Andrew Koswaski releases a rehabilitated juvenile green sea turtle. Courtesy photo
Suzie Johnston, at the Flagler Beach parade, July 4. Photo by Brian McMillan
Lifeguard survives lightning strike on July 4
JARLEENE
ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Volusia County lifeguard
Damien Curry wasn’t planning to work on the Fourth of July.
But Friday, July 3, was a grueling day on the beach. Lifeguards performed over 200 rescues. Two people — a 60-year-old Daytona Beach man and a 17-year-old boy from Orlando — drowned. Curry spent hours in the surf looking for the deceased teenager, who was found in the morning of July 4.
“It was just an intense day, and I don’t work that much anymore, so I was like, ‘I’ll
NEWS BRIEFS
FCSO: Contractor stole $40K, bought baseball cards with it
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office recently arrested a contractor, saying he stole $40,000 from a Palm Coast couple for home renovations he never completed and spent the money on baseball card purchases instead.
In December 2025, the victims wired $40,000 to Sunshine State Contractor Services LLC, after signing a General Service Agreement to have work done on
see what I can do coming in on the Fourth, and I’ll leave at 3 p.m.,” Curry said. “That was my plan.”
Then he was struck by lightning — and lived to tell the tale.
Curry, a landscaping business owner who is running for Ormond Beach mayor, was working at Al Weeks Sr. North Shore Park in Ormondby-the-Sea when a call came in around the early afternoon
their Palm Coast home. The contract called for the work to be completed within three months. Michael Struhar, 43, of St. Augustine, the company’s owner, showed up once, removed and painted a single wall, and never returned. The victims’ calls and texts went unanswered, and a certified letter demanding a refund was ignored.
The FCSO General Assignment Unit began investigating after the victims reported the incident to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in April. Struhar’s ex-wife told detectives she had been fielding visits from unpaid subcontractors at her home since December and that Struhar had brushed off the certified letter by texting her, “all good, already taken care of.”
requesting aid at the Seminole Avenue beach approach. A blind woman was having issues getting her wheelchair off the beach, so Curry drove down.
As he arrived, a red light alert came over the radio, instructing lifeguards to clear the beach due to lightning.
“I get out of the truck to go around it to the passenger side to clear the backpack and the fins I have sitting in the passenger’s seat, and that’s just when the flash and the bang and the boom and everything happened,” Curry said. “I got hit and I got lifted off my feet.”
He felt the current through the left side of his body, as his left arm had been resting on his truck.
“I was just in shock,” Curry said. “I couldn’t believe what happened. I thought someone died ... I couldn’t believe I was alive.”
Following the lightning strike, Curry was able to help
“This contractor’s version of ‘if you build it, he will come’ was build nothing, take the cash, and buy baseball cards.” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “He painted one wall and called it a day.”
After being taken to jail, Struhar was released on $50,000 bond.
The Flagler Home Builders Association is a local resource for finding licensed builders and contractors and keeps a member directory and a license-verification tool on its website atflaglerhba.com.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation also lets anyone confirm a state license atmyfloridalicense.com.
Before signing anything, the FCSO recommends verifying the license, asking for
others off the beach, including the blind woman whose call he had responded to. When he got into his truck, Curry said he was shaking.
“My heart was racing,” he recalled. “My whole left side was pins and needles, tingling, and pain on the left side. My ears were ringing. I mean, it was like I was in a car crash.”
Curry was evaluated by paramedics and later evaluated at the hospital, where he was released after about six hours.
He said he’s lucky to be alive.
“It’s like being given a second chance,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. You’re never guaranteed another day. It can be all taken away from you so fast, and you can do everything right, and be in the right place and doing the right thing, being a good person, and still God can come and strike you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and calling two or three past customers to ask how the job actually went. Get the full scope of work, payment schedule, start date, and completion date in writing. Reputable contractors do not ask for most of the money up front. A reasonable down payment is fine, but if someone wants the bulk of the contract before any work begins, walk away.
Pay by check or card so the money leaves a paper trail, never in cash, and hold back a final payment until the work is finished and any permits are closed out. Also, get a lien release for each payment made.
The investigation is ongoing. Call 386-313-4911.
JUNE 30
MAKING A SCENE
5:55 p.m. — 200 block of Cypress Trail Drive, Ormond Beach
Making a false report. Police responded to an Ormond Beach home after receiving a call from a suspect claiming he had stabbed his friend to death in self-defense.
The call triggered a response of 11 law enforcement units, two fire units and one EMS unit, according to a police report. Officers established a perimeter and closed access to the residential road.
But when they approached the home, officers came upon an ordinary scene: A 46-yearold Ormond Beach man, cutting his lawn on a riding mower. The man, who was approached by multiple officers in lethal coverage gear, told the officers that, to his knowledge, no one had been stabbed inside his home.
His wife said the same, and after officers informed them of the call, they brought out their 18-year-old son — the alleged stabbing victim — who was unharmed.
Police later confirmed that the call was made on a nonemergency line and determined that this was likely a swatting attempt, which is when a false emergency call is made to trigger a significant law enforcement response. As the family’s 18-year-old son plays video games online, he was advised to take further measures to protect his identity online.
JULY 2
ANGRY OUTBURST
3:43 a.m. — 1500 block of Ormond Crowne Lane, Ormond Beach Criminal mischief. A 21-yearold New Smyrna Beach man was arrested after he shat-
tered the windshield of another man’s car because his ex-girlfriend was at his home.
According to a police report, his ex-girlfriend received a text from him shortly after, which read, “That is what you get.”
When police made contact with the man, his hand was covered in blood. There was also blood on his car’s steering wheel and windshield wiper control lever. The man told police that he monitored his ex’s location and discovered she was at the victim’s home, so he drove there and, “in a moment of anger,” repeatedly stomped on his car’s windshield until it shattered, the report states. He also admitted to the other damages. In total, the victim’s car sustained about $2,600 in damages.
The New Smyrna Beach man was taken to jail.
JULY 3 NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED
4:13 p.m. — Whittle Place area, Palm Coast Battery on a law enforcement officer. A Palm Coast man was arrested after deputies say he attacked two deputies who entered a canal to rescue him after he fled during a welfare check. According to the arrest report, deputies initially located the 47-year-old man lying shirtless in front of Wadsworth Elementary School while attempting to conduct a welfare check. When a deputy approached, the man ran away. Minutes later, deputies responded to a report of a man crawling through a backyard and attempting to climb the side of a home on Whittle Place.
Deputies located the man near a canal, where he ran into what the Sheriff’s Office described as a snake- and alligator-infested canal and refused repeated commands to come out. As he began showing signs of exhaustion, two deputies entered the water to pull him to safety. While deputies attempted to rescue him, the man allegedly struggled, attempted to push one deputy’s head underwater and grabbed another deputy by the neck. Deputies eventually gained control and pulled him safely to shore. He was treated by Flagler County Fire Rescue before being arrested.
JULY 5
SHOPPING TRIP ENDS
BEHIND BARS
6:19 p.m. — Publix, North Ocean Shore Boulevard, Palm Coast DUI. A caller reported an intoxicated man wandering through a Publix parking lot looking for his vehicle. The man refused to perform field sobriety exercises and later refused a breath test follow-
Damien Curry. File photo by Jarleene Almenas
Wait is over
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
It’s official. For the first time in seven years, Flagler Schools has been rated an A district.
“I’m excited for it to be official, and so now we can really share,” Moore said. “Before, we were just sharing based on our predictions, but now, with it being official, I am very excited. I’m excited for us as a district, but I am most proud of our schools.”
Flagler Schools is one of just five districts in the state this year to improve from a B district in 2025 to an A this year. Six Flagler schools have received an A grade, while the other three received a B.
“The last time, we were an A district, we had C schools, but we are not in that place now,” Moore said. “We’re in a district with all A and B schools.”
THREE SCHOOLS
RETAIN ‘A’ STATUS,
THREE MAKE LEAP
Three schools maintained their A grade from a year ago. Indian Trails Middle School received an A for the eighth year in a row, while Old Kings Elementary is an A school for the fifth straight year and Matanzas High School reached an A grade for the third straight year. The streaks do not include the COVID years of 2020 when FDOE canceled spring assessments and 2021 when Flagler was among the 56 of 67 districts that opted out of the grading system.
Three other Flagler schools jumped up to an A, with Buddy Taylor Middle School making the largest gain, from a C school last year to an A school this year. Flagler Palm Coast High School and Belle Terre Elementary School both improved from a B to an A. This was just the third time in FPC’s history that it has
Flagler Schools celebrates its first districtwide A grade in seven years. Three Flagler County schools retained their A grades; three others made the jump to an A school.
received an A grade. Its previous A grades were in 2013 and 2008. Belle Terre had last received an A grade in 2022. “I’m super proud of FPC, Buddy Taylor and Belle Terre for joining Old Kings, Indian Trails and Matanzas as A schools,” Moore said. “And our three schools that remain a B [Bunnell, Wadsworth and Rymfire elementary schools],
FLAGLER SCHOOLS REPORT CARD
District: A
Flagler Palm Coast High School: A
Matanzas High School: A
Buddy Taylor Middle School: A
Indian Trails Middle School: A
Belle Terre Elementary School: A
Bunnell Elementary School: B
Old Kings Elementary School: A
Rymfire Elementary School: B
Wadsworth Elementary School: B
iFlagler Virtual School: I
Imagine School At Town Center: B
District officials have known for a while that Flagler County would be receiving an A grade from the state for the first time since 2019, before the COVID-19 shutdown, but while School Board member Will Furry touted the achievement on the campaign trail, Superintendent LaShakia Moore has taken a more cautious approach. That changed on Wednesday, July 1, when the Florida Department of Education released the 2026 school and district grades.
they are so close that I know next year is quite possible for us to have all A schools.”
The district’s virtual school, iFlagler, received an incomplete grade. It tested 95% of its students, Moore said, which is right on the cusp of having enough testing data. Moore said the district is petitioning the state to give iFlagler a grade.
“If they were to release iFlagler’s grade, it would be an A school also,” Moore said.
The county’s charter school, Imagine School At Town Center, also improved, going from a C school to a B.
The school grading formula is based on as many as 12 components that include students assessment scores in core academic areas — English language arts, math, science and social studies; learning gains; middle school acceleration; graduation rates; and college and career acceleration.
Flagler Schools improved in every academic area.
Last year, the district missed out on an A grade by two percentage points, scoring 62% of the total possible points. This year, the district cleared the A threshold by two percentage points with a 67%.
‘WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO GROW FASTER’
Last year, the district also
“The last three years we have been extremely clear and extremely consistent about what we’re going to be doing and how we’re going to educate students, and these scores [this year] are a reflection of that.”
LASHAKIA MOORE, Flagler Schools superintendent
thought it would reach A status, but the “escalation clause” kept Flagler Schools at a B in 2025, Moore said.
“If a certain percent of districts become an A, the grading scale moves up,” Moore said. “It’s based on the percentage of growth. When you think you’re going to be an A, and then the escalation clause is inserted … we missed it. So, we knew that this year we needed to grow faster, that it didn’t matter what the requirement was, that we were still going to make it, and we did that. And so, I’m super proud of our team.”
Every year, FDOE makes it more difficult for schools and districts to receive an A grade, Moore said.
“The last three years we have been extremely clear and extremely consistent
about what we’re going to be doing and how we’re going to educate students, and these scores [this year] are a reflection of that,” she said.
Buddy Taylor Middle School was able to jump two letter grades, Moore said, based on changes in “the professional learning community” with immediate feedback provided to teachers and policy changes such as limiting restroom breaks during instructional time.
“We said students need to go to the restrooms during class change,” Moore said.
“We were having students losing a lot of time because they were spending time going to the restroom during instructional time, and we said, ‘Hey, parents, join us with this and have a conversation with your child.’ And at
first, parents were like, ‘Is this just going too far?’ We said, we want them to be in class and present for the instruction, and because of it, we see this type of growth.”
The district’s A score could not have been possible without parent and community support, Moore said.
“I’m just proud of all the hard work of our faculty and staff, proud of our students, proud of and thankful for our parents who continue to choose us and support us, and I’m definitely proud and thankful of our community that believes in the work that we’re doing. This is a celebration for the entire district. We are all working to ensure that our students get a great education.”
Email brent@observerlocalnews.com.
Flagler Schools participated with this float in the Rotary Club of Flagler Beach’s parade on July 4. For more parade photos, see Page 1B. Photo by Brian McMillan
Local city and county candidates are divided over property tax reform
Also, School Board candidates seek to stand out from each other, as Aug. 18 primary approaches.
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The Flagler County Association of Realtors, the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of Flagler hosted a political forum on June 30 at the FCAR building in Bunnell. The forum included candidates vying for seats on the Flagler County School Board, the Flagler County Commission and the Palm Coast City Council. All seven School Board candidates participated in the first session, while five of the six commission candidates that will appear on the November ballot took part in session 2, and five of the City Council’s seven candidates participated in the third session. The forum was broadcast live by WNZF 94.9 FM. A panel including FCAR Vice President and Public Policy Chair Eddie Lang, HBA Executive Director Annamaria Long, Chamber of Commerce
President John Phillips and AdventHealth Government Advocacy Manager Josh Goergen rotated questions for the candidates. All of the County Commission and City Council candidates were asked whether they support Florida Amendment 3, which would increase homestead exemptions for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. It would also decrease the cap on how much assessed value non-homestead properties can increase each year and limit how counties and municipalities can spend property tax revenue.
COUNTY COMMISSION
District 1 candidate Theresa Pontieri said she supports the amendment, which will be on the November ballot and would need a 60% vote to be approved. Her opponents, Greg Feldman and Raymond Royer, were on the fence. Feldman initially said he was against the amendment, because “it would make for drastic cuts in our services.” But he later softened his stance. “I like tax cuts as much as the next guy, but I want to see where [county revenue] is going to come from,” he said. Royer said he will support the wishes of the voters, but
when pressed for a specific answer, he said, “Yes, I support it. It’s on the ballot, so I support it.”
District 4 incumbent Leann Pennington and candidate Drew Moss both said they support the amendment. “I absolutely support tax cuts,” Pennington said. “I’m a little concerned about it being a tax shift, but let the voters decide.”
Moss said, “I want to keep your money in your pocket.”
On other issues, Pontieri, who is currently Palm Coast’s vice mayor, suggested the county adopt a strategic action plan to cultivate economic development with clean industry such as aerospace businesses to take advantage of Flagler County’s proximity to the Space Coast. Pontieri also said she would like to see the county cut red tape by reducing administrative processes.
“Businesses need to open as soon as possible,” she said. “We need to be business friendly, to make it easy to open so they can thrive.”
Pennington said the county needs to be more business friendly. She said she is trying to partner with the state to fund water service in the U.S. 1 corridor, which would spur economic development.
Royer said affordability is an issue that should be addressed. Feldman spoke about the need for more fire rescue trucks to handle the burgeoning number of medical calls that Fire Rescue handles. Royer said with increased development, the county also needs three more fire houses. “I’ll go to Tallahassee to try to get more grant money,” he said.
Pennington said road paving is the county’s most pressing need with 130 miles of
dirt roads in need of paving.
“It’s pivotal we up our paving game,” she said, noting better roads would benefit economic development. She also said flood mitigration in the west side of the county and the beach area are pressing infrastructure needs.
Pontieri said Palm Coast has the same issue with road paving, and the city has been able to save money and maintain more roads by microsurfacing. Another priority, Pontieri said, is shoring up dunes. “An unhealthy dune system is bad for the entire county,” she said.
Moss said infrastructure has not kept up with a growing population, and he would like to see development slow down. He also said spending needs to be scrutinized in every county department.
District 1 candidates Pontieri and Feldman will be on the Republican primary ballot on Aug. 18, while Royer, an independent, will be on the November ballot.
District 4 candidates Pennington, Moss and Anna Jones (Jones did not take part in the forum), are all Republicans and will be on the GOP primary ballot. Denise Calderwood, a District 4 write-in candidate, also participated in the forum.
PALM COAST CITY COUNCIL
District 2 City Council candidate Tony Amaral Jr. said he does not support the property tax amendment because the plan is not fully developed yet. Jeani Duarte, the other District 2 candidate who participated in the forum, said she supports the amendment. “I believe in homeowners,” she said.
Jimmy Hengy, the third candidate running for District
2, was absent. Ray Stevens ran unopposed and was therefore elected in District 3.
Three of four District 4 candidates participated. Dylana “Dee” Galery and Ramon Marrero oppose the amendment over concerns about revenue cuts affecting city services. John Kvederis said he supports it. “I’ve watched my own family struggle to live here,” he said. Darlene Shelley did not participate in the forum.
On other issues, Amaral, who has lived in Palm Coast for 43 years, is concerned about future generations. He said it’s important to keep up with infrastructure “before growth gets out of hand.” He said Palm Coast’s westward expansion is the city’s gateway to getting the land it needs to diversify the tax base and provide high paying jobs. “Westward expansion needs to be done correctly,” he said, with industrial sites being pad ready before 50% buildout. Duarte said the city needs to be more business friendly. She said Palm Coast needs to utilize its assets, including rail lines, the beaches and visibility from I-95. She said there is “zero revenue visible” from the highway. Duarte said the city must protect its wetlands from development. She said city salaries are bloated at the top with a previous council approving raises for itself, which were not approved by residents.
Galery said the City Council needs to earn the residents’ trust through transparency and accessibility. She said a focus should be on parks and recreation, which is one of the reasons many people moved to Palm Coast. Her Palm Plan, she said, is a communitydriven road map focused on
responsible growth, stronger infrastructure, economic development and transparency.
Kvederis was asked how the city could create attainable housing. He said the city should look at ways to cap vacation rentals. Kvederis also also talked about focusing on infrastructure, saying improving roads should be prioritized.
Marerro, who was on the city’s most recent Charter Review Committee, said Palm Coast has a lot of challenges that need to be confronted. He said infrastructure and economic growth should be emphasized equally.
SCHOOL BOARD
The School Board candidates answered questions from the panel about school choice, budget decisions, board dysfunction and other topics.
Three School Board seats are up for election, with at least two seats to be decided in the Aug. 18 primary. Former School Board member Jill Woolbright is running against Cathy Moon in District 1. Incumbent Will Furry is running against Rob Wood in District 2. And Ron Long and former board member Trevor Tucker are running against incumbent Christy Chong for the District 4 seat.
Moon, who has a background as a U.S. Postal Service executive, was asked that if budget cuts become necessary, what department or program would she protect first. She said the way she has been trained and been successful in budget crises is to not eliminate anything. “We drive down cost and increase operational efficiency,” by freezing hiring, she said. “If you must make cuts, you make small percentage cuts across
Flagler County School Board District 4 incumbent Christy Chong
Flagler County Commission candidates at the candidate forum at the Flagler County Association of Realtors.
Flagler County School Board District 4 candidate Ron Long
Flagler County School Board District 4 candidate Trevor Tucker. Photos by Brent Woronoff
all departments. We have to preserve the classroom, we have to have our teachers in place, we have to provide the curriculum, so that’s the single most important place to protect.”
Moon said a district measure showing that kindergarten readiness had dipped to 37% of students is a big deal, because most of those students who are not ready never catch up. Having bus transportation for the district’s voluntary prekindergarten program would help increase enrollment in VPK which would improve kindergarten readiness. She said they could try to get a transportation grant to have a test program for VPK bus service to one school.
Woolbright, a former elementary school teacher in Flagler Schools, stressed teacher recruitment and retention as board priorities. “It takes years to become a master teacher,” she said. She suggested incentive bonuses for teachers who stay in the district for five to 10 years. Woolbright said parents know their children best, so the district needs to find out why some families are choosing private or home-school options. She said, generally, students return for high school.
When asked about dysfunction on the board, Woolbright said most board decisions are routine and decided unanimously in the consent agenda. She said during disagreements there needs to be a give and take.
Furry said the district has become a better place to work since the board promoted Superintendent LaShakia Moore three years ago. Her leadership has inspired teachers and staff to do their best, he said. Furry said the current board is not dysfunctional. “We have dissension, but we have one common goal, and off the dais, we all get along,” he said. As for families choosing the voucher program, he
said the district hasn’t seen the exodus that other school districts have. Finding out why parents are choosing other options will show the board the areas that need to be improved, Furry said. Wood said the board needs to prepare for what’s next instead of being reactionary. He said that while the state’s Amendment 3 does not affect school property taxes, the district may still be affected because half of the base salaries for school resource deputies are provided by the county, with Palm Coast also paying for one of the deputies. Wood said he is uniquely qualified to be a School Board member, having spent years in the military as a trainer, teaching GED courses as a federal contractor in a maximum security prison and spending the last 10 years as a senior leader at Western Governors University’s School of Business. In previous candidate forums, Furry noted that he qualified to be on the ballot by gathering voter signatures, while his opponent paid the qualifying fee. Wood, in his closing statement at the FCAR forum, referenced Furry choosing to run for reelection after he ended his run for a Congressional seat. “This is the job I want, not a stepping stone to another role,” Wood said. “This isn’t a soft landing for a failed campaign.”
Chong said the board needs to advocate for more state funding for Individualized Education Programs. When asked what department or program she would protect first if cuts became necessary, she said school safety is important. “The important thing is to make sure we don’t have waste,” she said. Chong said that during her time on the board, she has built relationships in the community. “People can say, ‘I know Christy. I can reach out to her,’” she said.
Tucker noted that during his previous 12 years on the School Board, board members approved Flagler Palm Coast High School’s Fire Academy and Matanzas High’s AICE program. He said his priority is superintendent retention, because every time there is a change in leadership it sets the district back. He said his goal is to keep a superintendent longer than four years to give them a chance to fully develop their programs.
Long said the election is about the district’s budget because the budget has grown while enrollment has remained flat. He said safety and emergency preparedness should be a priority. “The guardian program needs more attention,” he said, “but ideally, more resource officers would be the best thing.”
Flagler Beach and Cox square off
Former fire chief says he was fired without a proper investigation; city says department lost confidence.
RICH CARROLL MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
On Wednesday, July 1, the Flagler Beach Personnel Review Board heard sharply conflicting arguments as attorneys for former Fire Chief Stephen Cox and the City of Flagler Beach debated whether Cox’s May termination was justified and whether the process leading to his dismissal was handled appropriately. The hearing recessed without a final recommendation and is expected to continue at a later date.
Representing Cox, attorney Gary Wilson argued the city’s decision was based on an unsigned, undated letter of no confidence and was made without a meaningful investigation or an opportunity for Cox to respond to the allegations before he was fired. Wilson told the board the case was not about whether City Manager Dale Martin had the authority to terminate an
at-will employee, but whether that authority was exercised fairly and with sufficient evidence. He maintained that Cox, as a public employee, was entitled to procedural due process before suffering damage to his professional reputation. Wilson also questioned the city’s reliance on a noconfidence letter signed by department members, noting that the document itself was not dated or sworn and arguing there was little documentation showing how the city verified its claims.
Wilson further contended that several firefighters who were cited by the city as evidence of turmoil had already planned to leave for reasons unrelated to Cox, including higher-paying jobs or personal circumstances. He also pointed to Cox’s favorable performance evaluation just months before his dismissal, arguing it conflicted with the city’s later characterization of his leadership.
City attorney Jeff Mandel countered that Florida law and the city’s charter gave Martin broad authority to terminate at-will employees when he determined it was in the city’s best interest. He argued that neither the city’s
charter nor its personnel policies guaranteed Cox continued employment or required progressive discipline before termination.
Mandel said the decision followed the resignations of multiple command staff members and a signed letter expressing a loss of confidence in Cox’s leadership. He told board members the city manager faced a choice between retaining the fire chief or preserving the confidence of the department’s leadership team. According to Mandel, the no-confidence letter was supported by signatures from current and former employees, and Martin personally spoke with nearly all of those individuals before making his decision.
During testimony later in the hearing, Martin said he met with six of the seven employees who signed the letter but acknowledged he kept no written notes from those conversations. He also testified that Cox was given time to reflect on the resignations before the final decision was made and was offered the opportunity to resign before being terminated.
The hearing is intended to allow the Personnel Review Board to determine whether Martin’s decision should be upheld and to provide Cox an opportunity to respond publicly to allegations that affected his reputation following his dismissal. The board recessed without reaching a conclusion and will continue hearing testimony before making its recommendation. In addition to Martin, Acting Flagler Beach Fire Chief Jennifer Fiveash also testified during Wednesday’s proceedings. Former Fire Chief Stephen Cox and several other witnesses are expected to testify when the hearing resumes.
Palm Coast City Council District 2 candidate Jeani Duarte
Palm Coast City Council District 2 candidate Tony Amaral
Former Flagler Beach Fire Chief Stephen Cox (right) sits with his attorney, Gary Wilson, during a July 1 Personnel Review Board hearing challenging Cox’s termination. Photo by Rich Carroll
What, exactly, is approved so far, for DC BLOX’s cable landing station?
DC BLOX says larger development concepts are planned, while Palm Coast outlines next steps of review.
RICH CARROLL
MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
DC BLOX is pushing back against what it describes as confusion surrounding its Palm Coast cable landing station project, issuing a public statement intended to distinguish the facility currently under construction from long-term conceptual plans that have fueled debate over large-scale data center development in the city.
The company’s clarification comes after growing public discussion over the size and scope of the project and follows the City of Palm Coast’s launch of a new online information page dedicated to explaining exactly what has — and has not — been approved.
In a statement, DC BLOX said recent public discussions have incorrectly suggested the company has received approval for a massive hyperscale data center campus.
“Only one building has been approved by the City of Palm Coast,” the company said, adding that the approved facility is a cable landing station designed to connect international subsea fiberoptic cables with terrestrial communications networks. The company said references to significantly larger facilities represent long-term planning concepts that would require separate applications and future public review before any additional construction
could occur.
The City of Palm Coast echoed that message on its newly created Cable Landing Station information page.
According to the city, the only project currently approved consists of one 33,760-square-foot building, for which a building permit was issued on April 8, 2026.
The city emphasizes that no hyperscale data center has been approved, no second building has been submitted for review, and no second building has been approved.
The city also explains that while DC BLOX has publicly discussed the possibility of future expansion (during an interview on WNZF’s “Free For All Friday”), any additional development would require separate applications and would be reviewed under the development regulations in effect at the time those applications are submitted.
The approved facility is intended to serve as a cable landing station, connecting international undersea fiberoptic cables that come ashore in Flagler Beach to land-based telecommunications infrastructure.
According to DC BLOX, the Palm Coast facility is expected to support six subsea cable systems, including Google’s Sol transatlantic cable connecting Florida with Bermuda, the Azores and Spain.
The company says the project is expected to be operational during the first quarter of 2027 and will complement its existing cable landing station in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
DC BLOX says the Palm Coast cable landing station and any future expansion could represent more than $100 million in direct investment while supporting expanded broadband infrastructure, additional telecommunications investment and long-term economic development throughout the region. The company also says the project could enable more than $200 million in additional regional fiber network construction.
The city’s information page also addresses several concerns raised by residents during recent public meetings.
Officials state the approved facility is not a hyperscale data center and is substantially smaller than the large artificial intelligence computing campuses often discussed nationally. According to the city, the project is expected to generate relatively little traffic and place minimal demand on public infrastructure.
Palm Coast officials said the online resource will continue to be updated as additional information becomes available and if DC BLOX submits future development applications.
According to DC BLOX, the Palm Coast facility is expected to support six subsea cable systems, including Google’s Sol transatlantic cable connecting Florida with Bermuda, the Azores and Spain.
Palm Coast donates two cityowned lots to Habitat for Humanity
Two fire-damaged residential properties may be used for affordable housing. Palm Coast publishes educational page about westward expansion
RICH CARROLL MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved donating two city-owned residential lots to Flagler Habitat for Humanity during its July 7 business meeting, allowing the nonprofit to build affordable homes on properties that have remained vacant after the original homes were destroyed by fire.
The two parcels were acquired by the city through code enforcement proceedings after the homes were damaged by fire and later abandoned. Community Development Director John Zobler told council members the properties were previously residential lots that had been declared surplus after a prospective buyer was unable to secure financing. The council had already designated the parcels as suitable for affordable housing redevelopment.
Before the vote, Palm Coast City Council District 4 candidate Darlene Shelley urged the council not to donate the land outright, arguing the city should instead sell the lots at a reduced price to generate revenue.
“I don’t think it’s fiscally responsible to be giving away city property,” Shelley said, noting that Palm Coast faces future budget challenges and uncertainty surrounding proposed property tax changes. While praising Habitat for Humanity’s mission, she argued the organization has the financial resources to purchase the properties and suggested any proceeds could be used to fund other community needs.
Palm Coast City Council District 2 candidate Jeani Duarte also opposed the donation, telling the council she agreed with Shelley’s concerns about giving away city-owned property.
Staff explained the city received a request from Flagler Habitat for Humanity to acquire the parcels. Because the lots had already been
The City of Palm Coast has launched a new educational webpage aimed at helping residents better understand the proposed Master Planned Development (MPD) for the Future Planning Area west of U.S. 1 before the proposal enters the public hearing process later this month. The planning board is scheduled to discuss the project on July 15.
In the new online resource, residents can review maps, planning documents, and frequently asked questions. Visit https://www. palmcoast.gov/westwardexpansion.
“Our goal is to make information easy to find, easy to understand, and available to everyone,” Communications and Marketing Director Brittany Kershaw said.
The proposed MPD would establish a longrange planning framework for approximately 20,000 acres west of U.S. 1, creating the blueprint for how the area could develop over the coming decades. While the plan does not approve individual neighborhoods
identified by the council for affordable housing, staff determined the donation was appropriate and noted Habitat for Humanity would cover all closing costs.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri defended the proposal, explaining that state law requires local governments to periodically identify surplus property that can be used for affordable housing. She emphasized the city is donating only two residential lots that came into city ownership through code enforcement rather than through taxpayer purchase.
“I actually think that this is something small that we can do without spending taxpayer
or construction projects, it establishes the overall vision for future residential, commercial, industrial and recreational development, as well as transportation and infrastructure improvements. The proposal has the potential to eventually include approximately 22,000 homes along with employment centers, schools, parks and commercial development over an estimated 30-year buildout.
Community Development Director John Zobler said: “We encourage residents to review the available information, attend the public meetings, and share their comments as the proposal moves through the City’s public review process.”
The first public hearing on the proposed Master Planned Development is scheduled for the Planning and Land Development Regulation Board on Tuesday, July 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Jon Netts Community Wing at Palm Coast City Hall. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel. Following the Planning Board’s recommendation, the proposal is expected to move to the Palm Coast City Council for additional public hearings later this summer before any final decisions are made.
dollars to help with what is an affordable housing crisis in the state of Florida,” Pontieri said. She also noted that leaving the lots vacant requires the city to continue paying for maintenance, while Habitat for Humanity will return the properties to productive use by building homes for local families.
Council member Dave Sullivan agreed.
“I think in the long run it’ll be positive for the city,” Sullivan said, adding that future homeowners will contribute to the community and tax base. Email rich@observerlocal news.com.
Concept rendering of the proposed DC BLOX cable landing station in Palm Coast from the company’s
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Why we skipped the fireworks
BRIAN MCMILLAN
PUBLISHER
We had a family talk. Who wants to go to see the fire-
works at the airport? One by one the children expressed reluctance to go out and stand in the heat, among the bugs, the loud noises, the crowds. Wouldn’t it be more fun to stay home and watch a movie? they asked. I am the ultimate party pooper, but I always feel a sense of obligation to attend community events like a fireworks display. Am I failing
my children by not forcing them to go?
I went alone to the festivities at the Flagler Executive Airport and took photos, representing the Observer, saying hello to many familiar faces, and I enjoyed being in the same place as many other patriotic neighbors.
But I left before the fireworks, because I wanted to spend the evening at home
MY VIEW MIKE NORRIS, MAYOR OF PALM COAST
with a miniature party with sparklers in the backyard instead. As I arrived in my neighborhood, I noticed that many of my neighbors were also out in their driveways or walking on the street, some setting off illegal fireworks in that alternative Palm Coast tradition, which is probably worth its own essay another time.
It occurred to me that only a tiny percentage of the community actually shows up for the community events, such as the fireworks show at the
airport. And maybe that’s OK. America is built on individual families just as much as it is built on a grand sense of nationhood or community. In the backyard, we lit dozens of sparklers, and there were many laughs, and much smoke, giving me a sore throat, and the sparklers, though small compared with the fireworks shows I have seen in the past, still symbolized for me the bombs bursting in air, the freedoms that we all enjoy, in our own way
The road to westward expansion and 22,000 more houses
“How did we get here?”
That’s the first question Rayonier/Raydient asks in its PowerPoint for the Master Plan Development preapplication meeting. Here’s what has truly taken place since late 2022. We’re here because of poor leadership, greed, and a desire by some to build a legacy. It started in October 2022. The previous City Council decided to rewrite Palm Coast’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan, 13 years before it was due to expire in 2035. Ask yourself why. It’s simple: They had to rewrite the plan to maximize houses per acre on the west side of the city and release developers from commitments they made years ago. Those commitments were in the form of two developments of regional impact, or DRIs. In the DRIs, developers agreed to build a loop road and a sports facility; I think the legal jargon used in the DRIs is “make happen or
cause to happen.” Those DRIs don’t expire until 2036, a year after the 2035 Comprehensive Plan expiration date. By rewriting the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code to match, the city could allow the developers to abandon those terms. Note: There’s no precedent in the Florida Statutes for not allowing abandonment of a DRI and replacing it with a Master Planned Development (MPD). The follow-on is annexing the “doughnut hole,” unincorporated land west of the city owned by Rayonier/ Raydient. Combined, these moves let developers jump from 12,000 entitled houses to 22,000 houses. That’s 10,000 more homes, approximately 20,000 more cars, and 10,000 more water bills than originally entitled in the two DRIs.
From 2022 to 2024, as part of their legislative priorities, the council lobbied Tallahassee for $126 million in taxpayer funds for the loop road. On Nov. 14, 2023, then-Utilities Director Steve Flanagan briefed the council on urgent needs for water system repairs and upgrades. Rather than shift lobbying efforts to fix the water infrastructure we already have, they pressed on for road money. They kicked that can down the road for this current council. My guess: They
didn’t want to raise utility rates in campaign season.
During the 2024 state legislative session, which was the last year of the previous council’s tenure, the city received $82 million of the total $126 million in state funding for the loop road. When the previous council finally realized water impact fees needed to increase, only the mayor at the time voted no. That vote was held on February 20, 2024. I fought to stop the Comprehensive Plan amendment approval, because I saw this coming. I said it at the podium as a candidate and from the dias as the mayor: Developers will use your Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code to get what they want. I specifically took the step of asking the council to completely table amending the Comprehensive Plan until a date uncertain, meaning leave it alone and wait until the after the deadline of the two things holding the developers accountable, which were the 2035 Comprehensive Plan’s expiration date of 2035 and the DRI’s expiration date of 2036.
Now Rayonier/Raydient is here, PowerPoint ready, asking “How did we get here?” We got here because the last council changed the rules to benefit developers instead of residents.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Woolbright’s ‘satanic warfare’ comments still concerning
Now the push is to approve Rayonier/Raydient’s MPD, and annex what is essentially swamp land before the current council term ends in November. Two appointed officials will have a say in that vote. One took a campaign contribution from a direct representative of the developer. It’s legal by Florida standards, but it ought to be a concern for residents. Staff and the city manager know the city isn’t ready. They’re on version five of Rayonier/Raydient’s plan. I personally refuse to support both it and the annexation. There’s a reason Rayonier/ Raydient didn’t annex the “doughnut hole” years ago: It’s swamp land, and they had no use for it. Palm Coast residents do have a use for that land. Our wells run parallel to the East Coast Railroad, which bisects Rayonier/ Raydient’s property. Those swamp lands recharge our aquifers and feed the headwaters of Pringle Branch. That area is a vital natural resource that can’t be replaced with retention ponds. Technically, that land was designated by the State Department of Environmental Protection as “lands worthy of protection” for water resources, wildlife, and aquifer recharging.
We don’t have, nor will we have, the water capacity to support 22,000 addi-
tional equivalent residential units. Even with the water utility capital bond and the improvements that are coming with that commitment, it’s estimated that those additional 22,000 units will require, at minimum, 5 million more gallons per day. Our consumptive use permit (CUP) allows 11.9 million gallons per day at this time, and we are currently producing around 9.3 million gallons per day on average. Not to mention the remaining units that have already been approved in Palm Coast proper, which was estimated at 19,000 units just a year ago. So, the city of Palm Coast will have to increase its consumptive use permit and water production up to approximately 20 million gallons per day to sustain those housing units.
I have no intent to make current residents pay for more development.
Economy of scale says more users should mean lower prices. That hasn’t been Palm Coast’s reality. Our rates and service fees have increased dramatically to the breaking point we are at now. We, the residents of Palm Coast, have learned the hard lesson that development does not pay for itself.
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Lobby your representatives to “Just say no!” We have every right to refuse approval if a project will put undue financial burden on our community.
Mike Norris was elected as the mayor of Palm Coast in 2024 and is a retired Army captain.
Editor’s note: For other perpectives on the westward expansion, see the Observer’s interviews with Dave Sullivan and Charles Gambaro. Also, visit the city’s new website: https://www.palmcoast.gov/ westward-expansion.
Palm Coast deserves leaders who fix water lines before building loop roads, not leaders who bow to developers and special interests. The current council inherited this mess. Voters need to know how we got here and how we can stop it from going any further.
Woolbright’s unsettling ideology puts into question her fitness for the board and instills doubt that she respects and will abide by the church/state legal guardrails that are rightfully intended to keep public schools secular. In a diverse society, keeping public school governance religion neutral should be fundamental. Woolbright was unable to recognize that in 2022, was a polarizing and controversial figure then, with no guarantee that would change if reelected in 2026.
MARGARET MINUTAGLIO Palm Coast
The Observer invited School Board candidate Jill Woolbright to write a response to the above letter. See below.
In classroom or on School Board, I put students first
Dear Editor: As this campaign moves forward, I expected there would be attempts to mischaracterize both my faith and my record. I respect that people will have different opinions, but I believe the voters of Flagler County deserve the truth.
For 28 years, I had the privilege of teaching Flagler
Dear Editor: Jill Woolbright is once again a District 1 School Board candidate. We remember her, and her various controversies and polarizing rhetoric when she had a seat on the Board from 2020 up until her defeat in 2022. She is running again to fill that now vacated board position. There was one polarizing controversy that stood out and it alone suggests a problematic candidate. While campaigning at local churches during her 2022 pre-election push Woolbright proclaimed that she was placed by God on the School Board, and was engaged in “satanic warfare”and a battle against “evil spirits” she believed had infiltrated the school district that included her fellow board members. She wanted a “God-fearing majority” and no “satanic opposition”. That rhetoric shocked Board members at the time. Woolbright came off as extremist and divisive rather than a collaborative board member whose focus should have been on the important and purely secular core public educational metrics. She instead seemed to view her role on the board as a religious cosmic struggle between good and evil. Jill Woolbright seems to have drifted into the realm of Christian nationalism that has unfortunately entered Florida politics. And we surely don’t want, or should ever consider, someone on our School Board who actually believed her school district colleagues were colluding with and were agents of Satan.
County’s children before serving on the Flagler County School Board. I remain the only candidate in this race who has served both in a Flagler County classroom and on the Flagler County School Board. That experience gives me a unique understanding of what happens in our schools, both in the classroom and in the board room.
My life’s work has never been about politics. It has been about children.
My faith is an important part of who I am. It guides me to serve with integrity, compassion, humility, and courage. It teaches me to love my neighbor, seek wisdom, and treat every person with dignity and respect. While my faith shapes my values, my responsibility as an elected official is to faithfully represent every student, every family, and every employee in our school district. That is exactly what I have done throughout my career. During my time on the School Board, I was willing to ask difficult questions and stand up for parents and students, even when those positions were unpopular. I advocated for greater parental transparency, stronger parental rights, student safety, academic excellence, and accountability in our schools. I supported reopening our schools for in-person learning, strengthening campus safety, selecting a new superintendent, improving district leadership, supporting free meals for students, and ensuring taxpayer dollars were spent responsibly.
Many of the very issues that were criticized at the time have since been reflected in Florida law and statewide education policy. Parents now have greater rights. Transparency has become the expectation, not the exception. Schools across Florida have adopted policies that mirror many of the principles I supported while serving on the board. Leadership is not about following the crowd. Sometimes it means having the courage to stand for what is right before it becomes popular.
Not everyone agreed with every decision I made, and I respect that. Healthy disagreement is part of public service. What should never be part of public discourse is attempting to discredit someone because of sincerely held religious beliefs. Our nation was founded on the freedom to practice one’s faith, and I have always respected both that freedom and my constitutional responsibility to serve everyone fairly.
This election should not be about political labels or recycled attacks from four years ago. It should be about the future of our schools. It should be about raising student achievement, supporting our teachers, maintaining safe campuses, respecting parents, and preparing every child for success.
I have spent nearly three decades serving the children and families of Flagler County. My record is one of service, leadership, and putting students first. I trust the voters to judge me by that record, not by distorted characterizations or political rhetoric.
The best measure of a leader is not whether every decision is popular at the moment, but whether those decisions stand the test of time. I believe my record speaks for itself. I stood for parents before it was popular. I stood for transparency before it became state policy. I stood for protecting children when it invited criticism. I have never been afraid to lead, and I will never stop putting students first.
JILL WOOLBRIGHT Candidate for Flagler County School Board, District 1
Breaking fireworks law is not a show of patriotism
Dear Editor:
Once again many of us were disheartened with our neighbors’ blatant disregard for Palm Coast’s law against the use of fireworks.
We were likewise disheartened with the callous disregard for the well-being of others, their pets, wildlife and the environment. What we witnessed on July 4th, and have to continually endure each year, was not a display of patriotism. It was self-centered disrespect.
The lawbreakers thumbed their noses at the rule of law, a core pillar of democracy, and they dissed their neighbors with their uncaring and perverse fascination with relentless window-rattling explosions.
The freedom theme of 1776 is not an entitlement to be a lawbreaking nuisance and a disrupter of the peace, and disregard the safety of others for purely personal self-
indulgent entertainment. That kind of thoughtless behavior does not constitute patriotism at all.
ED GARDNER Palm Coast
Time for government to stop fleecing homeowners
Dear Editor: I read the article by Chad Raymond (July 2) regarding, “Forcing a tax correction doesn’t destroy a city,” and I think he made some very excellent points.
I’d like to amplify one point he alluded to, and that is property taxes are taxation on an unrealized gain. It’s not actually a gain at all until one sells their property. If any government were to want to tax an investment portfolio that had increased in value, people would go crazy. But here we are paying taxes for a property value that exceeds what we initially paid. And when those values decrease as they have in the past, the government gets to continue the taxation at that rate. It’s time for government to stop fleecing homeowners and learn to live within its means.
STEVE DANSON Palm Coast
Send letters to brent@ observerlocalnews.com. Include first and last name, as well as city of residence. Editor may alter the letter for clarity and/or length.
MIKE NORRIS GUEST WRITER
JANIE RUDDY,
COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER
Flagler earned an ‘A.’ Now what? Let’s talk bullying, A.I., money.
RICH CARROLL MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
Flagler County School Board member Janie Ruddy recently joined Observer Now to discuss Flagler Schools’ return to an A district, the financial challenges facing public education, school choice vouchers, artificial intelligence in the classroom, school safety, bullying and her message to the Class of 2026. What follows is a transcript edited for length and clarity.
For the first time since 2019, Flagler County Schools has earned an A rating. Explain the significance of that accomplishment.
Beyond proud. I’m proud of the students who worked incredibly hard and took these assessments seriously. I’m proud of the teachers, the support staff, the bus drivers who set the tone every morning, the school counselors helping students reach graduation, our district leadership and Superintendent LaShakia Moore, who has done an outstanding job establishing a clear vision that every student can succeed.
An A rating isn’t simply based on one test score. It measures academic growth, proficiency, graduation rates and several other performance indicators established by the state. Every year those benchmarks change depending on how districts perform statewide. This year we needed approximately 67% of our students to meet the required growth goals across multiple categories.
Last year we were very close. This year Superintendent Moore challenged every school, every teacher and every student to improve by just one or two points
in their individual areas.
When everyone commits to improving a little, the district improves a lot. That’s exactly what happened.
We’re now one of only about 34 districts in Florida to earn an A rating this year, and that’s something our entire community should celebrate.
At the same time, I don’t want us measuring ourselves only by Florida’s standards.
My commitment as a School Board member is making sure our students can compete nationally. Families move. Students leave Florida for college or careers. We want them prepared no matter where life takes them.
It’s been quite a journey since the district last earned an A. COVID disrupted education, and the district also experienced leadership changes. Talk about that road back.
One advantage Florida had was that teachers had already begun incorporating technology into instruction and using those platforms to communicate with parents. That allowed us to transition more effectively than many other states.
Here in Flagler County,
residents also continued supporting the half-cent sales tax. Those dollars allowed us to invest heavily in classroom technology and educational technology coaches who help teachers integrate technology into instruction instead of simply putting devices in front of students.
That’s an important distinction. Technology should improve learning, not replace it. I think we’ve done a very good job using those resources wisely.
How would you assess the Flagler County School District’s current financial outlook?
We’re still digesting the newly adopted budget because every legislative session seems to bring new requirements that school districts must implement while funding continues getting tighter.
For example, guidance counselors now have more clearly defined responsibilities, which I actually support because I want counselors spending more time counseling students. At the same time, districts are being required to promote virtual school options even though
students enrolled in virtual education don’t generate the same funding as students attending traditional classrooms.
Those are additional responsibilities without additional revenue.
The bigger picture is that school funding simply hasn’t kept pace with inflation.
If cuts become necessary, what areas should be protected?
I’d first evaluate which decisions would have the least impact on student learning.
For example, we might look at gradually reintroducing meal costs rather than continuing universal free breakfast and lunch exactly as they’ve existed since COVID. Those federal dollars have largely disappeared.
We could slow the pace of replacing classroom equipment or modernizing technology.
School choice and vouchers continue generating debate across Florida. What is your perspective?
First, I absolutely believe in school choice.
Growing up, I saw schools that struggled, and I don’t believe any child should be trapped in a failing school because of where they live.
Years ago, school choice largely meant allowing students to attend higherperforming public schools within their district. I fully support that concept.
Where I have concerns is when taxpayer dollars fund private education without the same accountability standards required of public schools.
Students still need critical thinking. In fact, I would argue they’ll need even stronger analytical skills because AI only works well when someone understands how to ask thoughtful questions, evaluate responses and determine whether those responses are actually correct.
When I use AI professionally, I’m constantly analyzing, synthesizing and refining prompts to produce better results.
That’s not cheating. It’s using technology as a productivity tool.
The students who struggle most with AI won’t necessarily be those without technical skills. They’ll be students who haven’t developed those higher-order thinking abilities.
One of the topics that has generated discussion recently is the Guardian program. School safety remains a top priority for parents. What are your thoughts on the program?
School safety always has to come first because students can’t learn unless they feel safe. That’s really the foundation of everything we do.
I think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Before students can focus on academics, they need to know they’re in a safe environment.
Earlier this year, the district began piloting weapons detection systems, and those technologies have advanced tremendously because of artificial intelligence. They’re much more sophisticated than what people may imagine.
always from the perspective of children.
One improvement we’ve made is better documentation and reporting. Even if the first incident doesn’t ultimately meet every legal requirement to be classified as bullying, it’s now documented more effectively and reported through the state’s tracking system.
That’s important because bullying is often a repeated pattern of behavior rather than one isolated incident.
By documenting concerns early, administrators are better able to recognize those patterns and intervene before situations become more serious.
Not every disagreement between students is bullying. At the same time, every report deserves to be taken seriously because every child deserves to feel safe at school.
One thing I often think about is how much children learn from the adults around them. They watch how adults behave on social media. They watch how adults speak to one another. They watch political discourse. If kindness and respect aren’t consistently modeled by adults, it’s unrealistic to expect children to naturally demonstrate those qualities themselves.
I will say something that gives me hope.
I have three children who attended Flagler Schools. Like every family, they experienced challenges growing up. But what I’ve noticed compared to when I was in school is how much more accepting today’s students often are.
Public schools operate with extensive financial transparency. We answer to taxpayers. We follow procurement laws. We operate under open government requirements.
Private schools receiving taxpayer dollars should have similar accountability.
My second concern is how the voucher program has been administered.
Florida created the Step Up organization to manage much of the voucher process, but there continue to be situations where funding doesn’t properly follow students who move between homeschooling, private schools and public schools.
A student may return to public school while funding remains elsewhere, leaving districts educating that child without receiving the appropriate dollars.
The Legislature had opportunities to improve that tracking this year. While there were some additional transparency measures, I don’t believe the larger issue was adequately addressed.
People often treat vouchers as a political issue, but I don’t think it has to be.
You can absolutely support school choice while also insisting taxpayer money is tracked responsibly and spent appropriately.
Those two positions are not mutually exclusive.
How should schools embrace AI while preventing students from becoming overly dependent on it? I actually love talking about AI.
My husband, my daughters and I debate it all the time. In my professional career outside the School Board, I use AI regularly. I’ve also served on the Florida School Boards Association committee examining AI policy, so it’s something I’ve spent a lot of time studying.
When the internet first became mainstream, people thought students would stop learning because information was instantly available. Instead, education evolved. AI represents another evolution.
Personally, I believe no one is better equipped to protect our students than professionally trained deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
If someone asked me whether I’d rather rely on a sheriff’s deputy or a private security guard during an emergency, I know my answer.
I would choose the deputy every time.
For that same reason, I don’t support arming volunteers or classroom teachers.
Since the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, our strategy has focused on preventing weapons from entering school campuses in the first place.
I’d rather continue investing in prevention.
One area that excites me is artificial intelligence being integrated into existing security camera systems. Some of these programs can recognize the shape, density and characteristics of potential weapons almost instantly.
I watched one demonstration where I couldn’t even identify the object myself because the video quality wasn’t great, yet the AI recognized it immediately.
Bullying remains one of the concerns parents raise most often. Do you believe the district’s current policies are effective?
We actually made significant changes to our bullying policies this past year.
Every year the School Board reviews both the district policy manual and the student code of conduct.
One area I really wanted us to examine was the legal definition of bullying.
Previously, one of the required elements involved establishing that one student held power over another student.
I struggled with that concept.
When you’re talking about two seventh graders, for example, what exactly defines one child as having power over another? That definition made sense from an adult perspective, but not
When I was growing up, students worried about wearing the right brands or fitting into certain social groups. Today I see students accepting classmates who are different from them in ways that simply weren’t common years ago.
I think today’s students often demonstrate tremendous empathy. That doesn’t mean bullying doesn’t happen. It absolutely does.
But I also think we should recognize the positive growth occurring among many of our students.
Graduation season has just wrapped up. What message would you like to share with the Class of 2026?
The biggest piece of advice I would give graduates comes from my own experiences. The things I regret most in life aren’t the times I failed. They’re the times I stopped trying.
If you’re passionate about something, keep working. Find people who believe in you and encourage you. Your education doesn’t stop when you receive your diploma. Learning continues throughout your life. Keep believing in yourself. And don’t let temporary setbacks define the rest of your life.
Looking ahead, what gives you the most optimism about the future of Flagler County Schools?
The people. Every time I visit our schools, I see dedicated teachers, administrators, support staff and students working incredibly hard.
The district earning an A rating wasn’t the finish line. It’s another step in the journey. We have tremendous momentum right now. As long as we continue challenging ourselves to improve, remain fiscally responsible and keep students at the center of every decision, I believe Flagler County Schools will continue moving in the right direction. That’s what excites me most.
Janie Ruddy. File photo by Brent Woronoff
Happy 250th!
It was a communitywide celebration for America’s 250th anniversary. Festivities began with First Friday, at Veterans Park in Flagler Beach, where residents danced to the sounds of the U.S. Navy Band.
The next morning, the Rotary Club of Flagler Beach’s annual parade filled State Road A1A in front of the pier, which remains under construction. Finally, government officials read the Declaration of Independence, at the Flagler Executive Airport, before a hot dog eating contest, warbirds in the sky, and fireworks. Here are some photos to capture the occasion. –
BRIAN MCMILLAN
Parade winners
The following floats won awards from the Rotary Club of Flagler Beach: Best Spirit: Flagler Palm Coast High School Athletics
Republican Executive Committee and Aaron Baker
Best Float: Seawolf Privateers
Judge’s Choice: Phuncoast Parrot Heads
Residents enjoy the parade in some of the only available shade — in front of a construction dumpster near the pier.
Veterans Park drew a crowd for First Friday on July 3.
A girl tries to cool off during the Flagler Beach parade.
Maddison Grace Wilton, with Pops, at the Flagler Beach parade.
Merrily Cope at the Flagler Beach parade.
Brady Nelson and Megan Farrell-Nelson, at the Flagler Beach parade.
Independence Day festivities began with First Friday, in Flagler Beach.
Stella and Tammy Sullivan at First Friday, in Flagler Beach.
Taylor and Zoe Zammit at First Friday, in Flagler Beach.
Participants prepare for the Hot Diggity Dog hot dog eating contest, at the Flagler Executive Airport. As the 10-minute scarf fest began, and contestants bit off more than they could chew, an appropriate song blasted out of the speakers: “Highway to Hell,” by AC/DC.
Hot Diggity Dog hot dog eating contest winner Clint. Photos by Brian McMillan
Best Walking Display: Flagler
Residents danced to the U.S. Navy Band, at First Friday, in Flagler Beach.
LOCAL EVENTS
THURSDAY, JULY 9
THE LUCKY TICKET
CHINESE AUCTION
When: 1-4 p.m.
Where: Flagler Woman’s Club, 1524 S. Central Ave., Flagler
Beach
Details: Join the Flagler Woman’s Club for its Lucky Ticket Chinese Auction fundraiser. Donate $12 for the first 25 tickets and $8 for each additional set. Desserts will be provided. Call Donna at 386-313 5383.
BEATS AND EATS
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: The Stage at Town Center,1500 Central Ave. Palm Coast
Details: Beats and Eats is a monthly community event that combines the familiar Food Truck Tuesday experience with live concert entertainment from the Palm Coast Concert Series. The band is Soul Fire and the beneficiary will be the Hispanic American Cultural Association.
FRIDAY, JULY 10
COFFEE AND CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR CITY MANAGER
When: 9-10 a.m.
Where: Redefined Food Co. at Southern Recreation Center, 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Room 130, Palm Coast
Details: Palm Coast invites residents to grab a cup of coffee with City Manager Mike McGlothlin. Ask questions, share ideas, and discuss what matters most to you. Free event. Registration required. Visit www.parksandrec.fun.
SATURDAY, JULY 11
GOD’S FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH PANTRY FOOD DISTRIBUTION
When: 10-11 a.m.
Where: Parking lot across Gods Family Bible Church, 256 Old Brick Road, Bunnell
Details: God’s Family Bible Church distributes food every first and third Saturday in this drive-thru event.
‘LAUNCH TO LEARNING’ VPK EVENT
When: 10 a.m. to noon
Where: GW Carver Gym, 206 E. Drain St., Bunnell
Details: The Flagler County Education Foundation, in partnership with Early Learning Coalition of Flagler & Volusia Counties and Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia Flagler Counties, will host this outreach event to help families learn about VPK.
FOURTH ANNUAL CHILDREN’S BUSINESS FAIR
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast
Details: Hosted by Culinary Wellness, this one-day fair
features local youth vendors. Come out and support the children’s entrepreneurial journey. There will be crafts, art and products for sale, made by kids ages 6-17.
KIDS ART CLUB: SHARKS!
When: 11 a.m. to noon
Where: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreational Area, 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd. Flagler Beach
Details: Learn about sharks and their importance in ocean ecosystems while creating shark-themed stained glass artwork. Space limited to 20. Registration required. Park entry fee applies. Call 386517-2086.
GAMBLE JAM
When: 2-4 p.m.
Where: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreational Area, 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach
Details: Join in for the Gamble Jam where musicians of all skill levels are invited to bring their acoustic instruments. Park entry fee applies.
SUNDAY, JULY 12
‘INSPIRATIONS AND REFLECTIONS’ OPENING RECEPTION
When: 1-3:30 p.m.
Where: Expressions Gallery, 2298 Colbert Lane, Palm Coast
Details: See this exhibit by Suzanne Barrett, Louise Kennedy and Marilyn Leverton. The show runs through Aug. 31.
CORPORATE OFFICE - 386-677-SOLD (7653)
900 West Granada Blvd., Ste. 3, Ormond Beach, FL 32174
BEACHSIDE OFFICE - 386-441-SOLD (7653)
2110 Ocean Shore Blvd., Ste. B, Ormond Beach, FL 32176
PORT ORANGE OFFICE - 386-767-SOLD (7653)
301 Dunlawton Ave., Port Orange, FL 32127
COMMERCIAL OFFICE - 386-253-8565
140 S. Atlantic Ave., Suite 202, Ormond Beach, FL 32176
DAYTONA BEACH SHORES OFFICE - 386-766-SOLD (7653)
3118 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118
Luxury 2022 Kargar Custom Home on the 7th hole of LPGA featuring 4BR/3BA on a premium golf course lot. Engineered hardwood floors, chef’s kitchen with gas cooktop, saltwater pool & spa, summer kitchen, whole-house generator, hurricane shutters, and breathtaking golf views. Move-in ready, exceptional indoor/outdoor living. #1221553 $1,250,000. Patti McKinley 386-235-0462.
Upgraded Parrot floor plan featuring 2BR/2BA plus enclosed den and flex space with beautiful pond views. Chef’s kitchen with quartz countertops and gas cooktop, premium flooring, crown molding, oversized screened lanai, and garage storage. Enjoy resort-style amenities including a private beach club and shuttle service. #1224635 $615,000. Shannon Brooks 386-481-0901.
plantation shutters, and updated flooring. Enjoy a private preservebacked yard, enclosed patio, and resort-style gated community amenities. #1221542 $495,000. Didiayer Snyder 818-287-4008.
CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE — (PRONOUNCED ‘LEH-’NÉRD ‘SKIN-’NÉRD)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach
Details: Classic Albums Live takes the greatest classic rock albums and recreates them live on stage. Tickets cost $40-$55. Visit ormond beachperformingartscenter. csstix.com.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
LECTURE: AMERICAN POP ART
When: 2-3:30 p.m.
Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: This lecture with guest curator, Ruth Grim will look at the radical innovations of Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and the others that made up the American postwar Pop Art movement that flourished from the 1950s to the 1980s. Free for members and U.S. veterans. Included with museum admission.
GOLDEN GIRLS THE TRIBUTE SHOW! A DRAG PARODY
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach
Details: This 21-and-up show will feature the Golden Girls in drag, bingo, trivia, musical
performances, sing-alongs, a photo-op and more. Tickets cost $35-$60. Visit ormond beachperformingartscenter. csstix.com.
THURSDAY, JULY 16
COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP
When: 10-11 a.m.
Where: Flagler County Emergency Operations Center, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 3, Bunnell
Details: Head to the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center for a monthly presentation on general preparedness. Learn tips and strategies to help you stay safe for emergencies.
THIRD THURSDAY DOCENT TOUR
When: 11 a.m. to noon
Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: This tour is included with museum admission; free for members and U.S. veterans. The tour concludes with tea on the museum’s rooftop terrace. No advanced registration is required; meet inside the reception gallery by 11 a.m.
ART OF HEALING WORKSHOP
When: 2-3:30 p.m.
Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Details: This workshop focuses on self-expression, growth and relaxation. A professional art facilitator will offer instruction appropriate for all artistic skill levels, and all materials are provided. Free program. Registration is required. Visit www.ormondartmuseum.org/ classes-programs.
ORMOND BEACH AREA
DEMOCRATIC CLUB
MEETING
When: 6:3-8:15 p.m.
Where: 56 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach
Details: Attend the July meeting of the Ormond Beach Area Democratic Club where primary election activities will be planned to help get out the vote and for poll watching and greeting on election days. Like-minded guests are welcome to attend. Visit ormondbeachdems.org.
FRIDAY, JULY 17
PALM COAST CITY NIGHTS WITH THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS
When: 6:35-11:59 p.m.
Where: Jackie Robinson Ballpark, 105 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach
Details: As part of the Tortugas’ regional City Nights series, Palm Coast and Flagler County residents can attend the game at a discounted rate. Residents can buy general admission tickets for $9. Enter code FLG. Visit https:// www.mlb.com/milb/daytona.
FOCUS ON FAITH
Parkview mission team brings hope, health and soccer to Ghana
JD Wickham and his wife, Stephanie, both Parkview church members, in Palm Coast, began the Goals for Life Project, which is a twostep approach ministry.
The first step is to utilize the sport of soccer, and the second step is to provide some education to them.
Parkview Church of Palm Coast just recently completed a mission to Ghana of about 11 volunteers. They left for Ghana Thursday, June 4, and returned Thursday, June 18.
“In these remote regions, hopefully we’re giving them an opportunity to excel in their sport, but also to take those regions, bring them into a more developed area, and then we provide them with some education,” Wickham said.
Stephanie works tirelessly to ensure medication and medical supplies are delivered and available to all the residents of Ghana. In addition, there are some clinics that have not been well maintained. The Wickhams evaluate whether new roofing, lighting, new fans are needed.
“Then, we also have medicine that’s been delivered to these remote clinics, and our agents help give to customers or patients at need at a wholesale cost, so they can actually afford to have and not receive it anywhere else,” Wickham said.
The group’s presence is so welcomed and appreciated and “something people are requesting to come back yearly.”
When Wickham is back at his home in Palm Coast, he utilizes his team of employees in Ghana to oversee daily tasks.
Speaking of the rewarding journey he has embarked on, Wickham said, “When they saw the team and their heart and passion, and ability to come into these communities, my agents have continued to grow the ministry over there.”
Wickham’s team also consists of a retired doctor and lactation specialist to assist the Ghana community, especially new mothers. They also provide an eye clinic.
“We go to these places and show the love of Christ and into regions that normally don’t allow people in; they invite us, because of the benefits that they receive,” Wickham said. During the trip, 350 pairs of reading glasses, and seven hospital beds were distributed. Five clinics were rebuilt, and lots of baby formula was given to new mothers.
ABBIE PACE
Stephenson, Wilcox and Associates
Stephanie Wickham holds a baby in Ghana.
Darlene Deusa
Keri Lohse plays with children in Ghana.
784 nests and counting: Flagler County sees a boom of sea turtle nests
The Flagler Turtle Patrol’s South Beach team has documented 311 nests as of July 2 and 236 false crawls.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
As of July 2, sea turtles have laid 784 nests on Flagler County’s beaches.
According to data from the Flagler Turtle Patrol, this is over double the number of nests laid year to date in 2025. This is in line with what other coastal communities throughout the state have reported this summer: The number of nests are increasing rapidly.
“This has floored all of us, and we’ve all had to step up in order to just make it work on the beach,” said Nicholas Poorte, president of the Flagler Turtle Patrol. “There are days where extra people are going out there to help resupply our ATVs, so the volunteers are making great efforts to work together.”
The Flagler Turtle Patrol has about 75 volunteers that monitor the county’s beaches, which are split into three sec-
tions: The North Beach (from Washington Oaks State Park’s south boundary to Jungle Hut Road), the South Beach (from Jungle Hut Road to Beverly Beach’s north city limit) and Flagler Beach/Beverly Beach (from Beverly Beach’s north city limits to Gamble Rogers State Park’s north boundary).
Each section of beach has its own team of volunteers, Poorte said. They use ATVs to monitor and survey sea turtle activity for the day, such as identifying new crawls, false crawls and staking off new confirmed nests. The volunteers then document all the information and submit it to the Turtle Patrol leadership, who then upload it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s database.
This summer has kept volunteers busy, particularly the South Beach team, which has documented 311 nests as of July 2 and 236 false crawls.
Flagler Beach/Beverly Beach has 280 nests and seen 257 false crawls, and the north beach section has 193 nests, with 77 false crawls spotted.
“Our greens are starting to come up now,” Poorte said.
“We’re getting about three to four green nests a day per beach, but the majority of our nests right now are still log -
gerheads.”
In neighboring Volusia County, a total of 1,264 nests have been documented. The county is less than 300 nests away from breaking its 2023 nesting season record.
According to a June 16 update by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the nesting season was off to a strong start across the state.
As of May 31, there were:
38,874 loggerhead nests (up from 24,130 in 2025 YTD)
271 green turtle nests (up from 110 in 2025 YTD)
1,806 leatherback nests (up from 1,683 in 2025 YTD)
10 Kemp’s Ridley nests (up from 5 in 2025 YTD)
1 Olive Ridley nest, the first ever documented in Florida Why are we seeing an increase?
Nest count
Flagler County North Beach: 193 nests (177 loggerhead, 16 green)
Flagler County South Beach: 311 nests (284 loggerhead, 25 green, two leatherback)
Flagler Beach/ Beverly Beach: 280 nests (262 loggerhead, 16 green, two leatherback
Jennifer Winters, protected species manager for Volusia County, recently told the Observer that the consensus in the scientific community is that conservation efforts are working. These measures date to the Endangered Species Act, enacted in 1973, and are showing that sea turtle populations are recovering.
“Sea turtles have a very long lifespan,” Winters said. “It actually takes them around 30 years to reach sexual maturity. So if you think about that, we
would only be really on the second generation of sea turtles that are recovering from near extinction back in the ’70s, particularly the green sea turtle.”
Poorte said that, while the hope is that sea turtle populations are recovering, another possibility for the increase in nests is that more sea turtles are simply at that point in their nesting cycle.
“Sea turtles nest in a twoto-three year cycle, so this could just be a combination of that two-to-three year gap, where the sea turtles are actually coming up from two years ago, but also three years ago, this year, instead of staying with a steady three-year pattern,” said Poorte, who’s been with the Flagler Turtle Patrol for nine years.
How can people make a difference? Poorte said one of the biggest ways is by supporting the Flagler Turtle Patrol through monetary donations or nest adoptions.
“Nest adoptions are a way for the community to actu-
ally get engaged, go onto the beach, and see what we do as the nest has reached its full maturity,” he said. “We also keep them updated on the species and what we’re doing to help protect them.”
People can also respect the beach, he added — clean up garbage and leave no trace behind, including holes which baby sea turtles could fall in on their journey to the ocean.
Volunteers are starting to see emergences. On July 4, the Flagler Turtle Patrol celebrated Independence Day by documenting two emergences, including the hatching of a leatherback nest. Three days later, as volunteers conducted an evaluation of the nest, they helped a couple sea turtles complete the journey.
“It’s just been a big season,” Poorte said. “We are continuing to see support from our community, which is great. A lot of people have shown a big interest this year ... There’s no other way to describe it than just an outstanding year for the sea turtles.”
Nicholas Poorte, Maria Allgeier and Lori Ottlein evaluate a nest emergence. Courtesy photos
Flagler Turtle Patrol President Nicholas Poorte, volunteers Amber Jones and Jennifer Barnes, and bystanders on the beach.
Andrew Koswaski releases a rehabilitated juvenile green sea turtle.
REAL ESTATE
Hammock Dunes home
sells for over $4 million
Ahouse at 85 Calle Del Sur, in Hammock Dunes, was the top real estate transaction for June 13-19 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The house sold on June 22, for $4,090,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 4/6.5 and has a pool, a hot tub, a fireplace, an elevator, a shared dunewalk, a media room and 7,682 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $4,200,000. The house was listed by Diane Esposito, of Coastal Gateway Real Estate Group.
Condos
A condo at 11 Avenue De La Mer, Unit 1303, sold on June 26, for $555,000. Built in 1992, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,490 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $300,000.
A condo at 22 Pine Hurst Place, sold on June 26, for $165,000. Built in 1980, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,177 square feet. It sold in 2026 for $130,300.
A condo at 18 Salisbury Court, Unit 18, sold on June 26, for $170,000. Built in 1987, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,098 square feet. It sold in 024 for $193,000.
A condo at 2 Summerwind Circle, Unit 2, sold on June
26, for $250,000. Built in 2004, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,143 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $225,000.
A condo at 1601 N. Central Ave., Unit 801, sold on June 5, for $450,000. Built in 1984, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,215 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $349,000.
A condo at 79 Veranda Way, Unit 67, sold on June 26, for $285,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,369 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $294,900.
A condo at 306 Palm Coast Parkway NE., Unit 203, sold on June 26, for $130,000. Built in 1975, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,006 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $83,000.
A condo at 60 Riverview Bend S., Unit 611, sold on June 24, for $299,900. Built in 2006, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,59 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $65,000.
A condo at 7 Surrey Court sold on June 22, for $170,000. Built in 1981, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,098 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $91,400.
A condo at 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Unit 533, sold on June 24, for $305,000. Built in 2003, the condo is a 1/1 and has 678 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $135,000.
PALM COAST
Hammock Dunes
A house at 2 Marbella Court sold on June 2, for $1,060,000. Built in 1995, the house is a 3/4.5 and has a pool, a fireplace, a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen and 2,971 square feet. It sold in 2023 for
WEST DAYTONA BEACH
A house in Mosaic at 402 Aquamarine Way was the top real estate transaction in Daytona Beach’s 32124 zip code for the week of June 13-19. The house sold on June 15, for $715,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a spa and 2,560 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $597,700. The house was listed by Ashley Flatley, of Coastal Ventures Real Estate.
Grande Champion
The house at 984 Morfontaine St. sold on June 16, for $384,990. Built in 2026, the house is a 5/3 and has 2,077 square feet.
The house at 1016 Champion Ridge Drive sold on June 18, for $359,990. Built in 2026, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,826 square feet.
Latitude Margaritaville
The townhome at 206 St. Somewhere Drive sold on June 16, for $442,300. Built in 2018, the townhome is a 2/2 and has 1,616 square feet. It last sold in 2018 for $279,300.
The house at 553 Hang Loose Way sold on June 18, for $620,000. Built in
$850,000.
Ocean Hammock
A house at 9 Northshore Drive sold on June 26, for $1,700,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 5/4 and has 2 half bathrooms, a pool, a hot tub, a fireplace, an elevator and 4,906 square feet.
2024, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,139 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $534,800.
The house at 168 Ocean Hammock Loop sold on June 17, for $415,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,466 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $309,000.
Links Terrace The house at 217 Links Terrace Blvd. sold on June 16, for $519,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a pool, a spa and 2,360 square feet. It last sold in 2024 for $412,400.
LPGA The house at 115 Zaharias Circle sold on June 18, for $635,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a spa and 2,776 square feet. It last sold in 2016 for $325,000.
Mosaic The house at 569 Mosaic Blvd. sold on June 18, for $540,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,396 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $414,700. John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.
A house at 41 Kingfisher Lane sold on June 25, for $675,000. Built in 2000, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,290 square feet. It sold in 2004 for $471,500.
Sawmill Branch A house at 4 Sawdust Lane sold on June 25, for $366,497. Built in 2026, the house is a 5/3 and has 2,030 square feet.
A house at 14 Sawdust Lane sold on June 25, for $348,090. Built in 2026, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,862 square feet. Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report.
New leader is driven to improve support for special needs students
When Dianne Santamaria heard the ESE Parent Advisory Council might dissolve, she volunteered to be become the chair.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Dianne Santamaria had attended meetings of Flagler Schools’ Exceptional Student Education Parent Advisory Council (EPAC) throughout this past school year.
She was not looking to succeed Stephen Furnari as EPAC’s chairperson. But when she heard that there was a risk of the council dissolving, she felt that she had no choice.
“I just sat down with them, understood what they had been working on, why they were working on it, the mission, the things that we could do going forward, and it was just a no-brainer,” Santamaria said.
She became EPAC’s second chairperson just over a month ago. Furnari co-founded EPAC in 2018 and has been the group’s chair ever since.
According to Flagler Schools’ website, “EPAC was created to build a collaborative bridge between the school district and parents of students with disabilities to promote inclusive education.”
Furnari wrote in an email to the Observer that, with his daughter nearing high school graduation, he was stepping down to focus his “volunteer efforts on post-high school and adult services issues for individuals with disabilities.”
Santamaria and her husband, Kyle Seaton, have two young sons. Her oldest, Oliver, 7, is an ESE student at Old Kings Elementary. They moved to Palm Coast from Miami two years ago. Around that time, Santamaria left a demanding career in banking to dedicate more time to her children and to advocate for students with special needs.
“My husband was very supportive,” she said. “He’s a great father, a great partner, and so we made it work.”
Two issues that she believes are priorities are making school transportation more
inclusive for ESE students and improving communication.
“Our nonverbal kids can’t really tell us what happened during the day, and sometimes there are changes within the classroom, or something happened and we don’t know, so we need better communication,” Santamaria said. “We don’t want to put more work on the teachers. They already have a lot of work, and they already do as best as they can, but let’s find a way where we can help them streamline that communication back to parents.”
Sometimes staff changes. These are important events for ESE parents whose child might need help with feeding or has a medical condition, she said.
“If we could receive a communication, whether it be monthly, where there’s an updated team roster, then that would at least give the parent a communication on who is seeing their child, and a lot of times that doesn’t happen,” she said. “So, that’s one area of communication, but there’s so many aspects of communication that can be improved. I think the district has done a great job in using ParentSquare. I use the app all the time. But what can we do to continue to do better?”
One positive program that the district and EPAC helped create, Santamaria said, was
“Friends for all Abilities” in the schools, which promotes inclusive programs between students in general education and students in exceptional education.
“It’s sort of like a club, so the students who opt in can create their own experience, and I think it’s just great because it benefits the whole community,” Santamaria said. “It makes us all kinder, more understanding of each other.”
But what she would like to see is more participation in EPAC among ESE families.
“At one point, I felt very isolated in this world,” she said. “I didn’t really know how to navigate it. And so, that’s how I found EPAC, because I was looking for community. ... I have a feeling there are more parents like me that are looking, and maybe just haven’t found the right committee or the right group that’s willing to take the time to hear their experience.”
During the rest of the summer, Santamaria plans to meet with district administrators, and the School Board.
“I’ve met with ESE staffing specialists from different schools,” she said. “I’ve met with extended school year coordinators. ... I’m trying to keep very busy, trying to meet whoever wants to meet me, whoever wants to give me ideas, and whoever wants to listen.”
Dianne Santamaria with her husband, Kyle Seaton, and children Oliver, 7, and Roman, 4. Courtesy photo
Palm Coast mechanic is restoring a tank from the 1950s
The biggest challenge as actually the wiring, according to Mike Mangum.
ABE MILLS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Michael Mangum, the owner of Mangum Motorsports, has now added a tank to his resume of vehicles he has repaired.
“This is a 1959 Daimler Scout,” Mangum said. “The last time it was operational was in the ’70s.”
The Daimler Dingo Scout was a tank/car that was used for reconnaissance in World War II for its quickness and stealth design.
Mangum received the referral to repair the vehicle from a different shop owner who knew about Mangum Motorsports’ unique approach to vehicle restoration and repair.
“Not a lot of places are willing to or even capable of working on something like this,” Mangum said. “If somebody’s gonna figure it out, it might as well be us.”
When the tank first came to Mangum Motorsports, it wouldn’t start, it had no brakes, and it was extremely heavy, at 2.5 tons. However, according to Mangum, none of those hurdles were the hardest to take on.
“The biggest challenge on this actually was the wiring,” Mangum said. “All of the wiring in this thing was completely deteriorated. We found that all of the wires are the same color. So we got a new wiring harness for this, and then we had to test from one end of the wire to the other
Inside the 1959 Daimler Scout Tank:
Rolls-Royce engine
Runs on gasoline Has tires instead of tracks
Accelerates up to
end of the wire to figure out where they all went.
“We finally have it now operational and running,” Mangum said. “I think we’re around 40 or 50 hours [of work done] right now.” Mangum was adamant that the there is still much to do.
“We’ve got to do lighting, we’re going to put seats in,” Mangum said. “There is a gunner turret that goes on top of this that still needs to go on. We’re gonna make this look like it is still used as a military vehicle when it’s all done.” Mangum got into the vehi-
cle, drove it down the street, then turned around and came back.
“[The owner] is very happy. When we showed him that it was driving, he was super tickled, “ Mangum said. Mangum Motorsports is located at 3240 Steel Rail
Drive, Unit B, in Bunnell and services all of Palm Coast, Bunnell, and the surrounding areas.
“Every year we’ve grown more and more, and we are super, super grateful for our customers that we have here in Palm Coast,” he said.
Michael Mangum stands inside of a 1959 Daimler Dingo Scout at Mangum Motorsports in Palm Coast.
Photo by Rachel Mills
Delfino’s earns Wine Spectator Award for 4th straight year
Hammock Beach restaurant recognized for extensive wine program, personalized dining experience.
RICH CARROLL
MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
For the fourth consecutive year, Delfino’s Italian Chophouse at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa has earned Wine Spectator’s 2026 Award of Excellence, placing the oceanfront restaurant among an international group recognized for offering exceptional wine programs.
The annual awards honor restaurants whose wine lists demonstrate quality, depth and compatibility with their menus. This year’s recipients will also be featured in Wine Spectator’s annual Restaurant Awards issue.
For Woody Mitchell, director of food and beverage at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the recognition represents much more than an award for the restaurant’s wine list.
“It really validates every-
YOUR TOWN
Flagler County Clerk’s Office celebrates statewide recognition
The Flagler County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office has received a series of honors during the Florida Clerk of Court and Comptrollers Summer Conference, according to a Flagler County Clerk’s office press release.
At the conference luncheon, Flagler County Clerk Tom Bexley was presented with the Best Practices Excellence Award.
Later that evening, Bexley was installed on the 2026–27 FCCC Board of Directors.
Bexley was also honored with the Hookah Dive Team Member Award, celebrating his dedication to teamwork and his contributions to the statewide clerk community.
In addition to Bexley’s recognitions, two members of the Flagler County Finance Department, Jennifer Ritter and Nora McCall, were awarded Clerk Staff of the Year. This honor was presented in recognition of their work assisting the Calhoun County Clerk of Court and Comptroller’s Office with establishing its Tyler Munis ERP financial configuration.
“These recognitions reflect the dedication of our entire team,” Bexley said. “I am incredibly proud of Jennifer and Nora for their outstanding service, and I am honored to represent Flagler County on the FCCC Board. Our office remains committed to serving the public with integrity, innovation and excellence.”
The Flagler County Clerk of Court and Comptroller’s Office extended its appreciation to the FCCC and to the statewide Clerk community for their continued partnership and support.
thing that we’ve been working so hard to accomplish,” Mitchell said. “We’ve been trying to change the culture of food and beverage here over the last several years.”
Mitchell said the resort has always offered a quality dining experience, but the goal has been to elevate the department into one recognized for craftsmanship, attention to detail and respect for the culinary profession.
“We’ve always provided a great resort food and beverage experience,” he said. “Now we’ve built a team that has respect for their craft, respect for the industry and respect for the ingredients we work with.”
That philosophy extends to Delfino’s award-winning wine program.
The restaurant’s wine list features more than 230 selections representing major wine-producing regions from around the world. Rather than focusing on a single style or
country, Mitchell said the goal is to offer guests both familiar favorites and opportunities to discover something new.
“We represent wines from every major wine region across the globe,” Mitchell said. “I think our wine list isn’t intimidating for people who are still exploring wine, but it’s also impressive to wine lovers who are looking for something unique.”
The selection includes wines from traditional European regions alongside California favorites and lesserknown labels from around the world. Mitchell said he intentionally builds the list to showcase different expressions of the same grape varietals.
For example, instead of offering only a handful of Sauvignon Blancs, the restaurant carries examples from France, New Zealand, Australia and California, allowing guests to experience how climate and geography influence
each wine.
The wine list also features more obscure selections for adventurous diners, including international blends and lesser-known Italian white wines.
“I love introducing guests to wines they’ve never heard of,” Mitchell said. “If someone tells us they enjoy Pinot Grigio, that’s an opportunity to introduce them to another Italian white wine they may end up loving.”
Education is a key part of the experience, he added. Mitchell teaches his team the traditional fundamentals of pairing red wines with red meats and white wines with white meats, but he emphasizes that there is no universal “perfect pairing.”
“The only perfect pairing is what the customer is most excited about,” he said. “If someone wants swordfish with a red Zinfandel and they’re enjoying it, then that’s the perfect pairing for them.”
For guests seeking guidance, servers help match wines not only with menu items but also with regional flavors. A Roman pasta, for example, may be paired with a wine from the Rome region, while a premium steak could be accompanied by either an Old World or New World red depending on the diner’s taste preferences.
Mitchell said the approach is about creating memorable experiences rather than maximizing sales.
“It’s not our job to sell the most expensive wine,” he said. “It’s our job to introduce guests to something they might not have expected but absolutely fall in love with.”
That philosophy often leads to surprising discoveries. Mitchell recalled guests who insist they dislike Chardonnay, only to discover they enjoy a French Chablis after learning how dramatically styles can differ depending on where the wine is produced.
At Delfino’s, Michell said, “You’re going to find people who genuinely care about what they do. I think you’ll experience something that’s unique for this area and really stands out from the crowd.”
NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ORMOND STATION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
Pursuant to Section 190.005(1)(c) and Section 190.046(1)(b), Florida Statutes the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners hereby provide notice of
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF FLAGLER COUNTY FLORIDA AMENDING ORDINANCE NO 202308; AS AMENDED BY ORDINANCE NO 2024-01; AMENDING THE ORMOND CROSSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 190, FLORIDA STATUTES; AMENDING AND EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT TO INCLUDE A 21.24 ACRE PARCEL AND A 14.39 ACRE PARCEL; PROVIDING FOR FINDINGS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
Public hearing on the above-captioned matter will be held as follows: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - Monday, July 13, 2026 at 5:30 p m or as soon thereafter as possible in the Flagler County Government Services Building Board Chambers 1769 E Moody Blvd Bunnell Florida All aff
IF A PERSON DECIDES TO APPEAL ANY DECISION MADE BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER CONSIDERED AT THE MEETING A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS MAY BE NEEDED AND FOR SUCH PURPOSES THE PERSON MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD IS MADE WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH APPEAL IS TO BE BASED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PERSONS NEEDING ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THESE PROCEEDINGS SHOULD
The Flagler County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office received a pair of awards at the Florida Clerks Summer Conference. Courtesy photo
Delfino’s Italian Chophouse at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa has earned Wine Spectator’s 2026 Award of Excellence for the fourth consecutive year. Photo courtesy of Delfino’s
Woody Mitchell, Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa’s new director of food and beverage.
Courtesy photo
SPORTS
Swimming with Sharks
Shark Coast FC gives local players a chance to jump into the pool of high-level soccer.
BRENT WORONOFF
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Luke Harrell, a recent Seabreeze High School graduate, used to drive to Oviedo regularly to play club soccer. This summer, the Ormond Beach resident’s drive has been cut down by about twothirds, and he’s playing in the highest level of amateur soccer in the United States.
Harrell and Flagler Palm Coast High School rising senior Hailey Sammons are playing soccer for Shark Coast FC in New Smyrna Beach, a third-year club that has grown to over 500 players who play in recreation leagues, competitive travel teams and senior semi-pro and pre-pro teams.
Nate Monsanto, the sporting director at Shark Coast FC, wants the club to become a springboard to the highest levels of soccer for players in Volusia and Flagler counties. That’s something that wasn’t available when Monsanto played soccer at Flagler Palm Coast and Stetson University before navigating the waters of pro soccer.
“It’s very difficult when you’re not attached to a bigger name to break into the higher levels,” he said.
Many local players with college soccer aspirations travel to clubs in the Jacksonville or Orlando areas. Monsanto said Shark Coast FC is trying to keep local players at home.
Harrell is playing for Shark Coast’s United Soccer League Two team (USL2), a preprofessional summer league predominately for high-level college players. It’s on the fourth rung of the U.S. soccer league system pyramid
under the three professional tiers — Major League Soccer, USL Championship and USL League One.
Harrell, who is beginning his freshman year at Brown University next month, is the youngest player on the Shark Coast USL2 team.
“Being the youngest guy, everyone was super supportive,” Harrell said. “The experience and knowledge I’ve gained the last two months has really bolstered my skill and helped me get acclimated to college soccer, not only on the physical level but the focus you need. These guys push you to be 100% focused all the time, to focus your energy on the team’s goal.”
SAMMONS: I LOVE THE CHALLENGE
Sammons plays on Shark Coast’s United Premier Soccer League Women team. The UPSLW is a pro-development league.
FPC assistant girls soccer coach Cat Bradley encouraged Sammons to try out.
“I think she was a little hesitant, because it’s a big step,” Bradley said. “We went down to New Smyrna together. I wanted to see her get out of her comfort level.”
Sammons’ FPC teammate, goalie Natalie Neal, who is an incoming freshman for twotime national junior college champ Daytona State College, was already playing for Shark Coast’s UPSLW team. So, Neal’s presence may have eased any butterflies Sammons had.
Neal, who had 539 saves and 37 clean sheets in her high school career, has started in two or three games for Shark Coast with one clean sheet, said Monsanto, who coaches the women’s team.
Monsanto saw Sammons’ U18 club team play against Shark Coast’s youth 17 girls team and invited her to join
the higher level squad.
“It’s a very huge difference from what I’m used to,” Sammons said. “There are [NCAA Division I and Division II] girls playing at a very high competitive level in the games and even at practices. I try to play how they play. Each day I have to be better than I was yesterday. I love the challenge that it gives me.”
She’s played in four of Shark Coast’s six games and started two games. She has scored two goals, Monsanto said.
“She has really good stats for a high school junior playing in a women’s semi-pro league,” Monsanto said.
Shark Coast won the UPSLW Central Florida Conference and will play in the state final on Thursday, July 9, against Miami Grove at a midpoint neutral site in Palm City.
“We’re going to go in and hopefully crush them,” Sammons said. “That way we can go to [California] for nationals. I’m excited.”
Sammons, who has mostly played defensive midfielder, played a few games at striker for FPC last season and finished the year with 11 goals, third on the team. Monsanto has put her there full time this summer.
“The striker position is new to her, but she’s been excelling,” Monsanto said. “She’s fast, strong, aggressive and has a knack for goal scoring. She knows how to get in the box, get around the box and score goals.”
Sammons said she feels comfortable at striker now.
“In high school, Coach [Pete] Hald put me at striker just a few times, mainly because I was fast and hungry for the ball,” Sammons said. “Coach Nate saw something in me and challenged me to play there. I think I have a lot more fun doing it, running after the ball and trying to score goals.”
“There are [NCAA Division I and Division II] girls playing at a very high competitive level ... I try to play how they play. Each day I have to be better than I was yesterday. I love the challenge that it gives me.”
While she’s playing with Shark Coast in New Smyrna Beach, Sammons is also participating in FPC’s summer program of beach workouts, weight training and 7v7 league play.
“Going into her senior year, I’ve seen so much growth,” Bradley said. “She has so much more confidence. I am so proud of her.”
‘HE’S BROKEN OUT OF HIS SHELL’ Harrell has been playing left wing for the USL2 Shark Coast team. At Brown he was recruited to play left back, which is where he played for his FKK club team in Oviedo. At Seabreeze, he played midfield. He can play anywhere on the left side of the field, Monsanto said.
“He has a sweet left foot,” Monsanto said. “Luke is one of top young prospects in the area. He has loads of potential to be an impact player as a freshman at Brown. He’s broken out of his shell playing with men. He’s like the little brother. He started in the last two games and played heavy minutes.”
After starting late because of obligations that come with high school graduation, he’s come alive toward the end of the season, Monsanto said. Shark Coast, which has a 2-3-6 USL2 record, defeated second-place Nona FC of Orlando, 3-2, on June 27. After the game, Harrell’s teammates celebrated his 18th birthday by drenching him with the Gatorade cooler.
“That was the last game for most of our team, with a of the guys from out of town going back home,” Harrell said. “They made it feel like a
HAILEY SAMMONS
family. They made me feel so welcomed. I wasn’t expecting to get drenched in water. I’m glad we got the win against a top-of-the-table team.”
Harrell thanked Monsanto and Shark Coast Chief Community Officer Terry Lippens, both of whom are part of the club’s ownership group, as well as the USL2 team’s coach, Jonathan Lopez, who is also an assistant coach at DSC.
“Nate and Terry offered me to come out and play,” Harrell said. “They’ve done a ton for everyone on the team, and coach Jonathan as well. I’m so glad for the opportunity. They got me to increase my versatility on the field.”
Shark Coast FC rebranded from the South Volusia Soccer Club and Current FC. The USL has been vacant in Volusia County for seven years. Shark Coast has a five-year contract to be the USL’s Volusia County territory, Monsanto said.
“We’re trying to share what Orlando City has,” he said.
“We’re looking for a change in U.S. soccer that allows Volusia-Flagler an equal playing field when it comes to soccer markets.”
Young players like Harrell and Sammons are grateful for the opportunity.
“I’d love to continue training with them [after the summer],” Sammons said. “I want to play for the U18, U19 team and keep playing for Coach Nate in the club season. They’re making me better every day, and I’m so grateful for them.”
“The experience and knowledge I’ve gained the last two months has really bolstered my skill and helped me get acclimated to college soccer, not only on the physical level but the focus you need.”
LUKE HARRELL
Seabreeze graduate Luke Harrell (right) is the youngest player on Shark Coast FC’s USL2 team. Harrell is headed to Brown University next month. Photo by Blythe Photography
Flagler Palm Coast rising senior Hailey Sammons has been playing for Shark Coast FC’s United Premier Soccer League Women’s team this summer. Courtesy photo
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Don Gendron,
93, is a twice-a-week
fixture at Grand Reserve Golf Club
Gendron took up golf after he left the Air Force — 70 years ago.
BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Don Gendron took up golf after he left the Air Force.
That was 70 years ago. At 93, Gendron still golfs twice a week at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Bunnell.
“He regularly shoots in the high 80s, low 90s. He shot 81 a couple of months ago,” said Bruce Rock, who runs a league on Saturday mornings at Grand Reserve. Gendron also participates in the larger Grand Reserve Men’s Golf Association on Wednesdays.
One caveat on his scores: he plays on the “super forward tee” at the beginning of the fairways.
“It’s for over 90-year-olds in our leagues,” Gendron said.
Gendron, who turned 93 on July 1, belonged to the Foxborough (Massachussets) Country Club, from 1956 to 1995, when he moved to Florida for the first time.
“I’d say I got to be an average every-day player with a 15 handicap,” Gendron said.
Hitting a hole-in-one wasn’t average, however. He did that in 1974.
Gendron joined the Air Force out of high school and was stationed in France during the Korean War. He married a French girl, Yvette, and brought her to the United States. They settled in Foxborough, where Gendron was the accounting manager at the Foxboro Company, an engineering firm.
Don and Yvette were married for 53 years before Yvette
passed away in 2007, Gendron said.
They were living in Ocala at the time. The following year, he moved to Palm Coast, where he had friends.
“They used to visit me when she was not well,” Gendron said. “When she passed, they said, ‘Now you can visit us.’ I liked the area, so I sold my house and moved here.”
He’s been playing golf at Grand Reserve since shortly
after it opened in 2008. Gendron used to golf three days a week at Grand Reserve, but family members convinced him to cut back.
“I’m at an age where the heat gets to me,” he said. “I’m happy with two days.”
Rock said Gendron is not only an inspiration on the golf course, “he’s also a wonderful person.”
Don Gendron, 93, plays in two golf leagues at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Bunnell. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Big Buoys battle rain
The Palm Coast Big Buoys, of the summer collegiate wood-bat Orange State League, fell to 4-7 on the season with home losses to the St. Augustine Sardines (16-2 on July 1) and the Cocoa Tailgators (11-1 on July 2).
The Big Buoys’ home games against the New Smyrna Beach Gnarlies on July 5 and the Sardines on July 6 were rained out. They are scheduled to be back at home at the Indian Trails Sports Complex on July 9, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends.
Flagler Palm Coast graduate Connor May went 2 for 2 in the loss to the Sardines on July 1. FPC grads Brenin Striplin and Logan Shudy each scored a run.
FPC grad Adam Kleinfelder pitched 4.2 innings against
the Tailgators on July 2. Matanzas grad Nolan Schmidt finished the game, allowing an unearned run in a third of an inning. Danny Scullion scored the Big Buoys’ only run on an error after reaching on a walk, taking second on a passed ball and stealing third base. Tailgators pitcher Dwayne Moore was nearly unhittable, allowing just three hits and 0 earned runs in five innings.
PCUMC youth football camp
The Palm Coast United Methodist Church Christian School will a host a youth football camp 9:30-11 a.m. Friday, July 10, featuring former NFL player Kyle Johnson — a Matanzas High teacher and coach — and the Matanzas girls flag football team. Cost is $20. For more information, call 386-4452344.
FPC track athletes sign with colleges
Flagler Palm Coast state
champs Jordan Haymon and Will Roberts will continue their track and field careers at Lake-Sumter State College in Leesburg. They were joined at FPC’s summer signing day ceremony on June 25 by
teammate Rhett Opalewski who signed with NCAA Division I Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Haymon and Roberts helped FPC win the Class 4A state championship in the 4x400-meter boys relay. The other members of the championship team were Logan Jacobelli and Mikey Najpaver.
Golf camps at cypress knoll
Junior golf camps at Cypress Knoll Golf and Country Club are scheduled for July 22-24 and Aug. 5-7. The camps, for ages 11-16, will be led by PGA Life Member Jim Powers. Instruction will focus on full-swing fundamentals, short-game technique, putting skills and confidence-building practice routines. All campers must bring their own clubs. For more information, email powerspga@gmail.com or call 386-542-7845.
Haymon also placed second at state in the 400 meters. Earlier in the season, he broke the Bulldogs’ school record in the 400 with a time of 46.88 seconds. He also ran the third-fastest 200 in school history with a time of. 21.39 seconds. Roberts won the district championship in the 400 meters and won district and region titles, along with the state title, in the 4x400. Opalewski finished second at the district championship in the 800 meters and advanced to state in the 4x800 relay. The Bulldogs had a total of 27 athletes in 2025-26 sign with colleges to continue their athletic careers.
Lauren
High school 7v7 soccer action
Both of Flagler Palm Coast’s boys soccer teams won games (7-1 and 5-4) on Thursday, July 2, in the high school 7v7 summer soccer league at the Indian Trails Sports Complex. The games were moved to Thursday because of Independence Day weekend. Matanzas’ boys teams and FPC’s girls teams were also in action.
First Baptist Christian Academy girls defeated FPC’s JV 4-3. The Bulldogs’ JV girls then joined with the varsity for an intrasquad game after the varsity team received a forfeit from Matanzas. The league continues through the end of July with games scheduled on Friday nights.
Adam Kleinfelder pitches for the Big Buoys on July 2.
Matanzas freshman Cristiano Brito controls the ball. Photos by Brent Woronoff
FPC’s state champion 4x400 relay team: Jordan Haymon, Will Roberts, coach David Halliday, Mikey Najpaver and Logan Jacobelli. Couresty photo
FPC’s Dylan Hardesty dribbles the ball.
FPC rising senior Hailey Sammons (left) and incoming freshman
Davis play in an intrasquad scrimmage after the Bulldogs’ varsity received a forfeit.
FPC’s Ryan Mack (right) marks an opponent.
Nolan Schmidt pitches for the Big Buoys.
claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is July 9, 2026. Personal Representative: Ledia Som 768 E. Michigan Street, Unit 75 Orlando, Florida 32806
Attorney for Personal Representative: PAUL, ELKIND, BRANZ & PAUL, LLP
By : /s/Matthew D. Branz
Matthew D. Branz, Esquire
Florida Bar No. 657514
142 East New York Avenue
DeLand, FL 32724
Tel: 386-734-3020 / Fax: 386-734-3096
Primary: mbranz@paulandelkind.com
Secondary: tflowers@paulandelkind.com
July 9, 16, 2026 26-00196G
FLAGLER COUNTY LEGAL
FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 2025-CA-000630 GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC, Plaintiff, v. RYAN MCCORMICK, et al., Defendants. NOTICE is hereby given that Tom Bexley, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Flagler County, Florida, will on August 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET, via the online auction site at www.flagler.realforeclose.com in accordance with Chapter 45, F.S., offer for sale and sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the following described property situated in Flagler County, Florida, to wit: Lot 64, of Block 10, SUBDIVISION MAP COUNTRY CLUB COVESECTION-16 PALM COAST, according to the map or plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 6, Pages 81 through 86, of the Public Records of Flagler County, Florida, as amended by Instrument recorded in Official Records Book 35, Page 528 of the Public Records of Flagler County, Florida. Property Address: 24 Cherrytree Court, Palm Coast, FL 32137 pursuant to the Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in a case pending in said Court, the style and case number of which is set forth above.
Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney. If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096. Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. SUBMITTED on this 2nd day of July, 2026.
TIFFANY & BOSCO, P.A. /s/ Kathryn I. Kasper, Esq. Anthony R. Smith, Esq. FL Bar #157147 Kathryn I. Kasper, Esq. FL Bar #621188 Attorneys for Plaintiff OF COUNSEL: Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. 1201 S. Orlando Ave, Suite 430 Winter Park, FL 32789 Telephone: (205) 930-5200 Facsimile: (407) 7 12-9201 July 9, 16, 2026 26-00197G
COLBERT LANDINGS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THE FY 2027 BUDGET; NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE IMPOSITION OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, ADOPTION OF AN ASSESSMENT ROLL, AND THE LEVY, COLLECTION, AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE SAME; AND NOTICE OF REGULAR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING.
Upcoming Public Hearings, and Regular Meeting
The Board of Supervisors (“Board”) for the Colbert Landings Community Development District (“District”) will hold the following public hearings and a regular meeting:
DATE: August 6, 2026
TIME: 12:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Flagler County Government Services Building 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 2 1st Floor Conference Room Bunnell, FL 32110
The first public hearing is being held pursuant to Chapter 190, Florida Statutes, to receive public comment and objections on the District’s proposed budget (“Proposed Budget”) for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2027 (“FY 2027”). The second public hearing is being held pursuant to Chapters 190, Florida Statutes, to consider the imposition of operations and maintenance special assessments (“O&M Assessments”) upon the lands located within the District to fund the Proposed Budget for FY 2027; to consider the adoption of an assessment roll; and to provide for the levy, collection, and enforcement of O&M Assessments. At the conclusion of the public hearings, the Board will, by resolution, adopt a budget and levy O&M Assessments as finally approved by the Board. A regular Board meeting of the District will also be held where the Board may consider any other District business that may properly come before it. Description of Assessments
The District imposes O&M Assessments on benefited property within the District for the purpose of funding the District’s general administrative, operations, and maintenance budget. Pursuant to Section 170.07, Florida Statutes, a description of the services to be funded by the O&M Assessments, and the properties to be improved and benefitted from the O&M Assessments, are all set forth in the Proposed Budget. A geographic depiction of the property potentially subject to the proposed O&M Assessments is identified in the map attached hereto. The table below shows the schedule of the proposed O&M Assessments, which are subject to change at the hearing:
FIRST INSERTION
RE-NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA
CIRCUIT CIVIL DIVISION CASE NO.: 2024 CA 000180
LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC, Plaintiff(s), vs. DAVID LAIRD; et al., Defendant(s).
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, pursuant to the Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion to Reschedule Foreclosure Sale entered on June 12, 2026 in the abovecaptioned action, the Clerk of Court, Tom Bexley, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash www.flagler.realforeclose. com in accordance with Chapter 45, Florida Statutes on the 31st day of July, 2026 at 11:00 AM on the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment of Foreclosure or order, to wit: LOT 20, BLOCK 166, BELLE TERRE - SECTION 35 PALM COAST PARK AT PALM COAST, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 11, PAGE 2, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA.
Property address: 16 Birchview Place, Palm Coast, FL 32137
Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens, must file a claim before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed.
Pursuant to the Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.516, the above signed counsel for Plaintiff designates attorney@padgettlawgroup. com as its primary e-mail address for service, in the above styled matter, of all pleadings and documents required to be served on the parties.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. IF YOU ARE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS AN ACCOMMODATION IN ORDER TO ACCESS COURT FACILITIES OR PARTICIPATE IN A COURT PROCEEDING, YOU ARE ENTITLED, AT NO COST TO YOU, TO THE PROVISION OF CERTAIN ASSISTANCE. TO REQUEST SUCH AN ACCOMMODATION, PLEASE CONTACT COURT ADMINISTRATION IN ADVANCE OF THE DATE THE SERVICE IS NEEDED: COURT ADMINISTRATION, 125 E. ORANGE AVE., STE. 300, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32114, (386) 2576096. HEARING OR VOICE IMPAIRED, PLEASE CALL 711. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Michael Solloa #37854 for PADGETT LAW GROUP
STEVEN G. HURLEY, ESQ. Florida Bar # 99802 6267 Old Water Oak Road, Suite 203 Tallahassee, FL 32312 (850) 422-2520 (telephone) (850) 422-2567 (facsimile) attorney@padgettlawgroup.com
Attorney for Plaintiff TDP File No. 24-001682-1 July 9, 16, 2026 26-00198G
FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS (Summary Administration) IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2026 CP 183 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF JOSEPH ROBERT BALLARD Deceased. TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS OR DEMANDS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE:
You are hereby notified that an Order of Summary Administration has been entered in the estate of Joseph Robert Ballard, deceased, File Number 2026 CP 000183, by the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 East Moody Blvd., Bunnell, FL 32110; that the decedent’s date of death was February 6, 2026; that the total value of the exempt and non-exempt assets of the estate is $183,477 and that the names and addresses of those to whom it has been assigned by such order are:
Name Address
Robert J. Ballard Sr. 140 Raintree Circle Palm Coast, Florida 32164
Joan Ballard 140 Raintree Circle Palm Coast, Florida 32164 ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED THAT:
All creditors of the estate of the decedent and persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent other than those for whom provision for full payment was made in the Order of Summary Administration must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702. ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in sections 732.216-732.288 Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. The date of first publication of this Notice is July 9, 2026. Person Giving Notice: Barbara Cederberg 125 Pritchard Drive Palm Coast, Florida 32164
Attorney for Person Giving Notice
Diane A. Vidal, Attorney Florida Bar Number: 1008324
CHIUMENTO LAW 145 City Place, Suite 301 Palm Coast, FL 32164
Telephone: (386) 445-8900
Fax: (386) 445-6702
E-Mail: DVidal@legalteamforlife.com
Secondary E-Mail: Proserv@legalteamforlife.com July 9, 16, 2026 26-00200G
another criterion within Section 197.3632(4), Florida Statutes, is met. Note that the O&M Assessments do not include any debt service assessments previously levied by the District that are due to be collected for Fiscal Year 2026.
For FY 2027, the District intends to have the County Tax Collector collect the assessments imposed on certain developed property[, and will directly collect the assessments imposed on the remaining benefited property by sending out a bill prior to, or during, November 2025]. It is important to pay your assessment because failure to pay will cause a tax certificate to be issued against the property which may result in loss of title, or for direct billed assessments, may result in a foreclosure action, which also may result in a loss of title. The District’s decision to collect assessments on the tax roll or by direct billing does not preclude the District from later electing to collect those or other assessments in a different manner at a future time.
Additional Provisions
The public hearings and meeting are open to the public and will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Florida law. A copy of the Proposed Budget, proposed assessment roll, and the agenda for the hearings and meeting may be obtained at the offices of the District Manager, located at District Manager, Wrathell, Hunt & Associates, LLC, 2300 Glades Road, Suite 410W Boca Raton, Florida 33431, Ph.: (561) 571-0010 (“District Manager’s Office”), during normal business hours. The public hearings and meeting may be continued to a date, time, and place to be specified on the record at the hearings or meeting. There may be occasions when staff or board members may participate by speaker telephone.
Any person requiring special accommodations at this meeting because of a disability or physical impairment should contact the District Manager’s Office at least three (3) business days prior to the meeting. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the Florida Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1, or 1-800-955-8771 (TTY) / 1-800-955-8770 (Voice), for aid in contacting the District Manager’s Office.
Please note that all affected property owners have the right to appear at the public hearings and meeting and may also file written objections with the District Manager’s Office within twenty (20) days of publication of this notice. Each person who decides to appeal any decision made by the Board with respect to any matter considered at the public hearings or meeting is advised that person will need a record of proceedings and that accordingly, the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which such appeal is to be based.
AND O&M ASSESSMENT
The proposed O&M Assessments as stated include collection costs and/or early payment discounts, which Flagler County (“County”) may impose on assessments that are collected on the County tax bill pursuant to Section 197.3632, Florida Statutes. Moreover, pursuant to Section 197.3632(4), Florida Statutes, the lien amount shall serve as the “maximum rate” authorized by law for O&M Assessments, such that no assessment hearing shall be held or notice provided in future years unless the assessments are proposed to be increased or
District Manager Wrathell, Hunt and Associates, LLC July 9, 2026