PALM COAST
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 13, NO. 39
Matanzas’ turnaround senior of the year
Paige Civil used to get in trouble. Now she’s an example to her peers. PAGE 3B
ANDERSON: STATE FINALIST! 4A
FREE ON NEWSSTANDS | THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025
Seeing no proof of ‘oversaturation,’ City Council OKs new storage facility Decision by planning board is reversed, as city approves 100,000 square feet PAGE 2A
Surf’s pup! Hang 8 Dog Surfing Extravaganza, in Flagler Beach PAGE 1B
INSIDE ‘BELIEVE WITH US’
Pace Center for Girls VolusiaFlagler surpasses $100,000 fundraising goal at annual breakfast PAGE 3A
RETURN TO STAGE
Flagler Playhouse to return to new blackbox theater at its old annex building PAGE 7A
GAMBARO’S VIEW
Charles Gambaro, My View: Mayor’s actions have created significant disruptions to city’s operations PAGE 8A
‘Benefit of the doubt’ Despite flooding questions, County Commission approves plats for Veranda Bay PAGE 5A INDEX
Business...................... PAGE 1C Calendar..................... PAGE 2B Cops Corner............... PAGE 6A Crossword.................. PAGE 8B Letters........................ PAGE 8A Public Notices............ PAGE 5C Sports......................... PAGE 6B Real Estate................. PAGE 2C
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Photo courtesy of Stephen Matteo
No more smoking or vaping in city parks The city ordinance follows the adoption of a law Gov. Ron DeSantis passed in June 2024 that allows municipalities to prohibit smoking in public spaces. SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Smoking in Palm Coast’s parks and trails will no longer be allowed. Palm Coast’s City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping in Palm Coast’s public parks and trails. The ordinance passed in a 4-0 vote. Mayor Mike Norris was absent from the May 20 meeting. The ordinance is based on a law Gov. Ron DeSantis passed in June 2024 called the Florida Clean Air Act, which allows municipalities to prohibit smoking or vaping tobacco products in public spaces, excluding unfiltered cigars. “This is really to reduce public exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke,” Parks and Recreation Director James Hirst said. This was the first reading of the ordinance. A second reading and
vote on the ordinance will be had at the city’s next business meeting on June 3. The ordinance prohibits vaping in general and smoking tobacco products, “including cigarettes, pipe tobacco, filtered cigars,chewing tobacco, snuff, snus, or other plant product intended for inhalation, except for unfiltered cigars.” City attorney Marcus Duffy said that the law and ordinance also includes marijuana. Tyrese Gaines, the tobacco policy manager for Tobacco Free Florida, thanked the council for approving the ordinance. “This, in and of itself, is a huge step,” he said. “Obviously, it is very hard to enforce something like this but I think that it’s the mindset of our leaders — people like you guys [the City Council] — advocating for it is huge and something that we need.” Flagler County and Flagler Beach have each passed similar ordinances based on DeSantis’ Florida Clean Air Act, Hirst said, as well as some Volusia County municipalities. Flagler Beach also instituted a band on smoking on the beach in 2023. Councilman Ty Miller said he
has seen adults smoking in the parks at local Little League and other sport matches held in Palm Coast parks. “I was surprised this didn’t exist already,” Miller said. “I’m glad we have this coming because I absolutely don’t think that should be around children in any way.” Enforcement would be by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, while repercussions for violating the ordinance would depend on parameters the city manager sets, possibly varying from warnings to trespassing, Duffy said. Miller said it would be incumbent on community partners, especially in the Sports Alliance, to encourage people in their events at Palm Coast Parks adhere to the ordinance. Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri suggested that if local sports organizations are not following this ordinance consistently, the city should have the ability to pull their event permits. “I think that’s a good way to ensure that people are abiding by this ordinance,” she said. Hirst said the department will work on updating city signs in the parks to include the ordinance number once it goes into effect.
SPORTS Season ends Matanzas falls 1-0 in thriller, ending best softball season in school history
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Spring football Flagler Palm Coast football coach pleased with team’s progress in Green and White scrimmage. Matanzas has stability with assistant coaching staff.
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