city can do about the previously approved 58 lots.
But, he said, the extra 13 homes are a “new conversation.” There needs to be a clear public benefit for him to consider approving the request.
“I leave that ball in the court of the applicant,” Miller said. “But I’d like to see a public benefit here, aside from just 13, more units because the math doesn’t math.”
Pontieri agreed with Miller, but added that she would rather see ICI Homes, a local company that provides a “much higher quality” product, build this than sell it to another company.
Beyond the size of the lots and the extra homes, residents were also concerned about the possibility the developer would, in the future, create a “punch through” road connecting the neighborhood to S.R. 100.
The developer’s attorney Michael Chiumento said that is not at all in the developer’s plans, but agreed to add a city-owned easement into the approval that would prevent the developer from doing so anyway.
The plan for the new neighborhood includes one entrance onto Easthampton Boulevard and has a stormwater retention pond. The Palm Coast Planning Board reviewed that application on Dec. 17 and recommended the council deny the application. As a potential solution to the public benefit, Chiumento suggested the developer could work with city staff to find a solution, as neighboring residents had stated previously they did not want to see a public park placed there. Norris was the second dissenting vote. He made it clear from the beginning that he was against the increase. It’s just “taking more bites out of the apple,” he said.
“This runs contrary to the public interest of the city,” Norris said. “I can’t support it at all and I’m not going to. They were allotted 58 houses. That’s what you get. I’m not going to budge on that.” Councilmen Charles Gambaro and Dave Sullivan both approved the application, with Sullivan adding the issues could be worked out in between readings. Pontieri — who has repeatedly over her three-year tenure stated her dislike for cramming as many homes into a development as possible — will likely be the swing vote on whether or not the application dies at the second reading.
She asked the developer to return with lots that are more in compliance with city code and an outlined public benefit.
“I’m just curious as to whether or not there’s more work that can be done to make sure that we’re not bending the rules and that we’re staying within our LDC,” she said.
11-year-old ITMS student arrested
“school shooting Feb 4th:)”— written on a bathroom wall.
OBSERVER STAFF
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an 11-year-old girl after an investigation revealed she had written a shooting threat on a bathroom wall at Indian Trails Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The school resource deputy was alerted to a threat —
School administrators and the SRD immediately took action to identify, locate and arrest the student responsible for the threat, according to an FCSO press release.
The student said that a person, whom she communicated with only online, dared her to write the message on the wall. She also said that she was bored and did not think this was going to bea big deal or a serious matter.
But Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore
told the Observer that any school threat will be taken seriously.
“If you make a threat you better mean it, because we’re going to treat it like you do,” Moore told the Observer
“This behavior is never tolerated on any of our Flagler Schools campuses. Threatening the well-being of our students carries immediate consequences,” Moore was quoted in the press release. “We encourage everyone to always take these matters seriously. Student safety remains our top priority.”
Palm Coast seeks applicants for new Advisory Board
Palm Coast is accepting applications for its newly established Parks & Recreation
Advisory Board. This board will focus on bringing forward new ideas to help solve community recreation challenges, a city press release said.
Members will review information from city staff and subject-matter experts and offer recommendations that help shape recreation priorities across the city. Appointments are for two-
year terms, with one member appointed from each of the city’s four districts. Meetings will take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center.
“Our parks and recreation programs are shaped by the people who use them every day,” said James Hirst, Director of Parks and Recreation.
Eric Drive on the north side and Easthampton Boulevard on the right (west), with SR 100 on the south. A developer in the E Section of Palm Coast is asking for an increase of 13 homes, reducing the minimum lot size to 5,500 square feet. Image from Palm Coast meeting documents
Palm Coast and Flagler County lean toward $2.1 million animal shelter
The boards want more answers. The shelter will ultimately be run by a nonprofit.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
The Palm Coast City Council and Flagler County Commission are leaning toward creating a $2.1 million animal shelter, with plans to expand Palm Coast’s animal services across the county.
Palm Coast Community Services Director John Zolper, on behalf of a task force, presented several options for locations and different types of shelters to the joint Flagler County Commission-Palm Coast Council meeting on Jan. 29. The boards all leaned toward building a hybrid option with a brick-andmortar main building and modular kennels.
This option would be around 9,480 square feet in size, with 3,000 square feet being the brick-and-mortar reception and medical office building and the remaining space set aside for the modular ken -
nels. It would have space for 96 dogs and 80 cats and cost around $2.1 million to build, though that would depend on the site selected.
The other building options included just prefabricated modular kennels and brickand-mortar options. The modular units, Zopler said, have attached outdoor runs where the dogs can be let out for an efficient way to clean the kennels.
The new animal shelter would offer intake and housing services for lost and stray animals, triage care, adoptions, outreach and education, with anticipated operational hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
“Although the task force envisioned the shelter to be operated by a nonprofit, its daily operation will function more like a municipal animal control shelter,” Zolper said.
Voluntarily surrendered animals should still be taken to the Flagler Humane Society, he said.
The task force also researched possible locations, which included expanding the current Flagler Humane Society building, a county and a
city lot on Highway U.S. 1 by the State Forest Rangers Station and the city-owned lots at 13 Commerce Blvd., Parcel Tract 17, 2 Utility Drive and the Public Works Facility on U.S. 1.
Because there was no county option the County Commissioners supported, the commissioners agreed to support the City Council members’ selection of a site. Mayor Mike Norris, Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri, and Councilmen Ty Miller and Dave Sullivan felt upgrading the Public Works Facility for an animal shelter to be the best bet. Councilman Charles Gambaro was absent.
The boards also asked to see more information on 13 Commerce Blvd., which, Assistant City Manager Lauren John -
“We’re going to pay for the dogs, we’re not going to pay for our senior citizens. I don’t think we have $500,000 that we can commit until we pay for the seniors.”
GREG HANSEN, Flagler Commissioner
ston said, would be the fastest shovel-ready site.
The Public Works Facility will be moving to a new location with the completion of Palm Coast’s new Maintenance Operation Center. But the task force did not have a cost estimate for what it would take to retrofit the facility as an animal shelter.
Pontieri said she would like to see a more in depth analysis on the actual costs.
“What I don’t see on any of these...[is] what the actual cost is going to be per site, once those are narrowed down based on what we know our needs are,” she said.
The task force had imagined an Oct. 1 groundbreaking, but elected officials were skeptical about being able to make that deadline. For one, Public Works will not have moved into the new facility at that point, Johnston said, if the boards selected that option.
Funding would be another concern. The county has committed $500,000 to the project, but Commissioners Greg Hansen and Kim Carney were skeptical of being able to provide their share of the funding, when the county recently had to cut its adult day care services because of the costs.
“We’re going to pay for the dogs, we’re not going to pay for our senior citizens,” Hansen said. “I don’t think we have $500,000 that we can commit until we pay for the seniors.”
But, Chairwoman Leann Pennington said, that was an
issue of ongoing, yearly losses.
“The goal here is to get a facility built that will be able to be maintained by a nonprofit, financially with limited support and take care of the needs of a growing community,” Pennington said.
Norris said several residents were willing and able to fundraise as well, once a property is identified.
Among the next steps will be sending out a request for information for nonprofits interested in running the animal shelter. Pontieri said she felt the new shelter should not be run by the Flagler Humane Society but by a different organization.
“I don’t feel it’s appropriate to put any further resources into an already established 501c3,” she said.
The potential cost of services was another area where the boards felt they needed more information.
Zolper said Palm Coast animal control services currently cover an estimated 93 square miles in the county, with three animal control officers and administration technicians. With the expanded services, it would increase coverage to 485 square miles and need an additional five animal control officers, plus the cost of specialized equipment.
Animal control services costs would more than double for all municipalities involved, including Flagler Beach and Bunnell, as they contract animal services through the county.
Palm Coast’s current budget for animal control is $712,000. The task force estimated that would go up to $1.4 million, but, Zolper said, that included costs for operating the shelter. If the shelter is run by a nonprofit, that would lessen the estimated costs. The task force and Palm Coast staff will continue to gather more information on the actual costs of building the shelter and estimated animal services costs to the budget, without the addition of running the shelter. At the joint municipality meeting on Feb. 5, the county and Palm Coast will also approach Flagler Beach and Bunnell about the new shelter, as they contract animal services through Flagler County.
“The goal here is to get a facility built that will be able to be maintained by a nonprofit, financially with limited support and take care of the needs of a growing community.”
LEANN PENNINGTON, Flagler County Commissioner Chairwoman
An example of a modular kennel system. Image from Palm Coast, Flagler County joint meetings
240-unit boat storage in Hammock?
Flagler County’s settlement offer allows Hammock Harbour to develop the site plan, plus $400,000.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Flagler County’s Hammock Harbour settlement offer would allow the developer to build a dry boat storage facility the size of the Flagler County Government Services building on State Road A1A. Hammock Harbour is a development located on State Road A1A on the north side of the Hammock Hardware store. Flagler County and the property owner, Bob Million, have been in dispute over plans to develop the property for the last six years, and have been in a federal lawsuit since early 2025.
The settlement offer not only would allow Million to build the boat storage facility without changes, but would also pay Million $400,000 as the settlement payment and credit him an additional $50,000 in building permit fees, according to Flagler County Commission meeting documents for Feb. 9. The
NEWS BRIEFS
offer also includes a “nontransferable credit” on applicable impact fees of a maximum of $100,000.
The Flagler County Commission will vote on the settlement offer at its Feb. 9 business meeting, held at 5 p.m. in the Government Services Building. Flagler County Attorney Michael Rodriguez told the commission at its Jan. 12 meeting that the settlement agreement would avoid “what would have been very timely and very costly federal litigation.”
At the Hammock Community Association’s Feb. 3 meeting, board member Kathy Viehe — whose property sits on the north side of Hammock Harbour’s — asked the HCA members to turn up at the Feb. 9 Flagler County Commission meeting to ask the commission not to support the settlement.
“We’re hopeful, but we’re not real hopeful,” Viehe said. “It’s going to impact The Hammock, unlike anything that we’ve tried, we’ve seen to this point. So just be aware.”
The property is under five acres in size, and used to house a small boat-building operation, which closed in 2018 after 40 years in business. Million then purchased the property.
Lord reelected president of FEPA Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord was reelected for a second term as President of the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association last week.
“This is such a welldeserved recognition of your leadership and the incredible work you’ve done to strengthen emergency management across Florida,” said County Administrator Heidi Petito. “Thank you for your dedication and guidance, it has made a real difference, not just at the state level, but right here in Flagler County.” Lord served for a decade as board member of FEPA,
In 2019, Million submitted development plans to the county that outlined a 240unit, multi-story dry boat storage facility that would also have a restaurant and retail space. Also on the property, according to the previously approved and submitted site plans, would be an above ground fuel storage tank.
Million’s proposal went back and forth between Flagler County’s Technical Review Committee, Planning Board and Commission. The Flagler County Commission initially approved the dry boat storage facility, but that was reversed by a Flagler County judge after the Hammock Community Association appealed it in court.
In February 2025, Million filed a federal lawsuit against Flagler County. The lawsuit argued the county had placed an unfair burden on the property, according to federal court documents.
Million’s filing requested the damages for all “costs, attorneys’ fees, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and that the Court grant such other relief as is appropriate.” The demand is listed as $9,999,000 on the U.S. Federal Judiciary’s case management website.
elected treasurer for nine of those years.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve,” said Lord. “... FEPA provides great collaboration with emergency managers from both public and private sectors throughout the state to share best practices and evolve the emergency management profession.”
Appeal lets church services continue
A Flagler judge had prohibited Coastal Family Church from meeting. An appeals court reversed it.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
A Florida appeals court has sided with a Flagler Beach church that has been under lawsuit since August, allowing the church to meet as the lawsuit continues through the court system.
Coastal Family Church purchased the former Badcock furniture storefront at 2501 Moody Blvd. in the Flagler Square shopping plaza in Flagler Beach in 2025. The previous owner of the unit had purchased the storefront from the property owner association, Flagler Square-JAX, Inc., with a contract that listed restricted uses for the space.
Family Church violated the contract, which prohibits using a unit as a “place of public assembly,” including churches. It also states the use of the space as a church “would overwhelm the available parking at all times.” The lot has 315 available parking spaces for the tenants.
The lawsuit requested the Flagler County court approve an injunction that would prevent Coastal Family Church from holding their services while the lawsuit is ongoing.
On Jan. 25, Flagler County Judge Sandra Upchurch approved the injunction.
was supported by Chief Justice Harvey L. Jay and Justice Adrian G. Soud, with Justice John M. Harris dissenting.
The Liberty Counsel’s motion requesting the reasoning behind the decision called the injunction order a “presumptively unconstitutional prior restraint” to First Amendment activities.
“This Court has done what the First Amendment forbids: it has enjoined a pastor from preaching the Gospel to his congregation and prohibited congregants from gathering to worship,” the motion states. “Court orders that actually forbid speech activities are classic examples of prior restraints.”
Liberty Counsel argued that prior restraints on speech and publication are the “most serious and least tolerable” infringement on First Amendment rights.
Generations of Flagler County families have trusted us to honor special lives in our beautiful, modern facility.
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In 2022, Lord received the FEPA “Gary Arnold Award” for his dedicated, unselfish, and enthusiastic service. Craig Flagler Palms
In August, Flagler SquareJAX filed a lawsuit against the church attempting to enforce the restrictive covenant prohibiting public assembly, according to Flagler County court documents.
Among other issues, the complaint alleges Coastal
Liberty Counsel, the nongovernmental organization representing Coastal Family Church and Pastor Roderick Palmer, filed an emergency motion in Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeals for an immediate stay and reversal of the temporary injunction. Liberty Counsel argued that forcing a house of worship to close triggers a loss of First Amendment rights, according to a Liberty Counsel Facebook post.
On Jan. 30, the appeals court approved Liberty Counsel’s motion. Coastal Family Church was able to resume Sunday services on Feb. 1. The Fifth District’s decision
The Liberty Counsel also argued Upchurch’s order did not address whether or not Flagler Square-JAX could find adequate remedy under the law through monetary damage, and failed to identify the irreparable injury to the plaintiff and whether the injunction was overbroad and not tailored to the case at hand.
Coastal Family Church. Photo by Sierra Williams
The seventh grader correctly spelled “silhouette” in the second round and “welterweight” in
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Sean Adrian Salvacion’s second word at the Flagler County Spelling Bee was probably his hardest.
Salvacion, a seventh grader at Imagine School at Town Center spelled “silhouette” correctly and 11 words in all, plus his practice-round word, to win the Spelling Bee on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Buddy Taylor Middle School cafeteria.
Salvacion is from the Philippines and English is his second language. He took his time spelling words, drawing letters in the air and asking Pronouncer Dr. Chris Stefancik to repeat the words.
“Basically, if there’s suffixes or affixes, I would try to
connect them to the words.
And I tried to air draw just to make sure,” he said.
Salvacion said he’s been preparing for the Spelling Bee since he was knocked out early last year.
“I’ve been excited since last year,” he said.
Salvacion will represent Flagler County at the 82nd annual First Coast Regional Spelling Bee on Feb. 27 in Jacksonville. He said he wasn’t sure on “silhouette.”
“That was kind of hard,” he said. “I had two options for that word. It was either the word I got correct, or the e and u interchanged.”
There were 17 spellers in the bee. After round 5, there were just three left: Salvacion, Indian Trails Middle School sixth grader Sophia Roberto and Buddy Taylor Middle School seventh grader Rose Eberhardinger. Roberto misspelled “pyramid” in round 8 to place third. Eberhardinger misspelled “grandeur” in round 10. Salvacion correctly spelled “ven-
detta” to finish the round. He then had to spell one more word correctly to win the championship. He calmly spelled “welterweight.”
After Flagler Schools Teaching and Learning Specialist Kristin Frank handed him the trophy, he didn’t seem to want to let it go. His father, Andrian Salvacion, said he never saw Sean studying his words. He did all of his studying in school.
“I can focus more in school, especially since I have study hall,” he said. “My teacher recommended that I should use the Two Bee and the Three Bee (word study lists). The One Bee are kind of easy. I tried the Three Bee and it was kind of hard. But I still won, at the end of the day.”
Andrian said he was nervous for his son, especially during his long pauses.
“I was nervous for him, but my son was not nervous,” he said. “It was like how many minutes for that before he can answer, but he just wanted to make sure that he was correct.”
We all make plans: weddings, vacations, retirement. It’s an important part of life. And it makes a difference, especially when it comes to your own final arrangements and memorial services.
Starting the conversation is the first important step, so we’re inviting you to a seminar and free meal! This informal get together will address the topics you and your loved ones should consider in advance, so you can reduce stress, doubt and anxiety in the future.
Take that first step and come to the seminar. There’s no obligation on your part and we are providing a catered meal for every attendee. Be sure to call in advance to make reservations, as seating is limited.
Flagler Schools Spelling Bee participants (from left): Lily Dotson, Pax Zwirn, Layla Verdote, Adalina Petkovsek, Koby Sanchez, Rose Eberhardinger, Torin Crist, Skye Soler, Anabelle Roscoe, Kali McClease, Nyasia Saleem, Cooper Room Brayden Dills, Sophia Roberto, Rilee Room, Eaint Maung and Sean Adrian Salvacion.
Sean Adrian Salvacion holds up his trophy. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rose Eberhardinger, a seventh grader at Buddy Taylor Middle School, placed second.
Sophia Roberto, a sixth grader at Indian Trails Middle School, placed third.
Brrrr! Cold-weather shelters have been open 12 days already in 2026
Community-run coldweather shelters work with their respective counties to provide emergency relief.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Volusia and Flagler counties’ cold weather shelters were in use over the last weekend, as temperatures dropped into the low 20s on Feb. 1.
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature dropped below freezing overnight from Jan. 31 into the early morning hours of Feb. 1. In Daytona Beach at 6:53 a.m., the lowest temperature was recorded as 23 degrees, with a wind chill of 13 degrees. In Palm Coast, temperatures dropped down to 22 degrees by 7:35 a.m. on Feb. 1, with a similar wind chill.
And through the freezing temperatures have passed, cold weather shelters will be operational in both counties for at least one more night, as temperatures are predicted to hit the 30s overnight from Thursday, Feb. 5 into Friday, Feb. 6, according to the National Weather Service.
In Volusia County, cold weather shelters have been open on and off since Jan. 18.
Neither Volusia County nor Flagler County has countyoperated cold weather shelters like they do for emergency shelters in the case of hurricane evacuations. Instead, Volusia County spokesman Clayton Jackson said, Volusia County operates in conjunction with local community organizations and churches when temperatures dip below 40 degrees. Jackson said his job is to publicize the information to reach as many people as possible.
NEWS BRIEFS
2026 Volusia Innovation Challenge applications close
The 2026 Volusia Innovation Challenge, Volusia County’s premier pitch competition for local entrepreneurs, innovators, and small business owners, is underway.
With an application deadline of Jan. 31, the challenge allows participants an opportunity to validate their product or service concepts, receive expert guidance, and compete for cash and in-kind prizes to launch or scale their ventures, a Volusia County press release said.
The grand prize is $10,000 cash at the main competition and innovation showcase on March 25 at the Ocean Center.
“The Volusia Innovation Challenge is more than a competition – it’s a catalyst for entrepreneurs ready to grow,” said Economic Development Director Lou Paris.
“Past participants have raised over $50 million in investment capital, appeared on Fox’s Billion Dollar Idea, and grown companies from zero revenue to seven figures. These journeys all started with submitting an application.”
For more information, contact Economic Development Business Manager Brad Harris at rbharris@volusia.org or 386-248-8048.
Flagler tourism office releases survey for longterm tourism plan
Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches Tourism Development Office is asking for the public’s input on the longterm future of tourism in
“This is all about collaboration,” Jackson said. “There’s a big consortium of us. They’re all in these email threads, making phone calls. ... It’s been very, very, very beneficial.”
Jackson said typically, the lowest temperatures during these cold fronts will hit overnight. But the lowest temperatures during last weekend’s freeze were instead hitting in the early morning hours, right as the cold weather shelters were closing down.
For the first time in at least several years, Jackson said, the county opted to open several regional library locations — including the Daytona Beach Regional Library — earlier to accommodate people who might need shelter from the cold after the shelters close at 8 a.m.
“Because the weather was still blistering cold when those shelters are going to be closing, we try, we just try to step in and say, ‘Hey, we’re offering a warm place to go if you still need to,’” Jackson said.
In an effort to support some of the most vulnerable community members, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said on a Jan. 31 Facebook post that Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies were sent out to check the known locations of camps to see if anyone needed helping finding shelter from the cold.
In an update the following day, Chitwood wrote that the few individuals found in the camps were offered transportation to a shelter.
“Most camps were reported to be empty or very sparsely occupied,” Chitwood said in the Feb. 1 Facebook post. “It appeared most of the individuals had already heeded the warnings and responded to a designated shelter.”
Deputies continued to check in on the camps over the
Flagler County.
The TDO is releasing a digital survey and inviting residents and local business owners to participate. Insights will play an essential role in helping develop a detailed 10-year Tourism Master Sustainability Plan, a TDO press release said. The survey seeks feedback on important topics such as beaches, sports, ecotourism, arts, and history. All responses are anonymous. It is available online at: https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/ FlaglerCountyTourismSurvey
The TDO is partnering with Clarity of Place, an advisory services organization. This plan will guide how the TDO grows and manages tourism in a way that benefits local businesses, supports residents. For questions regarding the survey, call 386-313-4230.
Cold weather shelters
Volusia County: On the east side of the county, cold-weather sheltering is coordinated by Halifax Urban Ministries in partnership with local churches and nonprofit organizations. While HUM does not operate its own cold-weather shelter,
weekend, Chitwood wrote. Flagler County’s Sheltering Tree, under the umbrella of the Flagler County Family Assistance Center, operates the county’s only coldweather shelter. Located at the Rock Transformation Center at 2200 N. State St., in Bunnell, the Sheltering Tree is a non-denominational civic organization created to provide cold weather sheltering during cold nights in Flagler County according to a Flagler County press release.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TOWN OF BEVERLY BEACH, FLORIDA
INITIAL PLANNING AND ZONING REVIEW OF POTENTIAL ZONING AND FUTURE LAND USE MAP
CHANGES TO THE PROPERTIES LOCATED AT 2896, 2912 AND 2916 N OCEANSHORE BOULEVARD., BEVERLY BEACH, FL 32136
The Town Commission of the Town of Beverly Beach Florida sitting as the town s Planning and Zoning Board will conduct a Public Hearing on Thursday February 12, 2026. in the Meeting Hall behind the Town Hall 2735 N Oceanshore Boulevard Beverly Beach Florida 32136 The Commission will review and consider a request by the owner to change the zoning category of the properties from General Commercial (GC) to Planned Unit Development (PUD). You are also hereby advised that any person who desires to appeal a decision made with respect to any matter discussed at such meeting or hearing will need a record of the proceedings and for such purposes may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based, per Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes Verbatim transcripts are not furnished by the Town of Beverly Beach and should one be desired arrangements should be made in advance by the interested party (i e with a court reporter).
All interested parties are invited to participate and submit oral or written comments and recommendations Contact the Town Clerk of Beverly Beach at 386-439-6888 at least 24 hours in advance if you require special accommodations in order to attend and participate in the meeting
James Ardell Town Clerk 7763-334393 Feb 5, 2026
individuals in need of shelter or transportation assistance can contact HUM at 386317-5886.
Flagler County: The Sheltering Tree opened on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and Thursday, Feb. 5. It opens at 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day and can be reached at 386-4373258. The county’s bus will stop at the following times
The Sheltering Tree has seen an average of 28 people per night so far.
The Sheltering Tree will be open Tuesday, Feb. 3, and Thursday, Feb. 5, but will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 4. The shelter is not only for those experiencing homelessness,
and locations to transport people to the shelter:
McDonald’s at Old Kings Road South and State Road 100 at the dirt road on the east side, 4 p.m. Circle K at Kingswood and Old Kings Road, 4:40 p.m.
Dollar Tree behind
but for anyone who is without heat, the press release said.
The shelter has been open a total of 13 nights in January, including the planned Thursday, Feb. 5 opening, and averaging 28 guests per night. according to Flagler County. According to its website,
The Sheltering Tree operates through a series of volunteer teams, made up of individuals, nonprofit organizations and local churches. Flagler County provides free transportation to the Rock Transformation Center for those in need.
Granny Nannies Home Care and the Flagler Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our community of businesses that donated items to fill 250 stockings for our Annual Santa to a Senior event. If interested in participating this year,
100 WORDS (GIVE OR TAKE) EVERY DAY (OR SO)
Idea for a new political party
BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER
I’m a registered Republican, but I think more like a Libertarian in many cases, and I have Democratic tendencies toward caring for the poor.
Maybe I’m a political agnostic because I don’t think it’s possible to fit per-
fectly into any existing party. Here’s my idea: the Party for Peace. We would strive to enact laws that promote peace and harmony. If any of these laws produce unexpected and unintentional consequences — an almost certain outcome — we would reconvene and seek to improve the laws as soon as possible.
WOULD JESUS EAT WITH ICE, OR WITH PROTESTERS?
Jan. 27
My social media feeds have been full of news and commentary about the shooting
of Alex Pretti at the hands of an ICE agent. Some of the commentary has a tone like this: “If you disagree with me on this, unfriend me now.”
That got me thinking: What would Jesus do? Would he align with the ICE agents, or with the protesters?
I think he would be a force of reconciliation, and he would eat a meal with both at the same time. He would try to make peace out of an explosive situation.
Unfortunately, peace doesn’t seem to occur naturally; it has to be made.
That reminds me of a quote
from the late Russell M. Nelson: “If a friend on social media has strong political or social views that violate everything you believe in, an angry, cutting retort by you will not help. Building bridges of understanding will require much more of you, but that is exactly what your friend needs.”
ONE THING
JESUS DIDN’T SAY
Jan. 29
In response to my question about what Jesus would do to resolve the conflict between ICE and the protesters, two people whom I love and respect pointed out that Jesus turned over the money changers’ tables in
the temple, which is evidence that he took action — even action that might be considered violent — to stand up for righteousness.
I have always been puzzled by that story about Jesus, and I have to say that I still don’t understand it, exactly.
But, according to the Bible, Jesus didn’t say, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples: If you turn over the money changers’ tables in the temple.” Instead, he said: “By this shall men know that you are my disciples: If you have love one to another.”
REMOVE SCREWS FIRST
Feb. 1
This weekend, I spent hours watching YouTube
Tort reform is working, and it matters for Volusia County
For years, Floridians were told to accept ever-rising insurance costs as unavoidable. Auto insurance, homeowners insurance, and business liability coverage kept climbing, and everyday families paid the price. In 2023, Florida finally said enough.
With the passage of House Bill 837, Florida took decisive action to rein in lawsuit abuse and restore balance
to a civil justice system that had drifted far from common sense. Early results confirm what many of us believed all along. Tort reform is working. This matters deeply for Volusia County. Our community depends on affordable insurance to keep families in their homes, small businesses open, and jobs growing. When litigation spirals out of control, the costs are not absorbed by faceless corporations. They are passed directly to residents through higher premiums, fewer market choices, and a higher cost of living.
FLORIDA’S LITIGATION REPUTATION COULD NOT BE IGNORED
For decades, Florida carried an unfortunate national reputation as a litigation
hotspot, where excessive lawsuits, inflated medical claims, and billboard trial attorneys thrived. While Florida represents a relatively small share of the nation’s population, it accounted for a disproportionate share of personal injury and insurance lawsuits.
That reputation caused real harm. Insurers scaled back or left the state entirely. Premiums skyrocketed. Businesses hesitated to expand. Families were left wondering why Florida had become so much more expensive than other states.
House Bill 837 confronted that reality directly.
WHAT THE REFORMS DID AND WHY THEY MATTER
The reforms shortened statutes of limitation, curbed excessive attorney fee incen-
tives, required damages to reflect actual medical costs rather than inflated billings, and restored fairness to comparative negligence standards. These changes did not eliminate anyone’s right to sue. They restored accountability and balance.
The results are already becoming visible. Uber has publicly stated that insurance costs declined after Florida’s tort reform, allowing the company to lower prices. This is not theory. These are real savings being felt by real Floridians.
Insurers are stabilizing, lawsuit filings are declining, and confidence in Florida’s market is slowly returning.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY For Volusia County residents, lower insurance costs mean
more than a reduced monthly bill. These reforms also help protect local governments and taxpayers from excessive liability exposure that drives up public costs.
LEADERSHIP THAT DESERVES CREDIT
This progress did not happen by accident. Credit is due to Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Speaker of the House Paul Renner, and our own Sen. Tom Leek, who as appropriations chairman of the Florida House played a critical role in advancing these reforms. They stood strong against powerful billboard trial attorney interests that profit from a broken system, even as those interests worked to preserve a status quo that raised costs for every resident.
videos and trying to fix a bathtub faucet. My biggest struggle was in removing the “cartridge,” something I had never heard of. I pulled as hard as I could, bracing the wall with my foot. Finally, my wife, Hailey, felt sorry enough for me to got involved. She looked up yet another YouTube video, and this time, we discovered that this type of cartridge, made by Pfister, had a plate with four screws that had to be removed first. Once I removed the screws, it took very little effort. It reminded me of the Far Side cartoon of a boy is pushing on a door, under a sign that says “PULL,” at the Midvale School for the Gifted.
THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP
It is important to be clear. Tort reform does not work overnight. The legal system moves slowly by design. Cases filed years ago must still work their way through the courts. Insurance markets take time to recalibrate. Florida’s litigation reputation will not change instantly. That said, the direction is clear. These reforms should be seen as the first step, not the final one. Florida must continue to close remaining loopholes, and defend the progress already made. Reversing course would only lead to higher costs and renewed instability.
Editor’s note: Duncan DeMarsh previously served as the vice chairman of the Volusia County Republican Party and a legislative aide. He is currently deployed with the Florida Army National Guard.
DUNCAN S. DEMARSH
GUEST WRITER
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Why visibility matters for all
Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter to address a concern I feel is very important not only to me, but the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. Yesterday, I was at Dairy Queen with my girlfriend, enjoying our night. We sat at a booth, and a group of people around 16-17 years old, the same age as us, sat in front of us. After a few moments, a boy turned around, and verbally harassed us for being a lesbian couple. This was a painful moment and the first time in this relationship I have faced backlash. It was devastating. I understand these individuals could’ve acted this way because it was something they don’t get or understand, but I feel very strongly that we need to educate people to prevent bullying.
In the last few decades, there has been growing representation of queer people in media, public spaces, and some art we admire. Even though it is more widespread, some environments queer people grow up in are still far from accepting. Some people are taught to hide themselves, which affects self-esteem and mental health. For centuries, people were taught to hide a part of themselves, and those attitudes are still present today.
In an article produced by gaythrive.com, it says “Representation is not just about seeing ourselves reflected in the world; it’s also about recognizing that we are valued and respected members of society.” Visibility helps to defeat stereotypes and also shows young queer people that they are not alone, that their identities are valid, and that they deserve to exist openly without fear.
In of 2021, LGBTQ+ students who reported being bullied, had three times greater odds of attempting suicide. Bullying of LGBTQ+ students was reported in 52% of students enrolled in middle school and high school. Teaching students the importance of empathy, acceptance, and accurate information about LGBTQ+ identities is essential to reducing these numbers. When young people learn early on that differences are
not wrong, but simply part of the human experience, they are far less likely to engage in this kind of behavior. Inclusive education doesn’t just protect queer students — it creates safer, kinder environments for everyone.
LANA BALLOTTI
Ormond Beach
Endorsement for Ormond’s Bright
Dear Editor: Conservative Citizens of Ormond Beach is excited to endorse Jennifer Bright for Ormond Beach Commissioner in Zone 2. Jennifer’s main theme is exactly what we need: “Transparency in Government.”
She also will be a team player who will strongly represent her constituents by standing against higher taxes, continued local out of control spending and overdevelopment.
AL STEWART, JOSEPH OAKES AND PAMELA GREENE
Conservative Citizens of Ormond Beach
Libertarians are for peace
Dear Editor:
In response to the Observer’s “100 words (give or take) every day (or so),” on Sunday regarding idea for a “Party for Peace,” there already is one: the Libertarian Party. This is an excerpt from the Preamble of the Libertarian Party Platform: “We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. Consequently, we defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings.”
After seeing how both Republicans and Democrats elected to government have started and continued the foreign wars of their predecessors, and use government domestically for violence against peaceful people,
Gambaro endorsed for Congress by State Attorney
Brig. Gen. Charles Gambaro, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Florida’s 6th District, announced the endorsement of R.J. Larizza, State Attorney for Florida’s 7th Judicial Circuit.
Larizza, a respected leader in law enforcement who has served the people of Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Putnam counties since 2009, issued the following statement:
“General Gambaro is a
funded by massive deficit spending and more policies infringing on Constitutional rights, I left both major parties for the pro-freedom, pro-peace, pro-fiscal responsibility, pro-civil liberties Libertarian Party.
JOE HANNOUSH
Ormond Beach
Please control your pets
Dear Editor:
For the past few years, we have had our neighbors’ dogs running at us on our property, barking loudly and at times jumping on us. Whether the dogs’ intentions are aggressive or friendly is irrelevant to the fact that we are elderly senior citizens who can be easily knocked to the pavement, which could cause serious and even possibly fatal injuries. A dog’s desire to chase moving things is simply a display of predatory instinct. Many dogs will chase other animals, people, and cars. All of these can lead to dangerous and devastating outcomes. While you may not be able to stop your dog from trying to chase, you can take steps to prevent disaster.
Keep your dog confined or on a leash at all times, train your dog to come when called or have some other system in place to keep your dog on your property. Our neighbors have had several years to do this and have not made the effort to do so and have put
Exception to minimum wage?
State subcommittee voted along party lines to allow interns to waive their rights to the minimum wage.
Republican lawmakers are trying to revive an effort to create an exemption to the state’s voter-approved minimum wage that would apply to workers classified as trainees. The GOP-controlled House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee on Wednesday, Jan. 29, voted 11-6 along party lines to approve a measure (HB 221) that would allow people to waive their rights to the minimum wage if they are in a work-study, internship or pre-apprenticeship program.
Supporters said the state’s minimum wage, which will increase to $15 an hour in September, limits entry-level jobs.
“It cripples an employer’s ability to provide more opportunities for unskilled workers in areas of apprenticeship and education,” bill sponsor Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, said.
When he filed the bill, Chamberlin wrote that the minimum wage “has become a weight on Florida’s economy
and a hindrance to workers seeking to improve their personal finances.”
“Wage controls are always enacted with good intentions but lead to a decrease in opportunities,” Chamberlin wrote. “We must seek alternative options like career development and continued education to ensure workers are receiving the skills needed to compete in today’s economy.”
Democrats derided the proposal as providing businesses with cheap labor.
Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, said the bill isn’t about creating opportunities for people, but “getting corrupt corporations and greedy billionaires richer.”
Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said people are struggling, and $15 an hour, which would total about $31,200 a year, “is not even enough anymore.”
“I understand that there is an ideological opposition to the minimum wage in this body, I get that,” Eskamani said. “But at the end of the day, the free market is not going to always operate in the best interest of the consumer, let alone the best interest of the worker, it operates in the best interest of the profit. And profit doesn’t always keep in consideration worker’s health benefits or safety.”
Rep. Bruce Antone, D-Orlando, said the concept
leader, veteran, warrior, and patriot who has been fighting for what is right in his community and our nation for decades. He is a proven executive that can lead in any environment and situation. He is exactly the kind of leader that Floridians deserve representing them in Congress. I am proud to offer Charlie my full support and endorsement.”
Gambaro responded to the endorsement: “I am deeply honored to have the support of State Attorney R.J. Larizza, a tireless champion for justice and public safety across our region. His leadership has made
us at risk of a serious injury.
CHARLES MICHAEL SITERO
Ormond Beach
State can lead the way for affordable housing
Dear Editor:
By sincerely examining the full costs associated with homeownership and finding sensible ways to ease those burdens, Florida legislators can lead the way in making homeownership more accessible and affordable for families.
In 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Florida became the “nation’s fastestgrowing state for the first time since 1957.” Between 2010 and 2020, Florida welcomed more new residents than nearly any other state. Yet, during this period, many families across the nation have faced rising housing costs and mounting expenses associated with property taxes. Today, for many fami-
our communities safer, and his endorsement reinforces our shared commitment to supporting law enforcement, upholding the rule of law and putting America First. Together, we will work to deliver the strong, conservative representation that Florida’s 6th District deserves.”
Gambaro, a Palm Coast City councilman, combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and the youngest brigadier general in the U.S. Army, is running to bring proven leadership, America First policies and resultsoriented conservatism to Congress.
lies, the dream of owning a home feels increasingly out of reach. Home prices have surged in many communities, and the total costs of ownership — covering property taxes, interest, and closing expenses — have grown significantly.
This hardship is not only felt by first-time homebuyers. Current homeowners also experience pressure, as increasing property taxes and insurance costs raise their monthly bills, and higher upfront costs complicate refinancing or managing changing financial situations.
Many hardworking families — those in our schools, hospitals, small businesses, and service industries — find that affordable housing remains a distant hope.
Florida’s economic health depends on its people. When those who build and sustain our communities cannot afford to live here, everyone suffers.
Addressing these issues will not be easy, but it requires compassionate,
of the bill is good, but it’s not practical today.
“Affordability is just a huge issue across this entire country, and I don’t know that folks can afford to get the experience they might need to get them to a much higher income level,” Antone said.
A 2020 Florida constitutional amendment required gradual increases in the minimum wage. It is $14 an hour and will go to $15 an hour on Sept. 30. For tipped employees, the state’s minimum wage is $10.98 an hour.
Employers in Florida are allowed to pay sub-minimum wages to certain workers, such as people ages 19 and younger during the first 90 days of employment and to students working part-time in vocational training programs.
The bill wouldn’t allow employers to go below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
Rep. Judson Sapp, a Green Cove Springs Republican and the CEO of a railroad construction company, said the bill has more guardrails than he’d have proposed, noting that “if there are no opportunities, companies are going to stop giving it.”
“Not only is it our job to make money as a company, it is also our job to look after our employees, to make a payroll,” Sapp said.
practical strategies to reduce unnecessary costs and remove barriers within the housing system. Together, we can work toward a future where every family has a safe, stable place to call home.
Send letters up to 400 words to jarleene@observerlocalnews.com.
JULIO DAVID SOSA Deltona
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Blue Jeans & Bling Blue Jeans & Bling
OBSERVER STAFF
Blue Jeans and Bling, held on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, raised $10,900 for the 4-H and FFA Youth Scholarship Fund, Flagler County Fair and Youth Show Board President Penny Buckles said. About 155 people attended the fundraiser, which included dinner and dancing, a live auction, silent auction and games — including lassoing a
fake bull.
“We had a lot more people than we normally get and a lot more items for the auction,” Buckles said. “It was an exceptional turnout and a lot of fun.”
All of the proceeds go toward the scholarship fund for high school graduating seniors involved in the 4-H and FFA livestock show and sale April 11-17 at the Flagler County Fair and Youth Show.
About 155 people attended the fundraiser, which included dinner and dancing, a live auction, silent auction and games.
FCSO presents Great Kid Awards for December
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office presented Sheriff Rick Staly’s “Great Kid” Award to three exceptional students at Flagler County schools on Jan. 15. Investigative Services Division Chief Agustin Rodriguez, Youth Services Section Commander Jennifer Nawrocki, and School Resource Unit Sergeant Shane Meehan visited the schools to present the awards alongside school resource deputies and school administrators. The “Great Kid” Awards are presented each month during the school year to three students — one each in the elementary, middle, and high school levels — who respect their peers, help others, work hard in academics and represent themselves and their school well. The recipients are nominated by SRDs and school staff members.
Bodhi Rivers, a second grader at Belle Terre Elementary School, received the elementary school-level award. According to the SRDs and teachers who nominated him, Rivers “is a hardworking, respectful, and caring student that all enjoy being around.”
Elizabeth Hardcastle, a sixth grader at First Baptist Christian Academy, received the middle school-level. According to those who nominated her, she “consistently strives for excellence, setting a high standard of achieve-
ment for her peers. She demonstrates an incredible spirit of kindness and empathy, showing genuine care and concern for others and always supporting her classmates.”
They also noted that Hardcastle took the initiative to start a school newspaper.
Ella Forbes, a sophomore at Matanzas High School, received the high school-level award. According to the SRDs and teachers who nominated her, Forbes “maintains an impressive 4.4 GPA, balancing academic excellence with a wide range of extracurricular
A chef serves food at Blue Jeans and Bling.
Ronald Long separates his silent auction tickets at Blue Jeans and Bling.
Lori Weehunt and Jay Steffen, Flagler Palm Coast High School agricultural education students at Blue Jeans and Bling.
activities. She serves as the goalkeeper for both her high school and club soccer teams. She also participates in flag football, plays the acoustic guitar and contributes to her school community through her active involvement in Student Government Association.
Matanzas High sophomore Ella Forbes
Belle Terre Elementary School second grader Bodhi Rivers receives Sheriff Rick Staly’s “Great Kid” Award for December 2025. Courtesy photos
Michelle Morgan, Rachel Rogers, Nina Guiglotto and Donna McGevna at Blue Jeans and Bling. Photos by Hannah Hodge
Larry Rogers writes on the silent auction tickets at Blue Jeans and Bling.
First Baptist Christian Academy sixth grader Elizabeth Hardcastle receives Sheriff Rick Staly’s “Great Kid” Award for December 2025.
LOCAL EVENTS
THURSDAY, FEB. 5
THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL
When: 5-9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 5 and 6; and 12-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7
Where: Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1014 N. Halifax Ave., Daytona Beach
Details: Attend this festival, presented by Our Lady of Lourdes. Enjoy authentic Italian food including pizza and desserts, live entertainment, a beer garden, games, bounce houses and more. Free admission and parking.
2026 FLAGLERGOP
CANDIDATE FORUM
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast
Details: The Flagler County Republican Executive Committee will conduct this candidate forum focusing on local Republican candidates seeking office in Flagler County and its municipalities. Register at https://www. flaglergop.com/event-detailsregistration/2026-flaglergopcandidate-forum.
Details: Join Flagler Humane Society for a Valentine’sthemed evening. Enjoy a specialty cocktail and mingle with adoptable cats. Free admission but donation are encouraged.
FREE FAMILY ART NIGHT
When: 5:30-7 p.m.
Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: Families can make a fabric Valentine with instructors Linda King and Emma Dennison. Free. All art supplies provided.
FLAGLER BEACH
FIRST FRIDAY
When: 6-9 p.m.
Where: Veterans Park, 105 S. 2nd St., Flagler Beach
Details: Enjoy community, music and vendors. Entertainment will be provided by Anthony Wild.
KARLA BONOFF
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach
Details: Karla Bonoff is a singer/songwriter whose songs have become hits for Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd and Linda Ronstadt. Tickets cost $45-$55. Visit https:// ormondbeachperformingartscenter.csstix.com/.
SATURDAY, FEB. 7
DRAG FOX HUNTING WITH MISTY MORNING HOUNDS
When: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Florida Agricultural Museum, 7900 Old Kings
Road, Palm Coast
Details: Join the Misty Morning Hounds as they track a scent to a big bucket of treats. Anyone with their own horse is welcome to attend. Traditional hunt attire is appreciated, but not necessary. English or Western tack welcome. Costs $75. Gates open at 7 a.m. Hunt starts at 9 a.m. Bring a dish for a potluck. For more information call or text Cheryl at 386-365-6000.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK AND BAKE SALE
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Flagler County Public Library
Details: Browse books and baked goods for sale. Presented by the Flagler County Friends of the Library.
THE CONNECTION
PROJECT: EXPLORING
THE ART OF CONNECTION
OPENING RECEPTION
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Art Spotlight Gallery, 67 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: See this exhibition by the Florida Women’s Arts Association that highlights love, unity, empathy and the power of art to bring people together. The exhibition opens on Feb. 4 and runs through Feb. 28. Free. Will be held during the Granada Grand Festival of the Arts.
Details: Dr. Michael Butler, history professor and chair of humanities at Flagler College, will speak at the American Association of University Women Flagler County’s upcoming meeting in celebration of Black History Month. His talk is titled, “A Lesson From Reconstruction: The Political Consequences ofRewriting History.” Meeting is open to the public. Email aauwflagler1984@gmail.com to register. Seating for non-members is limited to 35 participants. A $5 fee is required to attend the presentation only. Lunch is available for $20.
HOME COMPOSTING
When: 10-11:30 a.m.
Where: Ormond Beach
Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach
Details: Presented by Leslie Nixon, a certified Florida master gardener with the Pawpaw Native Plant Society. This is a Regrow the Loop event. Free.
GRANADA GRAND FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: New Britain Avenue,
FOCUS ON FAITH
The Bible in 1 hour
Father Jose Panthaplamthottiyl, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, wrote about the recent visit of Dr. John Bergsma, of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, in Steubenville, Ohio. Father Jose wrote in the church bulletin: “Over the course of these sessions, many parishioners discovered something deeply reassuring and faith-strengthening:
Ormond Beach
Details: Ormond Beach Main-
Street and the Ormond Beach Arts District are hosting this free arts festival, featuring live art demonstrations, musical performances and hands-on activities for families.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN FLORIDA When: 10-11 a.m.
Where: Palm Coast Community Center
Details: Dr. Michael Butler, on challenging common misconceptions and highlighting Florida’s vital role in the Black freedom struggle. Part of the 2026 Speaker Series, presented by the Palm Coast Historical Society. Free event.
CREEKSIDE FESTIVAL
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 7-8
Where: Princess Place, 2500 Princess Place Road, Palm Coast
Details: Over 80 vendors, a petting zoo, a kid’s zone with bounce houses, pony rides, face painting, a Sheriff vs. Firefighters chili cook-off (noon Saturday) and The Soccer Collies. Tickets cost $10 for adults; kids 12 and under are free.
GOD’S FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH PANTRY FOOD DISTRIBUTION
When: 10-11 a.m.
Where: Parking
for members and $265 for non-members. Register at www.ormondartmuseum.org/ classes-programs.
ANNUAL FOUR CHAPLAINS CEREMONY When: 2-4 p.m. Where: VFW Post 8696, 47 Old Kings Road N., Palm Coast
Details: Honor four chaplains who died during World War II. FIRST SATURDAY ORMOND ART WALK When: 3-7 p.m. Where: 128 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: Join Frame of Mind, Art Spotlight, The Studio by Artist Angel Lowden, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and more on the first Saturday of each month for art openings and art events.
the Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories, but one unified narrative of God’s saving plan, fulfilled in Jesus Christ and made present in the Eucharist.”
In one session, Bergmsa shared his method of how to “get through the Bible in an hour.” “This approach was not about speed, but about clarity,” Father Jose wrote. “By focusing on the covenants God makes with His people throughout salvation history, he helped us see the inner structure and unity of the Bible. What often appears complex or overwhelming suddenly becomes coherent and meaningful.”
Father Jose continued: “Each celebration of the Eucharist allows us to glimpse the destiny toward which all of Scripture is moving.”
Stephenson, Wilcox and Associates
Sponsored by:
SCHOOLS
Buddy Taylor Middle School students step into their future
Businessees and nonprofits, as well as local high school students, helped middle schoolers explore careers.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Buddy Taylor Middle School eighth graders learned about high school diploma-plus offerings and a variety of career paths at the Flagler County Education Foundation Career Expo on Friday, Jan. 30.
BTMS eighth-grade groups rotated through the gym to learn about classroom-to-career programs at Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high schools from high school students who are currently in the programs. Local businesses, governments, law enforcement and nonprofits also participated, showcasing a variety of career opportunities.
Parents also had a chance to learn about the programs that will be be available to their soon-to-be high school freshmen. Imagine School at Town Center eighth-graders also attended the Expo. Indian Trails Middle School had its Career Expo on Jan. 20.
CLASS NOTES
AdventHealth NASCAR Cup Series show car on display at Matanzas, FPC
With the 68th running of the Daytona 500 just around the corner, the AdventHealth No. 43 show car was on display at Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast high schools on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Students got to view the car and ask questions. The public got its chance to see the car at FPC after school hours.
At Matanzas, the school’s Blue Steel band performed. The AdventHealth No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE is driven by Erik Jones in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Blue Steel and the Matanzas Army JROTC will perform at Daytona International Speedway on race day, Feb. 15, prior to the Daytona 500.
Volusia County School Board member
Jamie Haynes earns distinction
The Florida School Boards Association recently recognized Volusia County School Board member Jamie Haynes with the Advanced Certified Board Member distinction.
“This honor is awarded to board members who complete 30 professional development points in a single year, building upon FSBA’s rigorous Certified Board Member program,” Volusia County Schools wrote on its Facebook page. “Congratulations to Ms. Haynes on this well-deserved recognition and her dedication to serving Volusia County Schools and our community.” Haynes represents District 1 on the School Board.
Tomasz Kicinski of Flagler Palm Coast High School’s Culinary Arts program flips a pancake. Photos by Brent Woronoff
Natalie Beaulieu and Madelyn May represented the Matanzas Allied Health program. “It’s really fun and interactive,” Beaulieu said.
Ana Morales, the director of culture for the Flagler County Chick-fil-A restaurants, talks to a Buddy Taylor Middle School student. They can learn culinary, hospitality and management,” Morales said.
PC-F Chamber honors top members
Flagler County winners: David Ayres, Donna McGevna, Lauren Johnston, Denyse Bales-Chubb and Joe Wright.
OBSERVER STAFF
The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce presented its 2026 awards at its annual meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29, at Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa.
The Community Leader of the Year is Flagler Broadcasting President David Ayres. This award recognizes an individual whose vision, leadership and sustained service have made a measurable, positive impact on the community.
The Ambassador of the Year is Donna McGevna, a Chamber volunteer who consistently goes above and beyond to welcome new members, strengthen relationships and elevate the Chamber’s mission.
The Government Partner of
the Year is Palm Coast Assistant City Manager Lauren Johnston. This award recognizes a government agency, department or public official that has demonstrated outstanding collaboration with the Chamber and business community. This honoree reflects the best of publicprivate partnership.
The Member of the Year is AdventHealth, Denyse BalesChubb. The award honors a Chamber member who has demonstrated exceptional involvement, leadership and support throughout the year.
Bales-Chubb is the president and CEO of AdventHealth Palm Coast and market CEO for AdventHealth Flagler and St. Johns.
The Business of the Year is Quantum Electrical Contractors, Joe Wright. This award recognizes a company that demonstrates outstanding business performance, innovation and community impact. This honoree exhibits excellence in customer service, leadership in their industry and a strong commitment to supporting employees and contributing to the region’s economic growth.
Amity Schuyler, the president and CEO of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations was the guest speaker at the annual meeting. Schuyler spoke about creating talent systems to invest in a community’s economic goals.
Chamber Board of Directors
Chair Michael Chiumento said the Chamber’s membership has grown 30% in the last six months. Chiumento said under the leadership and hard work of John Phillips, who was named Chamber president in March, 2025, the Chamber is “a very well-run organization now allowing us to achieve our mission of helping businesses grow.”
Phillips announced that SpringFest is returning to Central Park in Town Center on Saturday, March 7. Booth registration is available at pcfchamber.com by clicking on SpringFest 2026, under Upcoming Events, and then clicking on Register. For more information, call 386-2834884 or email info@pcfchamber.com. Send business news to brent@observerlocalnews. com.
BIZ BUZZ
Holland Financial CEO donates over 800 copies of new book to VCSO
Holland Financial founder and author David Holland presented 852 copies of his book, “Smart Over Heart,” to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 14.
According to a press release, the “Thank the Blue” donation event at the VSO Training Center was held in appreciation for local law enforcement.
“Beyond the symbolic gesture, the donation carried practical significance,” the press release stated. “’Smart Over Heart’ focuses on disciplined decision-making and resilience, principles that closely align with the demands placed on law enforcement professionals. By providing a copy to every member of the agency, the initiative emphasized both appreciation and personal development, highlighting the importance of mental preparedness alongside physical training.”
Kistemaker Law welcomes former summer intern as new law clerk
A new law clerk has joined Kistemaker Business Law Group in Ormond Beach.
Mackenzie Allen, a participant in Kistemaker Business Law Group’s Summer Internship program in 2025 as a law school intern, started working at the firm this January. Allen is a 2026 Juris Doctor candidate at Stetson University College of Law, where she is completing
her business law concentration and will receive Stetson’s Business Law Certificate in conjunction with her juris doctor, according to a press release.
“I am excited to continue with Kistemaker Business Law Group and to help support its business, real estate, and community association practice while I grow into my career,” Allen said. “I truly appreciate this opportunity with Attorney Kistemaker and am looking forward to my new role.”
Born and raised in Florida, Allen graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2019 with a degree in legal studies and a minor in criminal justice. She plans to join Kistemaker Business Law Group as an associate following admission to the Florida Bar.
Allen’s prior experience includes interning with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida and serving in an in-house legal role, where she gained experience in contract analysis and business operations. She is an active
Mackenzie Allen
The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce 2026 award winners: Joe Wright, Denyse Bales-Chubb, David Ayres, Donna McGevna and Lauren Johnston. Photo by Brian McMillan
Holland Financial Founder David Holland and Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood hold copies of Holland’s new book, “Smart Over Heart.” Courtesy photos
Daytona Realtors celebrate upgrades to Holly Hill office
DBAAR has been serving the area for 104 years. ‘Realtors are a huge part of the community,’ CEO said.
SIERRA
WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
The Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors celebrated a complete renovation of its office on Jan. 29.
The DBAAR has been at its 1716 Ridgewood Ave. location in Holly Hill since the 1970s, DBAAR President Mary Smith said. The renovation was “a complete gut job,” she said, and cost over $1 million.
The Realtors association alongside the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce and
the Port Orange/South Daytona Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to celebrate the completion of the work. The project added 1,800 square feet of additional space for a larger classroom and meeting space, and replaced the roof, furnishings, windows, air conditioning and more.
“Top to bottom, we did it all,” Smith said. Smith said she has been a realtor for over 40 years. Now, “in the sunset of her career,” Smith said, she has the time to give back to the organization that has given her so much.
The DBAAR has been serving the Daytona Beach area for 104 years. It’s important, Smith said, that people know how long DBAAR has been around.
“Realtors are a huge part of the community,” Smith said.
“They touch people’s lives in many different ways, not just selling homes.”
Smith said DBAAR offers a multitude of benefits and support to its members, of which it has over 2,000. Those include a Code of Ethics that shows member are held to a higher standard, classes, networking and board functions and other support.
Realtors in DBAAR serve the areas in and around Daytona Beach, with many members participating in other community organizations and nonprofits. Smith said she recently stepped down as the Ormond Beach Historical Society president and the nonprofit Matthew’s Gift, a nonprofit organization offering the gift of hope to children with medical complexities and their families, according to its website.
Though members often participate in their own ways to give back to the community, DBAAR as an organizations supports local initiatives, too, including Adopt a School, which supplies school supplies to kids and the Girls & Boy Club.
Not least among that was being able to offer financial support through DBAAR’s charitable foundation for its members who were impacted by the hurricanes that hit the Daytona Beach area sev-
eral years ago. Smith said the DBAAR is working to build that foundation back up to be able to offer support should another disaster happen.
“We give to a lot of things in the area,” Smith said. “The schools, the churches and our realtor members.”
DBAAR President Mary Smith
The Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors held a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to celebrate its renovated office space. Photos courtesy of Cloud 9 photography, Carla Horne-Clazada
Kelly Moore and DBAAR Board member Phate Mabry
Southern Title’s Ashley Schilling and Dawn Aquino
Cincy Weinberg and Lindsey Lockhart.
Billie Jo Kaler
REAL ESTATE
John
Anderson
Drive home sells for $1.7M
Ahouse on the Halifax River at 3212 John Anderson Drive was the top real estate transaction in Ormond Beach and Ormond-bythe-Sea for the week of Jan. 10-16. The house sold on Jan. 14, for $1,705,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2.5 and has two fireplaces, a pool, an outdoor kitchen, a boat docks, a boat lift and 3,593 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $1,900,000. The house was listed by Jana Tierney, of Culver Realty & Property Management.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Condos
The condo at 1155 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 702, sold on Jan. 15, for $420,000. Built in 1971, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,065 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $358,000.
The condo at 1513 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 7B, sold on Jan. 15, for $410,000. Built in 1985, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,484 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $300,000.
The condo at 915 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 801, sold on Jan. 16, for $960,000. Built in 1972, the condo is a 3/3.5 and has 3,344 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $1,100,000.
ORMOND BEACH
Bradford Park
The townhome at 1122 Bradford Park Drive sold on Jan. 16, for $271,000. Built in
2025, the townhome is a 3/2.5 and has 1,566 square feet.
Breakaway Trails
The house at 4 Creek Bend Way sold on Jan. 16, for $725,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 5/3 and has a fireplace, a pool, a spa and 3,625 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $640,000.
Elrod Estates
The house at 101 Lucky Drive sold on Jan. 16, for $355,000. Built in 1948, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,668 square feet. It last sold in 2000 for $77,000.
Forest Hills
The house at 320 Military Blvd. sold on Jan. 16, for $320,000. Built in 2025, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,320 square feet.
Not in subdivision The house at 31 Lincoln Ave. sold on Jan. 15, for $410,000.
Built in 1895, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool and 1,821 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $290,000.
Ormond Terrace
The house at 93 Rosewood Ave. sold on Jan. 15, for $267,000. Built in 1956, the house is a 2/1 and has 1,251 square feet. It last sold in 2006 for $175,000.
Pineland
The house at 350 Sunset Point Drive sold on Jan. 15, for $368,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,101 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $363,000.
Riviera Manor
The house at 607 Johnson Drive sod on Jan. 13, for $360,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,396 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $310,000.
The Trails
The house at 6 Rocky Creek Trail sold on Jan. 13, for $670,000. Built in 1980, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,803 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $600,000.
Tomoka Oaks
The house at 300 River Bluff Drive sold on Jan. 15, for $560,000. Built in 1980, the house is a 4/4 with two half baths, and has two fireplaces and 3,457 square feet. It last sold in 1995 for $150,000.
ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA
Coquina Key
The house at 3728 Egret Dunes Drive sold on Jan. 14, for $685,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 5/3 and has a pool and 2,090 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $580,000.
Holland
The house at 161 Holland Road sold on Jan. 16, for $192,500. Built in 1959, the house is a 3/1 and has 922 square feet. It last sold in 2025 for $145,500.
Not in subdivision
The house at 2500 John Anderson Drive sold on Jan. 15, for $770,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/3 and
The house at 304 Aquamarine Way sold on Jan. 15, for $725,000, in the Mosaic community. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a spa and 2,526 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $686,900. The house was listed by Patti McKinley, of Realty Pros Assured.
Grande Champion
The house at 1043 Morfontaine St. sold on Jan. 12, for $349,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,828 square feet.
Latitude Margaritaville
The townhome at 443 Good
has a boat dock and 2,594 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $150,000.
The house at 37 Poinsettia Drive sold on Jan. 16, for $280,000. Built in 1956, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,134 square feet. It last sold in 2009 for $100,000.
Life Way sold on Jan. 16, for $412,000. Built in 2021, the townhome is a 3/2 and has 1,563 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $280,900.
Legends Preserve
The house at 3136 Firethorn Circle sold on Jan. 12, for $530,490. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,791 square feet.
Lennar at Preserve at LPGA
The house at 1239 Belle Isle Lane sold on Jan. 15, for $303,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,429 square feet.
The house at 5115 Magnolia Palm Drive sold on Jan. 16, for $347,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,174 square feet.
LPGA
The house at 1207 Champions Drive sold on Jan. 16, for $425,000. Built in 2008, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 2,021 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $257,000.
Mosaic The house at 540 Mosaic Blvd. sold on Jan. 12, for $565,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,263 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $492,100.
ter a record-setting 2024, Daytona Beach’s industrial investment market has retained its momentum, driven by —the highest annual total in over a decade—with
ORMOND BEACH
Sunny Shores
The house at 22 Sunny Shore Drive sold on Jan. 16, for $227,000. Built in 1958, the house is a 2/1 and has 984 square feet. It last sold in 1989 for $53,000.
John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.
The house at 3212 John Anderson Drive sold on Jan. 14, for $1,705,000. Photo courtesy of Culver Realty & Property Management
WEST DAYTONA BEACH
A house in Fairchild Oaks sells for $1.25M
Ahouse at 40 Whitehall Court, in Fairchild Oaks, was the top real estate transaction for Jan. 17-23 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The house sold on Jan. 21, for $1,250,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 4/5.5 and has a pool, a fireplace and 5,104 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $525,000. The house was listed by Mari Parks, of Take Action Properties.
ALEXIS MILLER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
FLAGLER BEACH
Reserve East
A house at 71 Pegasus Road sold on Jan. 22, for $484,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,470 square feet.
PALM COAST
Grand Haven
A house at 12 Augusta Trail sold on Jan. 23, for $520,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 3/2.5 and has 2,342 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $335,000.
A house at 85 Southlake Drive sold on Jan. 23, for $435,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,940 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $77,000.
A house at 7 Marshview Lane sold on Jan. 23, for $550,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,985 square feet. It sold in 2007 for $335,000.
sold on Jan. 23, for $340,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,062 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $168,000.
A house at 9 Winter Haven Court sold on Jan. 23, for $515,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a fireplace and 2,693 square feet.
Sawmill Branch
A house at 3 Golden Oak Way sold on Jan. 23, for $333,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,714 square feet.
A house at 156 Greenwood Drive sold on Jan. 21, for $348,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,799 square feet.
Grand Landings A house at 139 N. Starling Drive sold on Jan. 23, for $400,000. Built in 2017, the house is a 5/3 and has 2,329 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $250,500.
Indian Trails
A house at 86 Bayside Drive sold on Jan. 22, for $360,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a hot tub and 1,657 square feet. It sold in 2024 for $294,900.
Lehigh Woods
A house at 7 Ripton Place sold on Jan. 23, for $372,000. Built in 2008, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,621 square feet. It sold in 2025 for $80,000.
Pine Lakes
A house at 19 Waterford Place sold on Jan. 23, for $435,000. Built in 1994, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a hot tub and 2,093 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $210,000.
A house at 25 Woodlyn Lane
A house at 57 N. Park Circle sold on Jan. 20, for $660,000. Built in 2016, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,130 square feet.
A house at 152 Greenwood Drive sold on Jan. 20, for $346,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,986 square feet.
A house at 20 Summerwood Road N. sold on Jan. 20, for $388,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,115 square feet.
A house at 70 Sawdust Lane sold on Jan. 20, for $333,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,862 square feet.
Seminole Woods
A house at 223 Montgomery Court sold on Jan. 21, for $309,990. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,533 square feet.
Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report
SPORTY FORTY
FPC runner-up at 40th Flagler Rotary; Twilley named Most Outstanding Wrestler.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Flagler Palm Coast junior Trey Twilley not only won the 132-pound championship at the 40th annual Flagler Rotary Invitational, he was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Twilley was FPC’s only champion, but the Bulldogs had eight other wrestlers place among the top five in their weight classes as FPC finished second overall behind tournament champ Oviedo Hagerty in the two-day invitational Jan. 30-31 at FPC’s main gym.
The 40th Rotary had a record 39 teams participate, including Matanzas which placed 19th and Seabreeze, which was 29th. Two other teams had pulled out.
“We had 39 teams, and I don’t think we could have fit any more,” FPC coach David Bossardet said. “I think this is as big as we can go.”
FPC’s other wrestlers who made Saturday after-
noon’s final round of competition were: sophomore Kevin McLean who was the runner-up at 120 pounds; senior Michael Fries (150) and freshman Jacob Hald (106) who placed third; junior Braden Dailey (113), freshman JoJo Foalima (165), senior Doyvonne Leadon (175) and senior Aidan Korth (285) who placed fourth; and junior Gabriel Moy (144) who placed fifth.
Matanzas and Seabreeze each had one wrestler advance to Saturday’s final wrestling round with the two facing each other in the 215-pound fifth-place match. Matanzas junior Jackson Marchman pinned Seabreeze sophomore Zane DePaula to place fifth, with DePaula taking sixth.
SWEET VICTORY FOR TWILLEY
Bossardet said Twilley was chosen as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler because he won the most competitive weight class. After pinning his first two opponents, Twilley beat twotime state qualifier Santiago Carrion of Creekside by an 11-2 major decision in the quarterfinals. Twilley then got a rematch with Brentley Crawley of Hagerty in the semifinals.
40 YEARS OF ROTARY TOURNAMENT
There have been two constants in the 40 years of the Flagler Rotary Invitational — the support of the Rotary Club of Flagler County and the presence of Steve DeAugustino, first as Flagler Palm Coast’s head wrestling coach, then as FPC’s athletic director and now back in the coaching chair as an assistant.
The tournament began in 1987 with eight teams in the school’s 100 gym. The spacious Anderson Athletic Center had not been built yet. Farris McGee, a lawyer and Rotary Club member, got the Rotary involved, DeAugustino said.
“Farris was the driving force. He was just a mover and a shaker kind of guy,” DeAugustine said.
When the new gym opened, the tournament expanded. Teams used to come from as far as New York and New Jersey to compete in the Rotary, DeAugustino said.
“We don’t have any outof-state teams now, but it’s a good regional tournament in Florida,” he said. “It does a lot of good for the sport in the area.”
Thanks to the continued commitment from the Rotary Club and school administration, there’s no end in sight for the Invitational. In 2024 a Flagler Rotary Girls Invitational was added at the beginning of wrestling season. “The Rotary Club has been involved since Day 1,” DeAugustino said. “They’re good people. They pay for the referees and certain things, so we can keep some money for the program.”
“He almost ended up putting me to my back. Once I got to that position, I was like, ‘Oh, crap, I got to move.’ We were tied up and I got my escape. I stayed in good position, and we end up pulling it off. I was stoked.”
Crawley had beaten Twilley by a 4-2 decision at the Class 3A state duals regional final just a week earlier, on Jan. 23. In the Rotary semifinal, it was Twilley this time who won a 4-2 decision. He won another close match in the final, 10-9, against Tocoi Creek’s Immanuel Gibbs.
“I feel amazing. Words can’t express how I’m feeling right now,” said Twilley, who lost in the 126-pound championship final last year at Rotary.
“The semis was a really, really tough kid who we took a loss to eight days ago,” Twilley said. “I didn’t dwell on it. I came into the (wrestling) room this week ready to work. I just started picking up on the little things I needed to do.”
Twilley had never wrestled his final opponent before. Gibbs (29-3) had moved in from Texas, Bossardet said, and they didn’t know too much about him. The match went back and forth with a flurry of points recorded in the final 37 seconds — a takedown by Twilley, a reversal by Gibbs.
“He almost ended up putting me to my back,” Twilley said. “Once I got to that position, I was like, ‘Oh, crap, I got to move.’ We were tied up and I got my escape. I stayed in good position, and we end up pulling it off. I was stoked.”
Twilley, who improved to 29-3 on the season, said he had a slow start this season.
“I didn’t get enough tournaments (over the summer), and I started slowing down,” he said. “My feet got heavy, my head started going down and I started putting my hands on the mat. I wrestle best when I have my hands on somebody and I’m moving. When I’m aggressive, that’s how you know I’m in there.”
Bossardet said Twilley, who placed fourth at state last year, just needed to find his identity again.
“I’ve been telling everybody this since Trey has been in eighth grade: When Trey
Twilley is ready to wrestle, I’ll put him against anybody,” Bossardet said. “And he was ready to wrestle today. So, let’s be ready to wrestle the next four competitions and district, region and state.”
Twilley said he feels ready.
“I’m locked in,” he said. “I’m feeling real good about myself right now.”
BIG DAY FOR MCLEAN, FRIES, HALD McLean (22-3) advanced to the championship round for the second straight year, losing to Nathan Lyttle of Harmony, both times.
McLean also lost to Lyttle in the Class 3A state semifinals last year. Lyttle went on to win the championship with a 49-0 record. Lyttle, who has one loss this season, also wrestled last summer in the U17 World Championships and the Pan American Championships with the Puerto Rico national wrestling team.
“I’ll see him again at state,” McLean said. “He’s the guy to beat. I just got to keep working.”
Fries won six of seven matches. After receiving a bye in round 1, he lost a 6-5 decision to Ry Miller of Jacksonville Cornerstone in round 2. Fries then won five straight matches and met Miller againfor third place, winning an 8-0 major decision.
Hald (27-4) won six of seven matches including three pins and two by technical fall. The freshman dominated the 106-pound third-place match with a 17-2 technical fall win against Deltona’s Javonni Carraturo (23-4).
Matanzas’ Marchman improved to 25-7 after his pin in 27 seconds to place fifth. Still, it was a successful weekend for Seabreeze’s DePaula, who is 26-10 this season.
“Last year, I didn’t compete on the second day here, so I’ve gotten a lot better,” he said. “I’m a sophomore, so I still have time.”
Seabreeze’s top wrestler,
Jayce Gainer, ran his record to 30-5. The senior lost his opening match at 165 pounds and then won three in a row before getting knocked out in the fourth consolation round. Bossardet said as a coach he likes the Rotary because it has a regional tournament feel.
“It gives us a gauge to see where we are and where we need to be three weeks from now,” he said. “It’s a big deal for our program, because it funds our program. It’s a big deal for our kids, because they wrestle in front of their friends and family, and it’s a big deal for our community.”
For the second year in a row, FPC assistant coach T.J. Gillin ran the tournament.
“TJ Gillin is the best tournament director out there,” Bossrdet said. “This tournament doesn’t happen without Coach Gillin. He’s the brains behind the operation. So hats off to him. He ran a great tournament.”
After losing a close decision in the second round, FPC’s Michael Fries (right) won six matches to place third at 150 pounds.
FPC’s Trey Twilley (top) was voted the Most Oustanding Wrestler of the tournament. Photos by Rachel and Abe Mills
FPC sophomore Kevin McLean (right) dominated four opponents to reach the 120-pound championship final.
TREY TWILLEY, Flagler Rotary champ at 132 pounds
Two state titles, possible records along the way, on Nya Williams’ agenda
Williams, four other FPC lifters and one Matanzas lifter qualified for the Class 3A girls state meet.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Flagler Palm Coast junior Nya
Williams heads into the Class 3A girls state weightlifting championships on Feb. 11 as the prohibitive favorite to win two state titles.
Her regional qualifying totals are 25 pounds higher in the traditional competition and 40 pounds higher in the Olympic competition than any of the other qualifiers in her 119-pound weight class. And yet, technically, she didn’t have a great regional meet. Not by her standards. Williams missed her second and third snatch attempts and her third clean-and-jerk attempt.
That’s because she went for a couple of would-be state records.
She jumped 15 pounds in the snatch, attempting a 160-pound lift on her second and third attempts, a weight she has hit before and one that would break the Class 3A record at the state meet.
“We’ve been playing around with a lot of things with her in terms of taking bigger jumps, because she really wants to break the state record in the snatch and the clean and jerk,”
FPC coach Duane Hagstrom said. “But jumping 15 pounds at her low body weight is not really a great idea. So I told her, our number one priority is to win the state championship. If we break the record, we break it. If we don’t, we don’t.
“She’s still a junior, so she’s got next year to come back and destroy those records. Records can always be broken, but they can never take that state title away from her,” Hagstrom said.
In the clean and jerk, Williams attempted 210 pounds after successfully lifting 190 and 200 on her first two attempts. A 210-lift would tie the state record. Williams got the clean and nearly completed the jerk.
“It was a super, solid clean,” she said. “I went for the jerk and locked it out. I just was a little off balanced, but it’ll be there when it counts, of course.”
Williams completed all three of her bench presses with a personal-record 160 pounds on her last lift. She handily won both regional titles with a traditional total of 360 pounds and an Olympic total of 345 pounds. Only one lifter, unlimited champ Alexa Ayala of West Port, had a higher traditional total (375) than the 117.10-pound Williams. Ayala weighed in at 266.10 pounds.
Winning her first state title will be Williams’ priority, she said. State records will come if they’re attainable.
“I am looking for a state record,” Williams said. “But my ultimate goal is to hit my lifts. I don’t go into a meet searching for a PR.”
Williams has been accepted into the USA Weightlifting National Team Program, and will train with the USA Junior National Team this offseason.
“So at nationals in June, hopefully my numbers will be amazing and I’ll hit the B standard, which will qualify me to go to Mexico in October [for the Pan-American Junior Weightlifting Championships],” Williams said. ”I’m super excited.”
STATE QUALIFIERS
The Bulldogs placed second as a team behind Spruce Creek in both competitions at the Region 2-3A meet on Saturday, Jan. 31, at FPC. Creek won the Olympic title with 35 points, with FPC the runnerup with 32 points and Bartram Trail third with 29 points. The Hawks totaled 45 points to win the traditional title,
with the Bulldogs scoring 41 points. Creekside was third with 33 points.
Four other FPC lifters will join Williams at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland for the state championships. Alexcia Lilavois qualified at 101 pounds in Olympic with a 190 total at regional. Aaradhana Moluguri will join Williams at 119 in Olympic with a 240 qualifying total. Lily Ames qualified in both competitions at 139 pounds with a 280 Olympic total and 300 traditional total. And first-year lifter Brianna Long qualified at 169 pounds in traditional with a 305 total.
Matanzas’ Jordyn Crews qualified at 139 pounds in Olympic with a 280 total. Crews matched her cleanand-jerk PR with a 160-pound lift, and then jumped into the arms of a coach to celebrate. She placed second behind 139-pound double-region
champ and state favorite Taylor Bush of Creekside. FPC’s Ames placed second in traditional. Long placed second at 169.
FPC’s Cali Weehunt placed second in both competitions at 154 pounds, but didn’t qualifiy. Her 270-pound Olympic total was just five pounds short of the 275 cutoff. And FPC’s Lynnsie Jones placed second at 183 in traditional with a 295 pound total but needed 305 to qualify.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION…
The tiebreaker in high school weightlifting competitions is body weight. If two lifters tie for a spot with the same total,
the lighter lifter will get the spot. But what if two lifters tie who weighed in at exactly the same weight? That’s what happened at regional in the 110-pound traditional competition.
FPC’s Angelis Rosa and Spruce Creek’s Rylee Fernandez each weighed in before the match at 107.5 pounds. They each totaled 230 in clean and jerk and bench to place second behind Gainesville Buchholz’s Sophia Flesner. The tiebreaker was another weigh-in after the competition. Rosa was heavier by a minuscule amount.
Neither lifter qualified for state with 240 the cutoff. But at the time, neither one knew
LOCAL QUALIFIERS
FLAGLER PALM COAST
Nya Williams, 119 pounds. Traditional (360-pound total. Olympic (340 total)
Brianna Long, 169 pounds. Traditional (305 total)
MATANZAS
Jordyn Crews, 139 pounds. Olympic (280 total)
that.
Both lifters were in a race to cut an ounce or two as the final lifters completed their bench presses.
“I didn’t want her killing herself trying to cut that last couple of ounces, but it could make a difference in qualifying,” Hagstrom said. “So, I told (Rosa), ‘Don’t eat, drink.’ She put on a bunch of clothes, got a Jolly Rancher, spitting in a bottle. It helps with sailva, and they spit and spit, like wrestlers do.”
The reweigh didn’t affect the team standings, though FPC would have been two points closer if the re-weigh went the other way. So, in the end it didn’t matter, but it did provide a little extra drama at the end of the meet.
Matanzas wrestler Cardy Michel wins match vs. a boy on her Senior
The Pirates’ only senior has lost just two matches this season.
Matanzas senior Cardy Michel wasn’t sure if she was going to get a chance to wrestle on her Senior Night. But Palatka had a wrestler in her weight class, and she was able to cap off her night with a win by technical fall.
Michel is the only senior
among all of the Pirates’ boys and girls wrestlers. She was honored before the team’s dual meet with the Panthers on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
“It was super fun,” she said. “I’m excited my whole family and all my friends are here, and my coaches — my favorite people ever. I’m glad everyone came out to support me.”
The Pirates defeated Palatka, 41-30. Michel was one of two Matanzas girls who wrestled in the meet. Ari Maiura pinned her opponent in 15 seconds in the 106-pound match. Michel won the 126-pound match by technical fall in 1:23 over Braxton Malloy, with a 17-1 score ending the match.
“Wrestling guys is fun,” Michel said. “It gives a different experience than the girls, because girls are flexible and boys, they’re just really strong. Winning is always a big rush of adrenaline.”
This was her first match this season against a boy. She has lost just two matches this season, winning four tournaments and placing second at the Let Freedom Ring tourna-
ment at Freedom High School on Dec. 6 and placing third at the Ocoee tournament on Jan. 23.
“She’s been wrestling for four years now. She gets in there, gets after it,” Matanzas coach John White said. “She’s tough, works hard every day, and she got a match on her Senior Night.”
Michel and junior Briana Durry (235 pounds) were both state qualifiers last season.
This year, Michel hopes to qualify again and bring back a bag of goodies.
“I want to be state champ, get a ring and get my bracket,” she said.
The girls’ postseason begins on Feb. 12 with the District 1 tournament at University High School in Orange City.
The Pirates other winners against the Panthers were Aiden Koedam who by pin in 5:48 at 150 pounds, and Jackson Marchman, who won by pin in 1:29 at 215 pounds. Jayme McDannel-Vale, Zayden Stoetzel and Xachary Hesselton won by forfeit.
Night
FPC 119-pounder Aaradhana Moluguri cleans 140 pounds. She was unable to complete the lift, but she placed third in both competitions and qualified for state in Olympic.
FPC’s Nya Williams (center) poses with both of her first-place medals in the 119-pound weight class.
Creekside’s Lily Muirhead (left) placed second in traditional. Photos by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas’ Aiden Koedam (right) pinned Palatka’s Blake Young in 5:48 in the 150-pound match. Photos by Brent Woronoff
The referee raises Cardy Michel’s arm after she defeated Paltaka’s Braxton Malloy by technical fall in 1:23 in the 126-pound match.
FOUR-TIME CHAMPS
Five players scored in double figures for the Bucs in their 76-71 victory over the Sharks.
MICHELE MEYERS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mainland dominated the Five Star Conference boys basketball tournament, finishing with a 76-71 victory over Atlantic on Friday, Jan. 30, at the Vince Carter Athletic Center, for their fourth consecutive conference championship.
“The game was electrifying,” Mainland head coach Joe Giddens said. “Playing in the earlier games — we played Oak Ridge, won by four; we played Evans, won by two. Being in those kinds of games got us ready for this kind of game. I knew ... when we went up 10 or 11 they were going to come back. They just played hard and kept coming back. I just told my guys to keep their composure.”
Five players scored in double digits for the Bucs, who
improved to 21-2 heading into the postseason. Team captain Beegie Gordon led Mainland with 15 points, Jaheem Curry scored 14, Canyon Powers and Kadin Flores each scored 12 points and Kade Manley added 10 points. Davin Jones dished out a team-high nine assists and Powers added eight more assists.
Giddens said the Bucs probably would have won by double digits if his players had made more free throws — they went 24 of 37 from the line — but he said it was understandable after playing four games in five nights. Atlantic also had five players in double figures with Emmanuel Martin scoring a game-high 17 points, Tyler Smith and Mehki Yon scoring 14 points apiece and Chris De La Pena and Caleb Wiggins each scoring 11.
“It was a great game,” Mainland’s Gordon said. “We played a great Atlantic team. I looked forward to the game all season. It was a really good fight throughout the whole game, but me and my team pulled through like every other game. We just think of it as another obstacle to where we’re trying to go.”
TENSIONS RESULT IN TUSSLE
The Bucs opened the Five Star tournament with a 78-41 win against Spruce Creek on Jan. 26. They topped Seabreeze 69-45 in the semifinals on Jan. 27. They beat Sanford Seminole 71-61 in a non-conference game on Jan. 28, and then faced Atlantic in the conference title game on Jan. 30.
Giddens wondered what more he could ask for with five players scoring in double digits and the ability to consistently have a 10-man rotation.
“They just play hard,” he said. “I’m just so happy for them. I’m building good young men and installing life lessons. When the ball stops, they’re going to continue to be young men. They’re going to be fathers. They’re going to have to push through with perseverance. That’s the kind of stuff I teach. If they can learn that, then the basketball stuff becomes easy.”
Mainland will play a District 4-6A semifinal on Feb. 4 at home against the winner of the Lyman-Winter Springs quarterfinal. The Bucs are seeded first in the district and ranked first in the region. They would host the district final on Feb. 7.
“We’re one in our district, in our region,” Giddens said. “But, like I tell my guys, anything can happen, any night, so we’ve got to be ready. We can’t take anybody lightly. When we step across that line, it’s go time.”
Seabreeze (18-7) opens
District 7-5A play at home on Tuesday, Feb. 3, against Deltona. If the Sandcrabs win, they will host a semifinal on Feb. 5.
Emotions ran high as Mainland came back after Atlantic took a first-quarter lead in the Five Star conference final. Players bantered with one another throughout the game before Mainland solidified its win. Talk intensified between the players in the handshake line.
As Atlantic started the trek toward the locker room and Mainland parted for the traditional championship celebration, two players faced off in the middle of the court. Bucs coach Joe Giddens, football coaches, security,
staff and players jumped in to de-escalate the situation. Teams returned to the locker rooms as Mainland’s School Resource Officer Daniel Peralta removed an Atlantic player from the gym. Beegie Gordon was headed to the locker room when the fight ensued.
“It caught me off guard,” he said. “I was just trying to get to the locker room, turned around and saw it. We’re just going to put that in the past. But I like how we all had each other’s backs, even with that. So that just shows that we’re a family at the end of the day, absolutely.”
Mainland’s Jaden “Melo” Parks goes up for a layup as the crowd goes wild at the Five Star Conference championship game against Atlantic on Jan. 30 at the Vince Carter Athletic Center.
Mainland wins the Five Star Conference after beating Atlantic 76-71 in the championship game on Friday, Jan. 30 at the Vince Carter Athletic Center. Photos by Michele Meyers
Mainland’s Davon Jones (right) drives past an Atlantic player during the Five Star Conference championship game.
Mainland’s Canyon Powers (2) grabs an offensive rebound and puts it back up for a basket in the Five Star Conference championship game against Atlantic on Jan. 30.
Athletic commitments
Two Matanzas High School athletes have committed to committed to colleges to play intercollegiate sports next year. Wide receiver Ladarien Baker has committed to play football at St. Thomas University. McKenzie Manhart has committed to play softball at Pensacola State College.
Regional soccer on tap
Flagler Palm Coast’s girls and Seabreeze’s boys soccer teams are all in action, on the road, in FHSAA regional quarterfinal play Feb. 5-6.
Region 1-7A seventh-seed FPC (14-2-5) will play at second seed Creekside (102-3) on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. The Knights defeated the Bulldogs 5-0 in the district championship game on Jan. 27. FPC goalie Natalie Neal, who will play for Daytona State College next year, had 20 saves in the game to give her over 500 saves for her career.
Region 2-5A fifth-seed
Seabreeze girls (9-7-1) will travel to fourth seed Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek (76-1) at 5 p.m. on Feb. 5. The Seabreeze boys (7-8-5), seeded seventh, will travel
to second seed Orlando Innovation (17-2-1) at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6. The winners will play in the regional semifinals on Feb. 11 for girls and Feb. 12 for boys.
Seabreeze lifter qualifies for state
Seabreeze weightlifter
Camila Arellano has qualified for the Class 2A state weightlifting championship Feb. 12 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Arellano had qualified in both the traditional and Olympic competitions in the 129-pound weight class. At regional, she placed third in traditional with a 280-pound total and fourth in Olympic with a 245-pound total.
Palm Coast Open returns
The Palm Coast Open, a USTA Pro Circuit tennis tournament, has returned to the Southern Recreation Center in Palm Coast. The event is sanctioned by the USTA Pro Circuit and the ITF World Tennis Tour.
The men’s main draw began Feb. 2 with the singles championship scheduled for Feb. 8. The women’s main draw is scheduled for Feb. 17-22, with the wild-card tournament scheduled for
Feb. 13-15. Prize money is $15,000 each for the men’s and women’s tournaments.
The Palm Coast Open is supported in part by a grant provided by the Flagler County Tourist Development Council. The event attracts visiting athletes, coaches, officials and spectators, generating hotel stays and supporting local businesses. The event is open to the public. Spectators are advised that morning sessions are typically the busiest. Onsite parking is limited, and attendees are encouraged to carpool.
Croquet tourney at Grand Haven
The Grand Haven Croquet Club is hosting the Loggerhead Golf Croquet Tournament on Feb. 5-8 at Grand Haven Creekside Amenity Center, 2 North Village Parkway, in Palm Coast.
Three Team USA World Golf Croquet competitors are expected to participate. Doubles playoffs are scheduled for Firday afternoon. Singles playoffs are scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
LPGA amateur Daytona Beach 20th anniversary
The LPGA Amateur Golf Association of Daytona Beach celebrated its 20th anniversary on Jan. 25 at the Anderson-Price Memorial Building in Ormond Beach. More than 75 women attended the celebration.
The organization originally began as the Executive Women’s Golf Association and was later absorbed by the LPGA. Over the years, the chapter has grown to more than 170 members.
LPGA Amateur Daytona Beach offers golf tournaments, instructional clinics, social events and
outings, and welcomes women of all skill levels. For more information, visit chapters.lpgaamateurs.com/ home/chapter/FLDB.
Junior golfers compete at Palm Harbor
Palm Harbor Golf Club of Palm Coast hosted the Florida Junior Tour Palm Harbor Open, a Florida State Golf
Association event, on Jan. 24-25. Seventy-four golfers, ages 9-12, competed in the tournament.
. Division winners were Jayden Wei (Boys 11–12) of Lake Mary; Lucas Li (Boys 9–10) of Osprey; Chloe Audrey Chen (Girls 11–12) of Winter Garden; and Jocelynn Ayala (Girls 9–10), of Tampa.
“We’re proud to welcome young athletes and their families to Palm Coast and
grateful for the positive impact these events have on our local economy and community,” Dennis Redican, Palm Coast’s Outdoor Recreation Manager, said in a press release. Palm Harbor will host another FJT tournament for juniors age 13-15 on March 21-22.
Email Brent Woronoff at brent@observerlocalnews. com
More than 75 women attended the LPGA Amateur Golf Association of Daytona Beach’s 20th anniversary celebration on Jan. 25 at the Anderson-Price Building in Ormond Beach. Courtesy photo
Flagler Palm Coast goalie Natalie Neal, with assistant coach Cat Bradley and head coach Pete Hald, got her 500th career save agains Creekside on Jan. 27. Courtesy photo
US Roadshow
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TRIBUTES
Come Join an Amazing Team at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa!
We’re hosting upcoming Job Fairs on: January 26th – 11am – 5pm –Ocean Ballroom February 11th – 11am – 5pm –Surf Room March 11th – 11am – 5pm –Lodge Ocean View Room
We’re looking for passionate individuals, ready to join an exceptional team. Bring your resume, your energy, and your desire to grow with us. Various opportunities are available. Your next career move starts here!
Real Estate
Palm Coast 1/4 and 1/2 Acre Lots For Sale, Low Prices 386437-7058
Yard Sale
St Mark By The Sea Lutheran Church 303 Palm Coast PKWY Annual Bizarre, Bake Sale, & Silent Auction. We Will Be Open Fri 2/13 8:00AM-2:00Pm & 2/14 8:00AM-2:00PM. Women’s Clothing, Household Items, Pictures, Bikes, Desks, & Jewelry. Silent Auction Will Be Going On As Well as Delicious Baked Goods for Sale. Proceeds Benefit Local and County Charities.
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Terri Ann Manchisi (Hamburger)
September 19,1972 - December 28, 2025
Terri Ann Manchisi (Hamburger) of South Daytona,Florida passed away peacefully on December 28, 2025 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Terri was born September 19,1972 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania to Kathleen Zurbuch Hamburger Yedziniak and John Hamburger.
Terri spent much of her youth growing up in Westbrookville, NY.
After moving to Ormond Beach, she graduated from Seabreeze High School, class of 1990.
Terri met the love of her life Joe to whom she married in 2001. Joe and Terri made their home in Eleuthera, Bahamas where they lived for over 25 years.
Throughout her life, she formed lifelong friendships in all the places she lived. She touched so many lives and made an impact wherever she went. Terri had so much passion in everything she did. Whether it was fishing off the coast, cheffing up something spectacular in the kitchen
or utilizing her green thumb in the garden, she did it all with so much love. Her love and kindness was apparent to everyone she met and everything she did. Her smile was like a beacon sending light in every direction.
Terri is survived by her husband Joseph Manchisi, mother Kathleen Zurbuch Hamburger Yedziniak, of South Daytona,Florida, her sister and brother in law Dawn and Howard Dietrich, brother and sister in law Mark and Kathyann Hamburger and her step-mother Genevieve Hamburger all of Ormond Beach, FL and her brother Michael Yedziniak of Fayetteville, NC Niece and nephews Ruby, John Thomas Hamburger,John Michael, and Elya Yedziniak. Terri was predeceased by her father John Hamburger and step father Michael Yedziniak.
Terri is also survived by several Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and friends that are family. Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Terri knows that her family and her friends
Chris Vorndran January 5, 1940 - January 27, 2026
Chris Vorndran died peacefully on Jan. 27,2026, in Palm Coast, Florida. He was born on Jan. 5, 1940 in the Bronx, New York. Raised along Long Island Sound and a lover of all things marine, Chris attended NY State Maritime College at Fort Schuyler. A member of Class of 1961, he became a mechanical engineer. He started his career with Bailey Meter Company in Wickcliffe, Ohio. and was then transferred to St. Louis, Missouri. After two years he was transferred back to New York. After several years with Bailey he joined Combustion Equipment
Associates. It was here that he met two other engineers and together they formed Southern Technologies, Inc. in Longwood, Florida. After 22 years building a successful business, the three men sold STI and Chris retired to Palm Coast to live along the water again. Always active, and wanting a challenge, he was elected Commodore of the Palm Coast Yacht Club, twice. In June of 1959 Chris met the love of his life Ann at Charlies Inn in the Bronx. The day after graduation Chris and Ann got married at St. Benedicts Catholic Church. Together they moved to Wick-
meant everything to her but nothing compared to the
that
Terri’s
caring and loving heart will be missed in this world but felt by all that knew her always. A private family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Terri Manchisi Foundation 345 Collins Street Ormond Beach Fl, 32174
liffe, Ohio to start their life together. They moved about the country, until finally settling in Florida. Along the way there were many hours on the water, horse shows, baseball games and parties. Chris was always ready for a gathering. Their 65 year union created four children, eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. Chris was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He is missed already. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www. craigflaglerpalms.com
