Palm Coast Observer 06-26-25

PALM COAST

City golf course: To sell or not to sell?

Two new principals

Mike Rinaldi at Matanzas; Katie Hansen at Buddy Taylor Middle 5A

Native blessing

Totem pole provides backdrop at dog park on John Anderson Highway PAGE 1B

‘We

Who’s in control of animal control?

Flagler County favors bringing services inhouse, shifting away from Humane Society.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

The Flagler County Commission wants to move forward with having the county take over animal control, but with questions lingering concerning renewing a contract with the Flagler Humane Society and how quickly staff could launch its own animal control service, a new animal shelter is deemed a future project.

“It’s not something that’s going to happen next year,”

Commissioner Greg Hansen said during a workshop on Monday, June 23. “But if it’s on the list, at least every year we can look at it.”

A one-year contract renewal for animal control and sheltering services with the Flagler Humane Society would cost the county $320,599, which includes a 7% increase on services. It would renew on Oct. 1.

Concerns with continuing the contract include the frequency of background checks on animal control officers and volunteers, as well as having county representation on the FHS Board, whether that be a county employee or an elected official. County Administrator Heidi Petito said FHS was concerned that having an elected official on their board would jeopardize the shelter’s nonprofit status; county staff dis-

agreed.

To add representation, FHS instead proposed a commissioner or county staff member meet monthly with the board as a county liaison to go over financial and intake reports, as well as address any issues that arise.

Commissioner Kim Carney said she didn’t understand the Humane Society’s concern — she serves on the board for the Early Learning Coalition, a nonprofit, and signed confidentiality statements.

“I hate to say it, but if they’re not disclosing what and how they operate, then they’re not fulfilling the obligations of being a 501c3,” Carney said.

Not being allowed to have county representation during the FHS board meetings concerns Pennington.

“We are all members of nonprofits,” she said. “We serve on nonprofit boards. We attend their meetings. We’re not briefed afterwards about what occurred.”

A CONTRACT WITH PALM COAST?

Contracting Palm Coast for animal control services, for domesticated animals only, would be more expensive: $392,660. Also, the county would need to find another provider for nondomestic animals, as well as shelter services and a spay and neuter program.

This factors in the cost for Palm Coast to hire two animal control officers and one administrative staff person, as well as some of the startup costs.

Bringing the program inhouse would cost $456,339,

according to the county. Like with Palm Coast, that would include the addition of two animal control officers, an administrative staff person — only these would be county employees — and the county would still need a provider for animal shelter services and the spay and neuter program.

“There are some concerns with us taking it on because it will involved some significant operational and financial, legal responsibilities,” Petito said. “This is not something we currently do, so it would probably take a little bit of time to get it set up, but we would be assuming full control over the staffing, the enforcement, community engagement.”

The county would also have high upfront costs for insurance, software, vehicles, equipment, as well as bear the full liability for any incidents.

Before making a decision, commissioners want to know how much the contract with Palm Coast could be in its second year, without the initial startup costs, which includes equipment and vehicles.

“It could be a drastic swing once they get up and running with a fleet in place,” Pennington said.

She also wanted to know how long the county would need to get an animal control program up an running.

“Do we need to contract out another year so that you can build out that program?” she asked. “That’s my concern.”

Palm Coast chief of staff leaves for Palm Bay assistant city manager role

Palm Coast’s Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo is leaving the city to become assistant city manager of Palm Bay, beginning July 14.

DeLorenzo, who has worked at Palm Coast since 2019, said he is excited to take on the job after Palm Bay’s city manager (former Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton) reached out to him several months prior.

Palm Bay has a population of around 150,000, with more industry and a younger demographic than here.

“Different set of challenges and opportunities,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting in there and learning all about the community and seeing how I can help the residents.” DeLorenzo was first hired in Palm Coast as the chief development officer in the Community Development Department. He has also been helping to fill in for other empty senior-level positions, including as utility director.

This will make the fourth seniorlevel position to sit empty at Palm Coast. The other open positions are the utility director, the assistant city manager and the community development director. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge is temporarily filling in as Palm Coast’s assistant city manager. DeLorenzo has been in a difficult position in Palm Coast of late, as Mayor Mike Norris sought to have him fired in March, leading to accusations of Norris violating the City Charter for interfering with staff.

Palm Coast family to be reunited with missing son

Sam Vengrinovich, 44, had been hiking for nine days, surviving on insects, grass, and even drinking his urine.

SERENA PIPER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Samuel “Sam” Vengrinovich, a 44-year-old American and Israeli citizen, has been found alive after going missing on Friday, June 6, during a hike near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, northern India.

A resident of Jaffa, Israel, Samuel had last been seen trekking on Mount Triund, a popular hiking destination known for its scenic vistas.

Samuel is the son of Vlad and Tina Vengrinovich, longtime members of the Jewish community residing in Palm Coast. Samuel’s sister Natasha Vengrinovich said he had been in India for about eight or nine months, after first seeking asylum in Hungary after tensions in Israel escalated with Iran.

“He had been traveling and trying to figure out where he was going to live while the country he [lived] in was at war,” she said. “This journey was going to be one of his last before returning home to figure out what he wanted to do next.”

Samuel went missing on June 6, and according to fellow hikers, he left his belongings, including his cell phone, at the overnight campsite and continued toward the snow line — a higher and more perilous section of the trail — despite deteriorating weather conditions.

Hagai, an Israeli hiker who encountered Samuel on the trail, noted that the conditions were tougher than usual and expressed concern that he might be stranded and in urgent need of rescue.

When Samuel failed to return to the campsite or make contact with friends, fellow travelers alerted local authorities and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The Israeli Embassy in

after he went missing during a hike in India. Photo courtesy of GoFundMe

India also coordinated with police and rescue officials in the region.

Additionally, a number of Israeli backpackers joined the search efforts, along with Chabad of Dharamshala and Magnus International Search & Rescue, a private Israeli firm specializing in emergency response.

Samuel’s father launched an online fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to help cover search and rescue expenses, including a potential helicopter operation.

Natasha received the news that her brother had been found — alive — in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 15.

Samuel had been walking toward a city in the distance for nine days, surviving on insects, grass, and even drinking his own urine.

Natasha credits her brother being found to many sources.

“We hired local trekkers, I contacted newscasters and senators, and posted on every social media channel I could think of,” she said. “It was really an international effort.”

Samuel is currently recovering in Fortis Hospital Kangra in India. His father plans to fly to India after his visa application is approved.

Funds from the GoFundMe will go toward surgeries for Samuel’s wrist and knee, as well as physical therapy and travel expenses. To help, search for “Help find my missing son in India” on GoFundMe.

Volusia group calls for peace in Middle East

Just Us Volusia is a peaceful, non-partisan action group formed in April.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

About 30 people gathered at the base of the Granada Bridge on Friday, June 20, to protest U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran, just one day before the U.S. launched a strike on three nuclear sites in Iran.

The protest was organized by Just Us Volusia, a peaceful, non-partisan action group formed by Kelly Czajkowski in April.

“We’re not an organization,” she said. “We’re just scrappy, grassroots concerned citizens that want to speak up and speak out, and maybe stand up and show up for people that maybe don’t feel safe doing that at this time.”

Just Us Volusia organizes protests on various issues, national and local, at the Daytona Beach City Hall every other weekend, and participants come from all over the political spectrum, Czajkowski said.

After the U.S. administration’s threats of getting involved in a war against Iran, several group members contacted Czajkowski to ask if they were going to do something, shar-

ing stories of loved ones currently enlisted who could be sent overseas.

“We do not support any wars,” Czajkowski said. “We are anti-war, and with that, the president ran on a policy of no wars and ending wars, and not starting wars. ... He said he was going to stop the policy of regime change and put America first, and here we are.”

National news outlets reported that Trump had planned to wait up to two weeks to decide on striking Iran. The strikes happened two days later, on June 22.

Czajkowski hasn’t always been an activist. But as a teacher who works with children with severe physical, mental and cognitive disabilities, she said she couldn’t stay silent as government policies began impacting their daily lives.

Attendance at protests organized by Just Us Volusia have been steadily

“We’re not an organization, we’re just scrappy, grassroots concerned citizens that want to speak up and speak out, and maybe stand up and show up for people that maybe don’t feel safe doing that at this time.”

KELLY CZAJKOWSKI

rising since their first official one held on the National Day of Action on April 5. The group recently held a “No Kings” protest in Daytona Beach which was attended by about 3,000 people. The group keeps track of attendance using stickers, and despite printing 2,500, they ran out within the first hour, Czajkowski said.

Just Us Volusia is fighting for free speech, she said. She hopes the protest encourages people to call their representatives.

“I feel like regardless of political affiliation, regardless of what party you’re aligned with when you go to vote, nobody voted for this,” Czajkowski said. “Nobody voted to go to war. Nobody voted thinking this was a good idea and I feel like we need to find common ground if we’re going to make any change.”

Appraisal lists Palm Harbor Golf Course’s market value at $1.8 million

Councilman Gambaro said it would be ‘irresponsible’ not to sell the course, which has been operating in the red for years. Vice Mayor Pontieri said she’d like to try and fix it first.

SIERRA WILLIAMS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Palm Coast City Council is seemingly deadlocked on what should be done about the city’s Palm Harbor Golf Course.

Palm Harbor has been operating in the red or at break-even costs since the city took ownership of it in 2009. In the name of efficiency and financial prudence, the council asked staff to bring forward a draft proposal to sell the 140-acre golf course, with deed restrictions that a purchaser would be required to keep the site as a public golf course.

The draft proposal, presented to the council on June 24, placed Palm Harbor’s market value at $1.8 million, including the business interests, land and fixtures. Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo also said it could take between nine and 12 months for the property to sell.

Council member Charles Gambaro said he’d like to go forward and list the golf course, but at a $2 million price point. Not only would selling the course save the city money, he said, but the city would also receive revenue from the sale and business tax.

“I think it’s prudent, in my estima-

tion, for this council to put this thing out to bid and see what we can get for it,” Gambaro said.

Gambaro also added that, in addition to restricting a purchaser to keeping the property as a golf course, he’d like to see that it remains a public golf course, rather than becoming a private course once purchased.

The city-owned golf course has been operating at a six-figure loss for the last several years, according to data presented to the council on April 22. It lost $168,274 in fiscal year 2023-2024 and $435,128 in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, after the city needed to purchase several replacement golf carts.

DeLorenzo said Palm Harbor is projected to bring in $1.7 million in revenue in fiscal year 2024-2025, but also have expenditures of $1.9 million.

Council member David Sullivan pointed out that selling Palm Harbor would not take away residents’ access to a public golf course. He said he’d like to see if there is some way residents can have access to golf but without costing Palm Coast money.

“We spent a tremendous amount of money to redo the golf course,”

Sullivan said. “But in spite of that investment, we are still not able to run the golf course in the black.”

‘WE CAN FIX THIS’

While both Gambaro and Sullivan agreed to send out the RFP — though Sullivan said he would ultimately support the majority’s decision — neither Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri nor Mayor Mike Norris felt the same.

Pontieri said she “had deep reservations” about the suggested $1.8 million price tag. The course’s

previous owners, she said, sold the property for $5.5 million. Pontieri was referring to the 16 acres of the course’s driving range, which was sold to JDI Palm Coast LLC in 2016 from Centex Homes for $5.5 million, according to the Flagler County Property Appraiser’s website. The range was later donated to Palm Coast by JDI.

Pontieri said she didn’t see how the property could have depreciated so much in value.

“I don’t think we should be subsidizing people playing golf,” she said, “but I think that if we get in a little bit deeper, we can fix this rather than selling off what is a very precious asset to our community.”

One avenue she said she wanted to explore is the amount of internal allocations. Palm Harbor’s expenditures include $473,833 in internal allocations from departments like IT and fleet. Pontieri said the city needs to ensure those allocations are practical.

Pontieri also said the city needs to review its lease with Loopers,

the restaurant in the Palm Harbor Clubhouse. In the appraisal’s comparables to similar golf courses, a semi-private, 18-hole course that sold 62,000 rounds in 2023 made $575,000 in food and beverage revenue that year. Palm Harbor made $12,000 in food and beverage revenue in 2023.

“I was floored by what other courses are making on food and beverage,” Pontieri said. “We missed the boat and Loopers got a deal.”

Norris agreed that Palm Coast should review the golf course’s finances again, raise rates if necessary and bring an in-house manager to run the golf course. He said he would never support selling the golf course.

“I’m completely against it [the RFP],” Norris said. “If we sell that golf course, it’s over.”

Norris said that not only was the appraisal too low, but that if the golf course was sold he “knew full well” that it would end up being developed into housing. Instead of selling it, he said, the city needed to find the right

type of management for the golf course.

He also suggested the city review its interlocal agreement with Flagler Schools to begin charging the golf teams to play at Palm Harbor. Currently, Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston said, the interlocal agreement allows Palm Coast and Flagler Schools to use each other’s facilities. Norris also agreed with Pontieri that the city do a further analysis of its finances.

“But I’m not going to support any selling of that property at all,” Norris said.

Gambaro said it would be “irresponsible” for the city not to sell the course.

“This city, in particular our Parks and Recreation department, has had year after year after year to run this operation in the black, and they have not,” Gambaro said. He added, “What we’ve been doing in the past is hemorrhaging money without even accounting for the capital improvement plans.”

Palm Coast Council lightens up house color restrictions, but is it enough?

The changes now allows light Bermuda colors, including blue shades, and lowers the LRV restriction to 65 from 80. Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris likened the restrictions to an HOA.

SIERRA WILLIAMS

The number of allowable colors for Palm Coast homes has increased, but some residents do not think the change goes far enough.

The Palm Coast City Council

approved on June 17 in a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Mike Norris opposing, a change to the city’s ordinance for house colors that expands the color range from those with an LRV of 80 or higher to those with an Light Reflection Value of 65 or higher. An LRV indicates how much light is reflected by a color, with a higher LRV equally a lighter color and lower LRV a darker color.

Though the change does broaden Palm Coast’s approved color list from pastels, beiges and grays to include light Bermuda colors, including blue, it still prohibits dark colors, sage and olive green and any shades of purple, fuchsia, magenta and orange with an LRV less than 65.

Resident Mindy Melendez was

one of the residents that instigated the review of the color ordinance back in 2023. She said that Palm Coast does not require residents to pull a permit to paint their homes, so many residents do not even know there are restrictions. And when the previous sitting council members began reviewing the ordinance, she said, no one even looked at the darker LRV range.

“I want to reiterate that we do not live in an HOA community,” Melendez said. “Homeowners are not required to pull permits to paint their homes.”

The enforcement of the policy is also inconsistent, she said: Many residences across the city have darker colors or non-approved colors.

“But because my neighbor complained, I get a citation,” she said.

Norris likened the restrictions to that of an HOA, and said the city should just restrict neons and “polka dots” and “stripes,” and allow residents to choose their own colors.

“Me personally, I don’t think we should have an ordinance that restricts that personal freedom to paint your house what you want,” he said.

Norris also said that the city needs to review how it enforces its code.

Code enforcement officers in Palm Coast do not police the neighborhoods, instead relying on residents to report their neighbors for code violations.

“I don’t think we need a code

enforcement board,” Norris said. “I think we need some more teeth in our ordinance.”

Resident Mark Webb agreed.

“We’re relying on our neighbors to enforce the codes that we have in place,” he said.

Council member Ty Miller said that the city should review its enforcement processes as a whole.

“I think that’s applicable for a lot of code, not just this one,” he said. With consensus from the council as a whole, the city will review the code enforcement process at a future meeting. For now, the council has approved the first of two required votes for the new color ordinance.

Email story ideas to brent@ observerlocalnews.com.

Flagler County Commission favors bringing animal control in-house

‘WE NEED TO FIND A WAY’ Commissioner Kim Carney wanted to table the discussion, citing a need for more data and a desire to look at the issue during the budget process.

During public comment, Palm Coast resident Cathy Saris said tabling a decision was not the right decision.

“You need to move on with it,” she said. “There’s local rescues in the area that they don’t have any buildings, any brick and mortar, but they’re reaching out to residents to foster and now those fosters are full.”

Caroline Johnson, founder of local animal rescue SMART of Flagler County, said her organization has taken in 12 dogs who were dumped in one area alone in the last six to seven

weeks. They have no place to house animals, and many fosters have two to three dogs. She offered help to fundraise for a new shelter.

“We find a way for every other project,” she said. “We need to find a way for the animals as well.”

During her presentation, Petito shared an estimate of $3.78 million for the county to construct its own animal shelter. This estimate was based on the construction and site work on a 5-acre property, but didn’t account for land costs. The shelter would be composed of four buildings and hold up to 100 dogs. Each kennel building would house about 24 dogs.

Pennington said the workshop was a good time to gather consensus on the building to place it on the county’s capital improvements project list. It could be a project the county

works toward, and asks for a nonprofit to operate, or seeks legislative funding for, she said.

“I don’t know if that’s something anybody wants to entertain right now in terms of discussion for the building,” she said. “... I just think maybe we do recognize that there is a shortage of space in a growing county, so somebody has to keep an eye out on that.”

Carney asked why the shelter would need to house 100 dogs from the start.

“Can’t we start with 24 dogs?” she asked. “Why exploit this to the highest level and not come somewhere in the medium, because I don’t think we ever said that we were going to house every dog that’s going to be dropped off in Flagler County.” Petito said that’s why the con -

cept placed before them also broke it down to cost per building — each kennel building is estimated at $405,000.

FUTURE TALKS

Carney acknowledged that the county is growing, but that the proposed shelter building is “about three times bigger” than what she had envisioned.

Who will operate the animal shelter is still up for debate. Pennington suggested that it could be a second site for the Flagler Humane Society.

“Those are future talks,” she said.

If the county is serious about an animal shelter, Hansen said, then they should start saving up for it. Having funds set aside would also help the county with any future legislative asks.

“I’m not sure what the stomach is up in Tallahassee for doing that, but we have to show that we got a little money in the game,” he said. Carney said it would “be great” to do business with Palm Coast, but that she didn’t see that as a long term solution — for animal control or a new shelter.

“I think Palm Coast is OK with what’s going on, I don’t know, but we’ve got to take the lead on this,” she said. “And just for the record, none of this is statutorily required of us. We’re doing this because we want to.”

The commission will make a decision on animal control services at its July 2 meeting, pending further data. Email Jarleene Almenas at jarleene@observerlocalnews.com.

Palm Coast’s taxable value increases 9%

As the city prepares to adopt its maximum millage rate for the 2026 budget, Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri said she’d like to see it set to a tenth lower than last year’s rate. ‘We can always go lower.’

SIERRA WILLIAMS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Taxable property value in Palm Coast is up by over 9%. Of that, 5% is attributable to new construction, Financial Services Director Helena Alves said.

The June 1 initial assessment of Flagler County’s assessed, nonexempt property values sets the stage for budget discussions in Palm Coast for 2026. The 9.29% increase in taxable property value is an increase from $9.9 billion to $10.9 billion. Based on that value, if the city keeps the same millage rate from fiscal year 2025 of 4.1893, that would generate approximately $43.8 million in ad

BIZ BUZZ

Tomoka Eye Associates adds new optometrist

Tomoka Eye Associates has announced the addition of optometrist Dr. Charlotte Fae to its team of eyecare professionals.

Fae is a graduate of Southern College of Optometry with experience in community service through optometry. During her studies, she served as president of the Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, providing eye care to underserved communities. Fae earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences from UCF Burnett Honors College (2016-2019).

“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr.

valorem revenue for the city’s budget, Alves said. That is a $3.7 million increase from fiscal year 2025.

The final values and projected revenues for the budget will be available after July 1.

Vice Mayor Theresa said she would like to see what the budget would look like with a tenth of a mill rollback.

“I’m not saying that we can’t entertain a full rollback, but I’m saying that at the very least, we’re looking to set the max millage rate.

The max I would like to see is a tenth rollback,” she said. “We can always go lower.”

Compared to other cities in Florida with a population between 95,000120,000, Palm Coast has the second lowest millage rate, Alves said. Of its neighboring cities, Palm Coast’s millage rate is lower than Flagler Beach’s 5.450, Daytona Beach’s 5.930, Port Orange’s 4.975 and Bunnell’s 7.930.

Flagler County has a millage rate of 7.9945 and Ormond Beach, which has a population of 45,140, has a millage rate of 4.0960.

“In comparison to our neighboring communities, Palm Coast does have the third lowest millage rate with one

Fae to the Tomoka Eye Associates family,” CEO Bill Watson said in a press release. “Her passion for patient care and community service aligns perfectly with our mission of providing personalized, professional eye care to our patients.”

Fae’s addition expands service by increasing availability for comprehensive eye exams at both the Ormond Beach and Port Orange locations.

of the highest populations,” Alves said.

Once the maximum millage rate is adopted — which will happen at the July 15 meeting — the council can only change the millage rate by going lower, per state statute. The final millage rate and the budget for fiscal year 2026 will be adopted on Sept. 10 and 24. Palm Coast’s budget for fiscal year 2025 was $451 million, with a general fund of $61 million. If the council adopts a rollback of any sort, it will be the third budget in a row that the city has adopted a lower millage rate than the previous year’s budget.

Lifestyle Realty Group adds Karin Dent as new agent in Ormond Beach Lifestyle Realty Group has added agent Karin Dent to its Ormond Beach brokerage.

Dent is a longtime Florida resident, a real estate agent since 2006, and a former educator in both Orange and Volusia County.

Ormond man arrested for death of 18-month-old son

VSO reports that Scott Allen Gardner left his son in his truck for three hours while he got a haircut and drank at a local bar.

OBSERVER STAFF

A 33-year-old Ormond Beach man who left his 18-month-old son inside his truck for three hours while he got a haircut and went to a local bar earlier this month was arrested on aggravated manslaughter and child neglect charges on Thursday, June 19.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reports that Scott Allen Gardner called 911 on June 6 at about 2:45 p.m. to report that his son, Sebastian, was not breathing. Ormond Beach Police responded to the residence of Gardner’s mother on Standing Drive, and the responding officer attempted to perform CPR, but according to Gardner’s arrest report, “was unable to due to the child’s jaw being in a rigid state and unable to move,” indicating rigor mortis, or the stiffening of muscles and joints after death, had set in.

“My hope for him (Gardner) is every night when he closes his eyes and every morning when he opens his eyes, his son Sebastian sits there and says, ‘Dad, why did you do this to me?’” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said during a news conference on Friday, June 20. “Because there is no reason for this little boy to be dead.”

Gardner told police that Sebastian had a low-grade fever earlier that day, but that they had eaten lunch, played and laugh. He said they had been driving to the park when he noticed something was wrong, and he reached back and “started slapping him in the face,” the report states. Gardner claimed the child opened his eyes after he attempted to perform CPR.

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Gardner’s mother told police that

her son had show up with Sebastian and told them he wasn’t breathing. Her boyfriend, who was at the home, tried to perform CPR but couldn’t open the boy’s mouth, and noted his skin was “hot.”

Sebastian was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. An emergency room doctor noted that he had likely been dead for over an hour and a nurse estimated that his body temperature was likely at 111 degrees when police first arrived.

On June 9, detectives learned that Gardner had gotten a hair cut at Classic Cuts at around 11:30 a.m. and stopped at Hanky Panky’s Lounge afterward around noon while Sebastian was under his care on June 6. The day’s temperature was about 90 degrees.

Surveillance footage showed Gardner’s vehicle traveling south on Ocean Shore Boulevard, away from Hanky Panky’s, at 2:43 p.m. Gardner admitted to detectives that he had left Sebastian in his truck during both stops, saying the windows had been rolled down and he had a battery-operated fan pointed in the child’s direction.

A medical examiner determined Sebastian died of hyperthermia.

During the news conference, Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey extended his department’s condolences to the family. This is one of the worst kind of call law enforcement responds to, and Godfrey said mental health resources are being provided to his officers.

“When a child’s life is lost like this, there has to be accountability, and that’s what’s happening right now,” Godfrey said.

There are instances where parents forget their kids in the backseat, Chitwood said. This was intentional.

“Anybody with a lick of common sense would say, ‘Why would I leave my child in the car while I get my hair cut and then go drinking with a little mini-fan blowing on them and think that that somehow is going to be a good thing,” he said.

When you plan ahead, you can make your final wishes known and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind.

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2 new principals at Flagler Schools

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Schools has hired from within to fill its two vacant principal positions. Mike Rinaldi, the district’s coordinator of professional standards, will be the new principal at Matanzas High School. Katie Hansen, an assistant principal at Indian Trails Middle School, will be the new principal at Buddy Taylor Middle School.

“It’s a great day when we can promote within our organization,” Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore said.

The School Board made the hires official at its business meeting on Tuesday, June 24, by approving June’s personnel items on the Human Resources consent agenda.

“We are excited to welcome Mr. Rinaldi and Ms. Hansen into these important roles,” Moore said. “Both are talented and experienced educators

with a passion for helping educate the next generation, as well as building strong school communities. I’m confident they’ll lead with integrity, vision and heart as they both prioritize putting children first in all they do.”

Rinaldi has almost 20 years of administrative experience and 25 years of education experience in the Volusia and Flagler county school districts. He is completing his eighth year with Flagler Schools, the last two as the coordinator of professional standards in which he was responsible for investigating employee misconduct and ensuring compliance with policies and regulations. He is also a former assistant principal at Belle Terre Elementary School and Flagler Palm Coast High School. He becomes the fifth principal at Matanzas, replacing Kristin Bozeman, who is moving with her family to North Carolina.

“I’m very excited,” Rinaldi said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to continue the standard of excellence that the principals before me laid out. And I look forward to working with the community collaboratively to move Flagler forward.”

Hansen has worked in Flagler Schools for the past 22 years. Before she became an administrator at ITMS three years ago, she was the longtime president of the district’s teachers’ union — the Flagler County Educators Association. Hansen returns to BTMS where in 2014-18 she was a Teacher Support Colleague — a grant position designed to provide instructional support to other teachers. A former math and science teacher, Hansen was named Indian Trails’ Teacher of the Year in 2013.

Hansen replaces Cara Cronk at BTMS, who is retiring along with her husband, Justin Cronk, who, with Hansen, was also an assistant principal at ITMS.

Hansen was in Hawaii on vacation and unable to attend the School Board meeting.

In a district press release, she said, “I’m truly honored to return to Buddy Taylor Middle School as its principal. This school holds a special place in my heart, and I’m excited to work alongside our faculty and staff to help our students and their families reach their educational goals.”

Rinaldi and Hansen will begin their new positions on July 1.

Flagler to hire school choice guide

The person in this role will provide guidance to families navigating a wide range of educational options.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

In the movie, “The Miracle on 34th Street,” Kris Kringle, the Macy’s Santa Claus, goes against store policy by sending parents to a competitor to get the best deal for a specific toy.

In that vein, Flagler Schools is planning to create a new district position to help families navigate the increasingly complicated options open to them for educating their children — even if the parents don’t choose public schools. The district position of School Choice Specialist would replace the current position of Student Engagement Specialist which has been vacant for a few months and was more of a clerical position, Assistant Superintendent Angela O’Brien said.

The School Choice Specialist will ensure that families will have timely and personalized guidance, O’Brien told the School Board at an information workshop on Tuesday, June 24. Several counties have created similar positions “to get ahead of the curve on school choice,” Chief Human Resources Officer Robert Ouellette said. “We can make sure we clear up any misunderstandings as far as what we offer.” Superintendent LaShakia Moore said parents might want to try a hybrid program that includes home schooling along with certain courses the school district provides, or they may want to go in a different direction outside of the

district.

“I want parents to know we’re not upset with them when they make the best choice for their children,” Moore said. “We just want to do our part well.”

The School Choice Specialist would help both the families and the district navigate the various scenarios, she said.

“When a parent comes in wanting to do a hybrid or wanting to go in a different direction that includes us or doesn’t include us, we’ll have that person that can provide proper guidance,” Moore said. “It can be very complex — home education, dual enrollment, students on PEP (personalized education program) scholarships, and they’re wanting to take courses with us, and how do we set up invoices to make sure we’re receiving proper compensation for those courses?”

“I do believe it’s a position we’ll be able to fill,” Moore said. “It could be a current or former teacher, or someone who worked in communications in a district and learned this information from creating the content or Human Resources or someone from a collegiate level, experienced with this process of registration, enrollment and how to create an ala carte type of educational experience. I do believe the person exists, but to get the really best candidate, we’ll have to open it up to individuals who may not be coming from the traditional route in education.

“I’m very excited about this position,” she added. “I can also see this person out in the community.”

John Fanelli, the district’s director of student services, said school choice legislation is changing every year and families may not be fully informed on the outcome of their decisions.

“It’s really important to have somebody able to answer all their questions and walk them through virtual to school choice to home education to a blended model,” he said.

School Board Chair Will Furry said he supports the new position but wondered if a person with such a wealth of knowledge exists.

Moore said the district needs to think outside the box. The job description calls for a bachelor’s degree in education, communications, public administration or a related field, with a master’s degree preferred, plus three or more years of professional experience in any of a variety of fields including education, family engagement or marketing.

The workshop began with the district’s legislative consultants, John and Bob Cerra, providing a somewhat grim report on the recently ended legislative session. Total education funding is increasing almost $1 billion to $29.5 billion, but most of that will be within the voucher program, John Cerra said. The legislature is providing about a $1.9 million increase to the district’s total potential funding but will require it to spend about $2.2 million in legislative mandates next year.

“The loss of students for school choice options are extremely challenging for the board to make their budget moving forward,” he said. “We are having our own issue, but other districts are having a worse time.”

The School Choice Specialist would follow up with families that withdraw their child to try homeschooling, Moore said.

“This person would be following back up, ‘How is it going? Can we do anything to support you?’ We want (them) to know we’re here as a partner,” Moore said.

BRIEFS

Palm Coast launches risk assessment to drive efficiency

In response to City Council direction and residents’ calls for continual ad vancements, the City of Palm Coast will conduct an Entity‑Wide Risk Assessment this summer. National consulting firm Plante Moran has been selected through a competitive Request for Proposals process to lead the effort.

“The services that this firm is go ing to provide are unique in nature –they’re first going to do a deep dive into our organization before they offer any recommendations,” Tim

COPS CORNER

JUNE 9

DEBIT OR CREDIT

1:32 p.m. — 400 block of South Yonge Street, Ormond Beach

Fraud. Responding to a call about a suspicious person, police located the suspect — a 37 year old Ormond Beach man — and asked him if they could search his backpack. The man agreed, and when police found 11 debit cards, each with a different name, he said he had found them in Daytona Beach. But, he didn’t provide a specific location. Then, he asked if he was going to

Wilsey, Risk & Safety Administrator for the City of Palm Coast, stated.

“From an outside perspective, you have a firm that has experience in this, and they’re going to give their expertise in developing a matrix that can be used for years to come.”

Plante Moran will conduct inter views with key stakeholders to iden tify operational, strategic, financial, and compliance related risks. Based on those findings, the firm will work with city leadership to make recom mendations. Additionally, the City will receive guidance to can enhance operational efficiency and improve services across all departments.

The assessment is expected to give City Council a clear, data driven understanding of current and poten tial challenges.

jail for the cards.

Police discovered he had an active warrant out of Tennessee for the possession and fraudulent use of credit and debit cards. He was taken to jail.

JUNE 11

CLAIM OF OWNERSHIP

4:01 p.m. — 700 block of South Nova Road, Ormond Beach Trespassing. A 45 year old Daytona Beach Shores woman was arrested after she loitered inside a local laundromat, smoking cigarettes and rubbing the burning end on a table. When officers arrived, the woman didn’t have a lit cigarette, nor did they see any burn marks on a table. But, while speaking to police, the woman said “the owners of this busi

Flagler Executive Airport to join ‘Florida First Sites’ program

Flagler County Economic Develop ment and Executive Airport staff welcomed on June 11 the economic development teams of Global Loca tions Strategies and Florida Power & Light to start the vetting process for the Florida First Sites program.

The Florida First Sites program utilizes GLS – an independent source that verifies whether a site is ready to go or is shovel/pad ready –which means a lot of different things. It answers questions for developers with commercial and light industrial projects like the following:

„ Does the site have water and

ness are going to pass this down to me,” and that she owned it.

Police report the woman had an active trespass affidavit for the shopping plaza and the laundromat. She was taken to jail.

JUNE 18

SHOT FIRED

11:50 p.m. — 2000 block of North Ocean Shore Boulevard, Flagler Beach

Use of firearm under influence of alcohol. Flagler Beach police arrest ed a 63 year old woman after her lot neighbors reported a loud bang and the presence of a bullet hole and de bris in their home, according to the arrest report. The reporting officer noted that the home in the lot next door had a broken glass window.

sewer?

„ Does it have electricity and fiber?

„ Does it have roads, drainage, and water retention?

In short, does it have all the hori zontal infrastructure in place for site development?

“Selection for the Florida First Sites program allows this indepen dent assessment of the commer cial and light industrial property within the Flagler Executive Airport jurisdiction,” Economic Develop ment Manager Dolores Key said.

“In doing so, the airport will have increased site visibility and improves its chances of landing an economic development project.”

This process highlights the Air port’s 130 acres of light industrial and commercial land that may be of

When contacted by police, the woman admitted she’d had an “in cident” with a firearm, stating that she had been in her living room and picked up her firearm, at which point it was discharged by accident. A second person inside her home was unharmed.

As police spoke with the woman, they noted her breath smelled like alcohol. The gun was found in a box on the living room floor next to a recliner chair.

The woman was taken to jail.

JUNE 19

PEDESTRIAN STOP

11:29 p.m. — Intersection of South Chapel Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Avenue, Bunnell Obstruction without violence. A

interest to companies interested in relocating to the region.

Flagler County will receive an example of how the site selection process works, as well as marketing materials that will include a video of the Flagler Executive Airport. In ad dition, FPL’s economic development team will host the airport on its spe cialized website that features Florida First Sites while they are on trade missions, including international air shows held in France and England.

“This is another strategic alliance brought together for the betterment of our community,” Key said. “Work ing together makes us all stronger.” Send news story ideas to brent@ observerlocalnews.com.

35 year old Bunnell man was tased three times by a deputy after he didn’t comply with a deputy’s order to approach his patrol car for a traf fic stop because he was walking on a roadway.

The deputy said he saw him pull his hand toward the area of his lower abdomen, and because he was uncooperative and unsure if he had weapons, the deputy conducted a takedown maneuver.

While on the ground, the man was tased three separate times as he resisted the deputy. After he was arrested, the deputy asked if he needed medical attention, and the man said he did but refused to tell the deputy why, the report notes. He was transported to the hospital and then to jail.

This June, make the move to Paradise Pointe Assisted Living & Memory Care and take advantage of our exclusive summer special designed to welcome you in true Paradise style.

Move in during June and receive:

A $2,000 MOVE-IN CREDIT – APPLIED TOWARD YOUR RENT OR COMMUNITY FEE

A PERSONALIZED WELCOME HOME SUNSET PARTY – hosted on our patio, gazebo or Sandbar with refreshments, music, and golden-hour views for your family and friends.

Whether you’re downsizing or beginning a new chapter with extra care and comfort, Paradise Pointe is where vibrant living meets peace of mind. Make your move this June and start your next chapter with sunshine, support, and celebration

Make yourself at home

‘We don’t take fake money’

overheard these plans while we sat on the couch, working on our laptops. It was unclear at first whether Luke was trying to poke fun at his mother’s boot, which she has been wearing since she had surgery a month earlier.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

With a friend over on a Saturday, the game of choice for my 7-year-old son, Luke, was “Shop.” That means toys and books of all varieties were hauled from his bedroom to fill all corners of the living room, and price tags were about to be created in a garage-sale-style makebelieve venture. In other words, the mess was spreading like the coronavirus.

In addition to the advertising sign that was posted in the kitchen to attract the family’s attention, Luke also had one more sign to make.

“We need a disabled parking space,” he told his friend. My wife, Hailey, and I

LETTERS

City should have full control of approving developments

Dear Editor:

When the former Palm Coast mayor was defeated, residents were encouraged to believe that unrelenting approval of building requests would abate. Unfortunately, the problem has only grown. The current City Council members must take action. Adding to the issue is Florida Senate Bill (SB) 784 (which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on Friday, June 20). SB 784 strips City Council of the authority to review and determine the fate of each application for development.

(See Editor’s Note.)

Concern must be given to the deteriorating quality of life for residents of Palm Coast. The cost of controlling crime has increased. And, since virtually all east/

But he seemed pretty sincere when he tried to impress upon his friend how important it was.

“In our shop, if we don’t have a disabled parking space, we’ll get arrested,” Luke said.

A few minutes later, apparently the business had fulfilled as many legal requirements as Luke could think of, and the shop officially opened. Unfortunately, no customers.

So, as with most new stores, the first customers were friends and family who were guilted into it.

“Dad, can you be a customer?” Luke asked.

“Probably,” I mumbled, still staring at my laptop.

west traffic is on Palm Coast Parkway and State Road 100, the increase in vehicles is very apparent. Adding vehicles exacerbates the issue, adding choke points. Despite any delegation of responsibilities to administrative departments, the members of the City Council, current and future, need to have total control of land use. The tail should not wag the dog. Granted, the initial planners of Palm Coast designed a development plan. However, as with any plan, it is not sacrosanct. Residents of Palm Coast live here because of the quality of life. City Council members have a mandate to guard conditions that promote quality of life for residents.

JOHN (JACK) HARTSOCH Palm Coast

Editor’s Note: SB 784

“Right now?” he added. I dutifully walked into the living room and surveyed the wares, all of which Hailey and I had purchased for him in the past, of course. In one “aisle,” he had placed a stack of books. In another “aisle,” also known as a quadrant of the rug in front of the coffee table, I saw some action figures arranged neatly, side by side. It was surprisingly moving to see the amount of work they had put into this store. They had come up with this idea on their own and then executed it without any help. I could see how proud they were of it, and, by some miracle of parenting, I felt that same pride, as if it were a gift they, or perhaps God, had given me, a multiplication of their accomplishment, allowing me to generously take part in their harvest even though I hadn’t done the sowing.

Luke’s friend was sitting on the couch with an old

requires county or city governing bodies to designate an “administrative authority” to review plat or re-plat submissions. If the administrative authority finds the submission meets the legal standards, it would be the one to issue a “final administrative approval,” not the city or county governing body itself.

Parents need choices, such as Montessori, not just public schools

Dear Editor: In response to a recent letter to the editor regarding public schools and the education of teachers, I would like to point out the following. Montessori teachers are required to attend specialized classes, learn lessons in the Montessori method and graduate with either a twoyear or four-year certification in addition to a college

Easing pet anxiety during fireworks

Even if your dog isn’t scared during thunder storms, fireworks can terrify them.

With July 4th fast approaching, let’s keep animals in mind as we celebrate. Studies suggest that 50% of dogs have a significant fear of fireworks.

Dogs are able to hear up to 60,000 hertz, while humans can’t hear anything above 20,000 hertz. This acuity is one of the reasons the sound of fireworks can be harmful to dogs.

Even if your dog isn’t scared during thunder storms, fireworks can terrify them. The main difference is the warning signs. Thunderstorms come with changes in wind, temperature and barometric pressure, allowing animals to anticipate and plan. Fireworks are sudden and intense, leaving animals no time to prepare.

Fireworks also can be louder than thunder. Professional displays can reach 150 to 175 decibels, while thunder ranges 100 to 115 decibels.

I have multiple dogs. Only one, Lilly Lou Pickles, is afraid during thunderstorms, but all of them panic when neighbors set off fireworks. If your pet has severe reactions to fireworks, there’s still time this

year to consult your veterinarian to determine if anxiety meds should be prescribed. If you don’t want to go that route, there are still ways to help ease your dog’s fears. You may purchase a calming wrap for your dog. The most common brand name is “Thunder Shirt” (they’re made for humans, too). The idea is that the compression is a bit like a hug. White noise like calming music or a loud fan can help. Make sure your scared dog has a safe spot like a covered crate that they can come and go from. Some dogs will squeeze under the bed or hide in the closet. I mentioned my dog Lilly Lou Pickles; my husband took an odd shaped wall in our bedroom and built Lilly Lou her own apartment. I always know way ahead of time if a storm is coming: It’s when she goes in her apartment. I call her our little meteorologist.

Dogs aren’t the only animals affected by fear of fireworks. The effects of fireworks on cats are less obvious, but their responses

laptop keyboard that didn’t work. I surmised that she was the cashier, so I brought my selected items to her for checkout: an Iron Man action figure, a miniature plastic can of fruit cocktail, and a composition book of Luke’s kindergarten grade assignments, with misspellings galore.

“That’s 32,” the cashier told me. Then, almost as an afterthought, she said, “Dollars.”

“Here you go,” I said, miming a fistful of cash. I was playing along, entering their world of make believe like a great dad who—

“We don’t take fake money,” Luke’s friend said with a straight face.

For a moment, I felt that I had just entered a mobster’s lair, gotten myself into a real predicament. What would happen to me if I couldn’t cough up the cash?

I offered my credit card instead, as a peace offering.

Overseeing this “transaction,” Luke was wise to my ruse. I might have been imagining it, but I believe that in his smile — that good

degree. As a trained Montessori teacher, I have seen the results of this teaching method first hand with students having excelled scholastically far beyond what is offered in public schools at their grade level.

Given the news coverage of the state of public education in the United States, the ideology taught and sadly the lack of students to perform at grade level is not a stellar recommendation for parents to leave their children in public schools. COVID and the education systems’ response to it are a prime example of what not to do. In my opinion the teachers union appears more interest-

are similar. Horses can feel threatened by fireworks due to their hypervigilance since they are constantly on alert for possible predators. It is estimated that 79% of horses experience anxiety from fireworks.

Wildlife may have severe reactions too. The shock of fireworks can cause wildlife to flee, ending up in unexpected areas or roadways, even abandoning nests, leaving young to die of dehydration or starvation. The effects on wild animals are challenging to document. Researchers expect that millions of birds and other wildlife are affected around the world every year. There is a growing acceptance of alternatives, such as laser light shows. There are also “silent” fireworks, which aren’t completely silent but are not nearly as loud. So, it is possible to enjoy fireworks without causing stress.

This is a good time to ensure your pet’s microchip information is current. Or, if your pets are not microchipped, contact your vet or come see us at Flagler Humane Society and get your pet microchipped. July 4-5 are some of the busiest days of the year for shelter intake, with pets getting lost during Independence Day festivities. Amy Carotenuto is the executive director of Flagler Humane Society. Visit 1 Shelter Drive, Palm Coast Call 386 445-1814.

natured, everpresent smile — I also saw a fleeting disappointment, which revealed that he had at least an inkling of hope that all of this work would pay off with actual money.

Was this store makebelieve, or was it a real business in his eyes?

Whatever his true vision had been, as soon as he saw that I didn’t intend to pay the $32 in cash, he immediately accepted it, by some miracle of childhood, in perfect humility to accept that his father’s will would be done.

Hailey, hobbling past the handicapped parking spot (aka a kitchen chair), approached the cash register next. Her total price showed the extent to which Luke and his friend had yielded. They had given up on real money, and it was now pure fun.

“That’ll be $1 billion,” Luke told her with a laugh that was completely without guile. The two friends giggled, no hard feelings, no expectations, no disappointment.

For Luke, getting his parents to play was payment enough.

ed in politics than education as well as maintaining their revenue.

As a parent I want the best for my child. Scholastic education should not be limited to public schools. This is not in any way degrading the Flagler County public school system but simply pointing out there are other options that parents may choose that are not poor decisions.

ELIZABETH HOBBS

Palm Coast

Send letters to brent@ observerlocalnews.com. Include first and last name, as well as city of residence.

CORRECTIONS

„ In the article titled “Bunnell to consider rezoning 1,800 acres to industrial” on page 4A of the June 19 edition, the article incorrectly stated Bunnell’s road improvement budget is $500,000. It is $15,000 for road repairs. „ A photo on the Ormond Beach Observer ’s Page 3A in the June 19 edition listed Judit Glant as Arnold Kolozsvári’s girlfriend; she is his fiancé.

STUFF Bus Drives

June 23rd-27th- Kara King Esthetics

July 7th-11- Palm Coast Chiropractic th July 11- 13th- Publix @ Island Walk th July 14th -18th- Chiumento Law

July 21- Space Coast Bank st July 26- Italian American Club th July 30- FCAR th August 1- Coastal Intergrative st August 2 Back to School Jam nd-

WISH LIST

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Totem pole provides backdrop at dog park for a Native American blessing

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

After the operators of the Bed and Biscuit Inn, 711 John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, received a totem pole as a gift, they decided to hold a special Native American ceremony on Saturday, June, 21, blessing the cremains of people’s beloved dogs.

The inn’s owner, Rick, and his sister, inn manager Alexandra Maj, installed the towering totem pole at the Bed and Biscuit’s 3-acre dog park and invited Dennis “Mountain Bear” to perform a Lakota Tribe mourning

prayer, blessing the ashes that people brought to the ceremony.

“This is a blessing for this property, for the people who come here and for their four-legged friends,” Mountain Bear said. “This is not like a powwow. It’s very sacred.”

He rhythmically struck a hand drum, burned sage and cedar, explained the blessings and translated Lakota words, such as sunka (dog). He asked God to watch over and bless the dogs in both the seen and unseen worlds. He invited the spirits and thanked them at the end.

Bill Angrick watched the ceremony from a picnic table bench. He had donated the totem pole to the Bed and Biscuit. The totem was carved from a walnut tree in his backyard when he lived in Iowa. When he made the decision to remove the tree, he chose to transform it into a totem pole.

Paw-sitive ceremony

“A friend of mine was a chainsaw artist. We read some books and chose our totem,” he said. “When we moved down here, it stayed in the

garage for 10 years. I was talking to Rick and I asked him if he wanted a totem. I was in tears (during the ceremony). What a phenomenal way to take that old piece of wood and bring it new life.”

The event marked an informal reopening of the dog park, Rick said.

The off-leash dog park is free and open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The Bed and Biscuit Inn has rates for day care and boarding. There is a monthly membership for the dog pool. There are also airconditioned cabins where dogs at the park can cool off and even watch television, Maj said.

The Observer wants to tell your story! Send ideas to Brent Woronoff at brent@observerlocalnews.com.

Cool Beans Barbeque celebrates eight years

Cool Beans Barbeque and Catering is celebrating its eighth anniversary. Owners Keith and Tanya Derstine have been working together for 16 years. According to a statement to the Observer, the Derstines began repairing homes for banks eight years

ago, and Tanya said it was a “stressful, strong arm job” in which they spent a lot of time on the computer uploading and submitting bids. Now, the couple spend their working hours in a much different manner.

“We plan out our day the night before,” Tanya said. “Then we divide and conquer. Keith hand selects every piece of meat he is putting on the smoker. Sometimes that means traveling to a few stores for the best cut and quality. Sometimes we pay more. That’s the price of doing business. “

According to their website, Cool Beans Barbeque meats are seasoned with fruit wood and their own special blend dry rub. All sides are homemade.

Tanya said she was intrigued about Keith’s dedication and passion for cooking since their first breakfast date and the first time he cooked for her.

“Now eight years later we are standing strong as Cool Beans Barbeque and Catering through all the trials and tribulations,” she said. Visit coolbeansbarbeque.com.

1814 or visit

and

YOUR TOWN

Casements Camera Club announces exhibit winners

The Casements Camera Club has announced the winners for its 12th annual spring exhibit at reception held June 17, in the gallery at The Casements.

The show entries were judged by the club members.

A “People’s Choice Award” was chosen by a vote by the general public.

The winners were:

„ Best of Show: “Double Vision” by Donna Armstrong

„ People’s Choice Award: “Into Africa” by Virginia Rice

„ First place: “Upward” by Nancy Munier

„ Second place: “Bowing Beauties” by Ans van Beek

„ Third place: “Village Woman” by Gloria Lotzer

The show will remain on display through the morning of June 26. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Local quilters aid effort to donate 50,000 pillowcases to hospitals

The Jacksonville/Daytona Chapter of Ryan’s Case for

Smiles is celebrating the delivery of 50,000 colorful pillowcases for children, thanks to volunteers from local quilt guilds.

Sewers from Quilters by the Sea in Ormond Beach and Sewing with Heart in Palm Coast are part of the network of the local chapter of Ryan’s Case for Smiles, according to a press release.

Every other month, over 400 individually packaged pillowcases are delivered to are delivered to Nemours and Wolfson’s Children’s Hospitals in Jacksonville, Halifax Health and Adventhealth Hospitals in Daytona, and Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville. They are also delivered to Pedscare Hospice, Ronald McDonald House and Begin Again Children’s Grief Counseling.

Ryan’s Case for Smiles aims to help children “feel better to heal better through

pillowcase smiles,” the press release states.

In addition to the local quilt guilds, quilt shops Cut Up and Sew, in Palm Coast and St. Augustine, and the Sew N’ Quilt Co. in Holly Hill have held “charity days” for where hundreds of pillowcases are

sewn in a day. The stores also serve as drop-off locations.

At the national level, Ryan’s Case for Smiles is celebrating the deliver of 3 million pillowcases.

Want to help? The Jacksonville/Daytona chapter invites you to make pillowcases and drop them off at one of its locations. You can also donate fabric or other sewing materials, and organize a group effort through your church, guild, workplace or other service group. To donate, visit caseforsmiles.org, and designate the Jacksonville/ Daytona chapter. All donations are tax deductible.

For more Information, contact Jacksonville/Daytona Chapter Coordinator Sheri Muth via email at case4smilesjaxdaytona@gmail.com.

Halifax Repertory Theatre to perform ‘Guys and Dolls’

Halifax Repertory Theatre will perform the iconic Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls,” running July 25 through Aug. 3 at the DSC News-Journal Center in Daytona Beach.

“We’re thrilled to bring this timeless crowd-pleaser to life with a fresh, comic-bookinspired visual style and an extraordinary local cast,” said Sandy Cook, artistic director of Halifax Repertory Theatre.

For tickets: call 386-2909963 or visit www.halifaxrep. com.

EVENTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 26

PALM COAST CONCERT SERIES

When: 6-8 p.m.

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

Details: See the band Half Step Down at this free community event. There will be live music, food trucks, vendors, yard games, and beer and wine. Bring a chair.

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

BARBECUE AND JAZZ

When: 4-7 p.m.

Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast

Details: The North East Florida Jazz Association invites the community to listen to jazz while enjoying some barbecue at its annual Barbecue and Jazz event. The music will feature NEFJA scholarship winner and popular local Jazz percussionist Ethan Grussgott and his quintet. Tickets $45. Visit NEFJA.org or call Muriel McCoy at 386-4451329.

‘BEETLEJUICE JR.’

When: 7 p.m. on Friday, June 27; 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 28

Where: Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach

Details: Children’s Musical Theatre Workshop is cel-

ebrating its 43rd year with this show. For tickets, visit ormondbeachperforming artscenter.csstix.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

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: Local youth vendors sell and showcase their products and/or services. Visit childrensbusinessfair.org/ palmcoast.

PRIDE IN BUNNELL

When: 12-5 p.m.

Where: 2K Ranch, 6067 Tangerine Ave., Bunnell Details: Artists, vendors, food trucks, live music, a kid’s fun zone with a bounce house, and a drag performance. Free admission. Adults-only after party begins at 6 p.m., $10 per car. Visit https://www.facebook.com/ share/1ShjqKf3rp.

ARRL FIELD DAY

When: 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28, to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 29

Where: Hammock Community Center, 79 Mala Compra Road, Palm Coast

Details: Ham radio operators from the Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club, Flagler Emergency Communications Association, Flagler County Assist, and Flagler County Amateur Radio Emergency Service in Flagler County participating.

BUSINESS OBSERVER

From one room to a full suite

BRIAN MCMILLAN

PUBLISHER

Rhonda Richardson had no intention of starting her own business when she moved to Palm Coast in August 2022.

A licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner, at first she continued working for a company based in South Florida, seeing patients remotely in Palm Coast. But when she started seeing local patients, she learned there was a great need for more mental health care providers.

“When I first came here, people were saying, ‘I’m so happy I found you. I’ve been driving all the way to Port Orange,’” Richardson recalled.

She had a growing family, and she had no prior experience as a business owner, but she decided to launch Sunshine Psychiatric Care, in April 2023.

“That was a leap of faith,” she said. She rented out a small office on the third floor, next to Flagler Cares, in City Marketplace. “I bet on myself, and things have just been going great for my business.”

According to the Florida Department of Health, Flagler is underserved in behavioral and mental health care providers, with about 128 professionals per 100,000 people, compared with 142 as a state average.

‘I SHARE HER STORY’ Seven months later, in November 2023, Richardson’s older sister died of a drug

overdose, in South Florida. Her sister had struggled with mental health for many years.

“I share her story any time I can,” said Richardson, who often played a “mother hen” role to her siblings when they were children. Now, when her own patients flirt with opioid addiction, Richardson warns them about illicit drug use.

“You always think it can’t happen, but it can,” Richardson said. “It happened to my family. There’s no safe experimenting with drugs.”

BUILDING A RAPPORT

So far, Richardson’s decision to start her own business has been a success. As of Monday, June 9, she expanded. Sunshine Psychiatric Care has moved to Suite D102 in City Marketplace, on the first floor. That means she now

has her own suite, with more options for patients.

“I know I’m making a positive impact in the community, because patents are telling me that they’re happy I’m here, that I actually listen,” she said. While some mental health care providers see 25 patients per day, to help with medication management, she limits her load to 12 per day so that she can spend more time with each patient.

“They tell me, ‘Thank you for listening.’ That feels really good,” Richardson said. “I build a rapport with them, laugh and cry with them.”

NONMEDICATION OPTIONS

But managing medication is not her only goal. She has invested in three nonmedication options that are now available in her new suite,

thanks to the extra space:

„ Exomind uses a magnet to stimulate areas of the brain that affect mood regulation. “It repaves the highways so the neurons can better communicate with one another,” she said. That process can stipulate the secretion of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, but without the side effects of medication.

„ Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the delivery of oxygen to the brain, which can help with brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, depression, PTSD.

„ Biosound therapy “is really cool,” Richardson said. “It’ s basically a bed with seven subwoofers in it, so it hits your body with these vibrations, and guided meditation. It’s a multisensory experience that puts your body into a meditative state. It relaxes your nervous system.”

SHE LISTENS

‘PROFOUNDLY’

Amanda Redwine, owner of Congruence Counseling, refers clients to Richardson and is excited about the expanded nonmedication options she provides. The two of them collaborate for the best care on shared clients, even when it means connecting with clients before their next scheduled appointments.

“She is a provider that I really like working with,” Redwine said. “She is concerned about her patients’ wellbeing and listens to them profoundly.” Richardson is happy with her own business progress, but also with progress made in society related to mental health.

“It’s becoming less taboo, which is awesome,” she said. “People are more likely to seek care.”

REAL ESTATE

Flagler Beach house sells for $852,000

Ahouse at 720 North Central Ave., in Flagler Beach, was the top real estate transaction for June 7-13 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The house sold on June 10, for $852,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/3 and has 3,708 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $715,000.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos

A condo at 55 Riverview Bend

South, Unit 2024, sold on June 13, for $475,000. Built in 2007, the condo is a 3/3 and has 2,007 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $265,000.

A condo at 1450 North Central Ave., Unit 1450, sold on June 13, for $549,000. Built in 1979, the condo is a 2/1.5 and has 1,152 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $450,000.

A condo at 600 Canopy

Walk Lane, Unit 632, sold on June 9, for $365,000. Built in 2006, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,377 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $174,000.

FLAGLER BEACH

Cochran Place

A house at 715 North Central Ave. sold on June 13, for $807,500. Built in 1976, the house is a 4/3 and has a fireplace and 2,389 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $425,000.

George Moody Subdivision

A house at 1100 South Daytona Ave. sold on June 13, for $625,000. Built in 2017, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,096 square feet.

Palm Island Rec

A house at 355 Palm Circle sold on June 13, for $390,000. Built in 1995, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,257 square feet.

PALM COAST

Belle Terre

A house at 27 Potters Lane sold on June 10, for $385,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,564 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $255,000.

Palm Coast Plantation A house at 25 North Riverwalk Drive sold on June 12, for $479,000. Built in 2014, the house is a 3/2.5 and has 1,864 square feet.

A house at 39 Emerald Lake Court sold on June 13, for $740,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a pool and 2,656 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $425,000.

Palm Harbor A house at 23 Claridge Court North sold on June 12, for $780,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/4 and has a pool, a hot tub, a boat

dock, a boat house, a boat lift and 2,595 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $888,900.

A house at 1 Flamingo Drive sold on June 13, for $340,000. Built in 1974, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,049 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $165,000.

Pine Grove A house at 63 President Lane sold on June 13, for $329,900. Built in 2025, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,336 square feet.

Seminole Woods A house at 40 Seneca Path sold on June 13, for $404,445. Built in 2025, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,094 square feet.

A house at 3 Zodiacal Place sold on June 13, for $349,500. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,600 square feet. It sold in 2025 for $247,000.

A house at 29 Seward Trail East sold on June 12, for $417,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,399 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $235,000.

A house at 56 Upshire Path sold on June 12, for $372,500. Built in 2017, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,065 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $350,000.

Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report

SPORTS

National champ

Flagler Palm Coast’s Nya Williams wins three gold medals at USA Weightlifting National Championships.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast High School weightlifter Nya Williams is a national champion.

Williams dominated her weight category to win three gold medals at the USA Weightlifting National Championships on Sunday night, June 22, in Colorado Springs.

Williams competed in the Youth National Championship women’s U17 age group in the 53-kilogram (116.8-pound) weight category. She won all three titles in the Olympic competition — snatch, clean and jerk and total weight.

As she prepared to fly to Colorado Springs last week, Williams, an incoming junior at FPC, admitted she was a little nervous.

She had never flown before. She had never competed on the national stage before. And she wasn’t sure what it would be like to compete in the thin air of Colorado Springs with an elevation over 6,000 feet.

“I’m a little nervous,” she said on Wednesday, June 18, the day before she and FPC weightlifting coach Duane Hagstrom flew to the championships. “It’s more like, I’m anxious. I’m excited to be there and see everything and have the opportunity to go out there and compete. I’m ready, but I’m excited and a little nervous. A little bit of everything.”

But it turned out she had no reason to be nervous. She was the top seed by a total of 53 pounds among 22 competitors, and she won by over 50 pounds.

She hit all six of her lifts with a max of 63 kilograms (138.89 pounds) in the snatch and 82 kilos (180.78 pounds) in the clean and jerk for a total of 145 kilos (319.67 pounds). Her closest competitor for total weight was Taylyn Slater of Team Houston with 122 kilos (268.96 pounds). Williams also won the Best Athlete award with a calculated score of 230.972.

Williams competed as a member of the Florida Elite team. Only eight lifters in all categories were selected for Florida Elite, Hagstrom said. There was one other area lifter at nationals on the Florida Elite team — Olivia Bond-West of New Smyrna Beach, competing in the 77-plus kilogram weight category.

Williams could have qualified for nationals with her high school state championship totals. She placed second in Olympic lifts in the 119-pound class at the Class 3A championships on Feb. 15. She snatched 140 pounds and clean and jerked 180 for a 320 total.

But she also competed in a qualifying meet — the USAW Florida championships — winning the title in her weight category with a 321.9-pound total.

“It was just to give her experience of actually doing a USA weightlifting meet versus a high school meet, because it’s completely different. And that qualified her for nationals,” Hagstrom said.

They flew out on June 19, three days before her competition, so she could get acclimated to the altitude and the two-hour time difference.

“We were very fortunate that we had some people that donated money and sponsored the trip,” Hagstrom said.

Williams said she was looking forward to competing on the national level for the first time and meeting

lifters from other states.

“I know my com petition in Florida,” she said. “But I don’t know what’s outside of Florida. I would say one of my favorite things about being at a meet is hav ing fun with the other girls, because we all have something in common. We all love weightlifting.”

Winning at the USAW nationals gets Williams’ name out there.

“This is where they choose the USA teams from,” Hagstrom said. “She could potentially make a Pan American Games team in the future, and then eventually possibly get an opportunity to go to the Olympic Trials.”

Making the U.S. Olympic team someday is her goal, Williams said.

“We’ll make it there eventually — the 2032 Olympics,” she said. “It’s the goal.”

Williams is the first weightlift er Hagstrom has taken to USAW nationals since the early 2000s and the first female lifter he has ever taken to the competition.

“I was really involved in USA weightlifting for a long time, and I’ve probably been out of it now for about 12 years, and I’m trying to get back into it again,” he said. “Our goal, hopefully, is to get more kids involved and potentially take a much larger group next year.”

Williams weighed in at 111.6 pounds for the 119-pound class at the high school state champion ships, but maintaining weight is harder during the summer, she said. Hagstrom said it was his job to make sure she drank plenty of water and didn’t eat the wrong stuff, but “she always takes care of business when she needs to,” he said.

“Just don’t stick a doughnut in my face, and we’re good,” she quipped.

Because the weights are in kilos instead of pounds, Hagstrom said Williams wouldn’t necessarily know how much weight she was lifting, which could be a good thing.

“He just throws numbers at me,” she said, “and I’m like, OK…”

But setting personal records wasn’t the point anyway, Williams said. Her qualifying total was 321.9 pounds, but she didn’t need to match it.

“The goal is to win. If a (personal record) is needed and if it’s there,

we’re going to go for it most likely, but the goal is to win,” she said. “I know I’m good, but I don’t consider myself good until I’m the best. Winning is a step forward, but there’s always more (competitions) to go.

There’s someone always stronger than you.” At the 2025 national championships, she was the best. Send sports story ideas to brent@ observerlocalnews.com.

Palm Coast senior softball player Doreen Chase: Back in the game

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Since her husband, Mark, died two years ago, softball hasn’t had the same appeal for Palm Coast’s Doreen Chase.

“I went through some depression,” she said. “It’s pretty hard when you lose your best friend, your soulmate.” Chase, 61, has played softball in the World Masters Games in Canada, Australia, Italy and New Zealand, winning three bronze medals. But she’s only played in a few tournaments the past couple of years.

“I’ve played in some tournaments in Florida, one in Georgia,” she said.

“But softball is still something I love to do. That’s my passion. I’m ready to get back into it.”

Her first major tournament back will be the National Senior Games on July 24-Aug. 4 in Des Moines, Iowa. Chase, a shortstop, will play for the Sluggers 60-plus, a team consisting of players mostly from around Florida. She has played in tournaments

with the Sluggers the past three years. Her last tournament was the 2024 World Tournament of Champions in Tampa. Her team finished in third place and Chase was selected “All World.”

The last time Chase played in the National Senior Games was in 2022 in Fort Lauderdale. Her tournament

ended early when she pulled a hamstring.

This year’s National Senior Games will be the second largest in the event’s history with over 12,400 athletes in 25 sports representing all 50 states and 10 countries.

To get back in softball shape, Chase has been going to the gym and taking

grounders from a friend she knows from a senior softball league.

“I feel pretty strong. I have confidence. I’ve played since I was 6 years old, and I know how to play my position,” she said. “I’m looking forward to it. I like playing teams we’ve never played. A great part of it is the friendships you make.”

SIDE LINES

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lacrosse tourney breaks records

Palm Coast welcomed more than 150 lacrosse teams and an estimated 7,500 people to the 22nd annual Father’s Day Invitational Lacrosse Tournament.

The tournament, hosted by Florida United Lacrosse, was held June 14-15 at multiple locations, including the Indian Trails Sports Complex, Matanzas High School and Wadsworth Park. This year’s event broke attendance records and generated an estimated $1.85 million in economic impact to Flagler County, making it the most successful year in the event’s history, according to a City of Palm Coast news release.

“This tournament continues to showcase not just incredible athletic talent, but also the unbeatable hospitality and top-tier sports facilities Palm Coast has to offer,” said James Hirst, Palm Coast’s director of parks and recreation. “We love seeing our fields filled with young athletes and their families. Hosting events like this is exactly why we invest in our parks and sports complexes — it’s about community and showing visitors what makes Palm Coast a worthy destination.”

Pirates’ Perry latest Flagler coach to step down

Matanzas High School baseball is the latest sport with a head coaching vacancy in Flagler County with Jim Perry announcing that he is stepping out of the dugout after 33 years.

“The physicality of the game itself has become harder and harder. I felt it best to step away and give it to someone else,” said Perry, who has been the head baseball coach at Matanzas for 11 years and also coached at Flagler Palm Coast High School for 10 years, seven years as the Bulldogs’ head coach.

Matanzas posted the baseball position on Monday, June 23. The Pirates have also been looking for a new girls basketball coach, wrestling coach, boys lacrosse coach and boys and girls golf coaches. Athletic director Zach Rigney said boys golf and lacrosse coaches have been selected, and the Pirates are waiting for district approval.

FPC is also waiting for approval for its new wrestling coach, athletic director Scott Drabczyk said. The Bulldogs also have openings for head coaches for tennis, girls bowling and flag football.

Drabczyk said that while the district is making certification and background checks for the school’s choice to replace wrestling coach

David Bossardet, the program has been in good hands with T.J. Gillin, Steve DeAugustino and FPC Principal Bobby Bossardet running the offseason program. They are all former head wrestling coaches.

“They have the wrestling room open five days a week, so the program is in good hands,” Drabczyk said.

Matanzas, meanwhile, is looking for a head wrestling coach for the second year in a row. Dennis Kitko is returning to Japan, Rigney said. Kitko had been a youth sports coordinator at a Marine Corps air station.

PERRY WON 93 GAMES WITH PIRATES

Perry has won 93 games at Matanzas and led the Pirates to the 2022 district championship game, the only time in school history that the Matanzas baseball team advanced to the district final. He also was an assistant football coach during his

10-year stint with FPC (1992-2002), an assistant baseball coach at St. Augustine High for three years, the head baseball coach at Menendez High for a year, the vice president for baseball operations for Palm Coast Little League and field supervisor for Flagler County Pop Warner football.

Perry battled cancer two years ago and his father passed away during this past season.

“I don’t know anything but going to school and practice every day,” said Perry who plans to continue as a PE teacher at Matanzas for at least two more years.

Perry said in addition to baseball season in the spring, the Pirates had a fall baseball program in September and October and an arm conditioning program in November and December.

As a coach, there is no time to relax, he said.

Drabczyk said the demands put on coaches and other stipend positions are higher than they’ve ever been.

“Not just coaches, but band directors, color guard, student activities, club sponsors, they play an unbelievable role in the lives of our stu -

dents and the time commitment is difficult for a supplemental position,” Drabczyk said. “Twenty years ago, a coach would leave the field and he’d be done for the day. Now there is a constant need for connection with cell phones, emails and texts, which is positive but also increases demand. For any of our student life positions, it’s like having a full-time job within a full-time job.”

There is a coaching shortage throughout Florida, which pays coaches less than surrounding states. Two area head football coaches — FPC’s Robert Paxia and Mainland’s Travis Roland — left the state in recent years to take coaching jobs in Georgia.

FPC tennis coach Javier Bevacqua and flag football coach Tony Coates have stepped down partially to have time to watch their own children play high school sports, Drabczyk said. Bevacqua coached FPC girls basketball for 12 seasons, winning 239 games before stepping down in 2021. Coates will move over to the boys football side where he will be an assistant coach, Draczyk said.

FPC wrestler Baert signs

Flagler Palm Coast graduate Carson Baert has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia.

Baert is a three-time state wrestling qualifier, placing fifth as a senior this year at 157 pounds in the Class 3A tournament. He compiled a 51-8 record for the Bulldogs this past season. Davis & Elkins is an NCAA Division II athletic program competing in the Mountain East Conference.

FHSAA adding basketball shot clock

The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Governors approved the implementation of a basketball shot clock for postseason play beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The board also tweaked the baseball postseason best-of-three format that was adopted this past season. The regional quarterfinal will return to a single-elimination game, while the best-ofthree format in the regional semifinals and finals will be played at the higher seed on Friday and Saturday with a doubleheader Saturday if necessary.

Bucs, Pirates at FSU 7v7

Mainland advanced to the semifinals of the Florida State 7v7 football tournament June 18. The Bucs lost to Raines in the semis on the last play of the game. Matanzas went 4-2 in the tourney. After going 3-1 in pool play, the Pirates advanced to the second round of elimination games with a loss to Class 4A Alabama state champ Jackson.

• Just 83 docks total, accommodating vessels up to 30-50 feet

• Docks will be individually owned and managed by an association

• Each dock is equipped with electrical service, potable water and planned fuel service

• Nestled within a private, secluded Intracoastal canal

• Gated community entry

• Enjoy the Marina del Palma community amenities, including the clubhouse, fitness center, dog park and waterfront pool

CLASSIFIEDS

Handyman

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Paul McLaughlin- Handyman. Residential Remedies. No Job Too Small. Licensed and Insured. Low Prices. Reliable 386-503-3219

Help Wanted

Housekeeping

Ana’s Personal Housekeeping. One Time, Weekly, Or Monthly Service (PC) anaspersonalhousekeeping@gmail.com

Tailor Made Golf Clubs R9 Stiff Shaft #3-Wedge + New Golf Bag. Total on Ebay $525 + Shipping. Will Sell for $400 386-237-2553 20’

Pharmacist Mgr. Req: FL pharmacist license, certified immunizer and 1 yr. of exp. Manage operations of retail pharmacy. Will supervise employees. Walgreens Co., Ormond Beach, FL. F/T. CV to appshrops@walgreens.com and ref #6240. No Calls/Agents. Visa sponsorship not offered.

ISO Licensed Electrician or Journeyman with 4 years Experience. Must have Truck, Drivers License, and Tools. Salary Negotiable. ISO Electrical Apprentice with 2-3 Years Experience. Call John 719-717-0211

PUBLIC NOTICES

FLAGLER

FIRST INSERTION

FIRST INSERTION

NOTICE OF ACTION IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO: 2025CA000092 ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC, Plaintiff, -vsWELMON B. PIPPIN, Defendant(s) TO: WELMON B. PIPPIN and UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF WELMON B. PIPPIN Last Known Address: 50 Palm Harbor Parkway Unit 42, Palm Coast, FL 32137

You are notified of an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property in Flagler County: UNIT NO. 42, OF HARBORSIDE VILLAGE II CONDOMINIUM, A CONDOMINIUM ACCORDING TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM THEREOF RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS BOOK 879, PAGE(S) 704, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND ALL AMENDMENTS THERETO, TOGETHER WITH ITS UNDIVIDED SHARE IN THE COMMON ELELMENTS. 50 Palm Harbor Parkway Unit 42, Palm Coast, FL 32137 The action was instituted in the Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit in and for Flagler, County, Florida; Case No.

right to bid. The sale is being held to satisfy a landlord’s lien, in accordance with Florida Statutes Section 83.801-83.809, and will be held online at www.storagetreasures.com

3 Corinne Fuller 32 Kiona Gordon

333 Robert Gonzalez Jun. 26, Jul. 3 25-00197F

NOTICE OF ADOPTION CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA held a Public Hearing as authorized by law at 7:00 P.M. on the 23rd day of June 2025, for Second and Final Reading of Ordinance 2025-08, before the City Commission, in the Chambers Meeting Room of the Flagler County Government Services Building (GSB) located at 1769 East Moody Blvd, Bunnell, Florida 32110. Ordinance 2025-08 was adopted on June 23, 2025 effective June 23, 2025. ORDINANCE 2025-08

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA VACATING AND ABANDONING A SECTION OF BOSTON AVENUE, A 30 FOOT UNIMPROVED RIGHT-OF-WAY, OF THE LINCOLN HEIGHTS PLAT AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 2, PAGE 18, IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA, FROM LINCOLN STREET TO SOUTH FORSYTH STREET; PROVIDING FOR LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT; PROVIDING FOR ATTACHMENT AND INCORPORATION OF EXHIBIT; PROVIDING FOR THE TAKING OF IMPLEMENTING ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS; PROVIDING FOR RECORDING; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR NON-CODIFICATION AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

NOTICE: If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Commission on this matter a recording of the proceeding may be needed and for such purposes the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. (Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes)

FIRST INSERTION PUBLIC NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under The Florida Self Storage Facility Act Statutes (Section 83.801 - 83.809). The undersigned will sell by competitive bidding at lockerfox.com on Thursday the 17th day of July, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Said property is iStorage, 2303 N State St, Bunnell, FL, 32110 Terry Leonard Jr D004 Freezer, Boxes, Furniture, Totes, Shop Vac, Cabinet, RC Cars, Micro, Bags personal goods, misc items. Edward Miller B004 Ladders, Cabinets, Row Boat, Fishing Gear, Totes, Shelving, Tools, Grinders, personal misc items. All purchased items are sold as is, where is, and must be removed within 48 hours of the sale. Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase per facility policy. Sale subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party. Jun. 26, Jul. 3 25-00212F

FIRST INSERTION

Notice Under Fictitious Name Law

According to Florida Statute Number 865.09

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the Fictitious Name of LEONA SERVICES, located at 29B Buttonwood Ln, in the City of Palm Coast, Flagler County, FL 32137 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 18th day of June, 2025 LEONA SERVICES GROUP LLC Jun. 26 25-00224F

FIRST INSERTION

FIRST INSERTION STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE PERMIT

The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) gives notice of its intent to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit renewal (DEP File No FLR04E163-001) for the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) to the Flagler County. The renewal permit requires the implementation of a Stormwater Management Program to control the discharge from the MS4 to the maximum extent practicable.

The intent to issue and application file and supporting data are available online at: https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DepNexus/ public/searchPortal or for public inspection during normal business hours by contacting the NPDES Stormwater Program by email, NPDES-MS4@floridadep.gov, by mail at 2600 Blair Stone Rd, MS 3585, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, or by phone at 850-245-7561.

The Department will issue the permit with the attached conditions unless a timely petition for an administrative hearing is filed under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes (F.S.), within 14 days of receipt of notice. The procedures for petitioning for a hearing are set forth below.

A person whose substantial interests are affected by the Department’s proposed permitting decision may petition for an administrative proceeding (hearing) under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S. The petition must contain the information set forth below and must be filed (received by the clerk) in the Office of General Counsel of the Department at 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Mail Station 35, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000.

Under Rule 62-110.106(4), Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), a person may request enlargement of the time for filing a petition for an administrative hearing. The request must be filed (received by the clerk) in the Office of General Counsel before the end of the time period for filing a petition for an administrative hearing.

Petitions filed by any persons other than those entitled to written notice under section 120.60(3), F.S., must be filed within 14 days of publication of the notice or within 14 days of receipt of the written notice, whichever occurs first. Section 120.60(3), F.S., however, also allows that any person who has asked the Department in writing for notice of agency action may file a petition within 14 days of receipt of such notice, regardless of the date of publication.

SECOND INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2024 CP 000521 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF ALERO ANUKPE JARIKRE Deceased.

FIRST INSERTION GRAND HAVEN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR 2025 ROAD PAVING PROJECT NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES Flagler County, Florida Notice is hereby given that the Grand Haven Community Development District (the “District”) requests proposals to provide Construction Services (Request for Proposals No. RFP 2025-001). Respondents shall provide proposals with pricing for construction services in accordance with the Bid Instructions set forth in RFP 2025-001 for the District’s 2025 Road Paving Project. Firms desiring to provide services for this project must submit three (3) paper copies of the required proposals and one (1) electronic copy (flash drive) no later than 12:00 p.m., on Monday, July 28, 2025 at the office of the District Operations Supervisor, Vanessa Stepniak, 2 North Village Parkway, Palm Coast, Florida 32137, ATTN: Operations Supervisor, Vanessa Stepniak, at which time the proposals will be publicly opened. Proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope pursuant to the Instructions to Bidders (“Instructions”). A copy of the Instructions is available by contacting Vanessa Stepniak at 2 North Village Parkway Palm Coast, FL 32137 Telephone : 386-447-1888, Email: vstepniak@ghcdd. com. Proposals received after the time and date stipulated above will be returned unopened to the Proposer. Ranking of proposals will be made in accordance with the criteria set forth in the ranking worksheet contained within the Request for Proposals. The District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, with or without cause, to waive minor technical errors and informalities or to accept the proposal which, in its judgment, is in the best interest of the District. A Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams on Monday, July 14th, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT via the following link https:// teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/ Meeting ID - 259 971 588 991 6 Passcode - zs6UP69k Grand Haven Community Development District David McInnes, District Manager Jun. 26 25-00227F FIRST INSERTION PUBLIC NOTICE MLTMS INC. is offering a permanent position for a Foreign Legal Consultant with expertise in Brazilian and Portuguese Law. The position is full-time, 35 hours/week, alternating shifts, at the business located at 25 Old Kings Rd N, Ste 8B in Palm Coast, Florida. The interested party must have Flagler County residency, be available for possible national and international travel and state relocation in the event of a future branch opening. Requirements: A foreign diploma/ degree equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Law, a minimum of 5 years of practice in Portuguese law and 10 years in Brazilian law, regular membership in the professional associations of both countries, experience in the areas of business and real estate law in Brazil and Portugal in immigration, registry, notary, family and international law. Proficiency in Portuguese (native or fluent) is required; Proficiency in Spanish and French (basic) is preferred. Proficiency in office suite, internet, artificial intelligence and digital marketing (user). License to drive car and motorcycle is required and the ability to visit prisons. The proposed salary: US$ 38/Hour. Send the appropriate CV for the job and receive more information by email: info@mltms.org the portuguese version: A MLTMS INC., oferta uma vaga de emprego permanente para Consultor Legal Estrangeiro, com expertise no Direito Brasileiro e Português. O trabalho é presencial, em tempo integral por 35 horas/semana, em turnos alternados, no estabelecimento comercial em Palm Coast, Flórida. O contratado deve residir em Flagler County, estar disponível para eventuais viagens nacionais e internacionais e mudança de estado, na hipótese de abertura de sucursal. São os requisitos: Diploma/grau estrangeiro equivalente ao Bacharel em Direito, 5 anos de experiência no Direito Português, 10 anos de experiência no Direito Brasileiro, ter inscrição regular na ordem profissional dos dois Países, experiência nas áreas do Direito Empresarial e Imobiliário no Brasil, de Imigração, Registos e Notariado em Portugal, Direito de família e internacional. Proficiência na língua estrangeira Portuguesa (nativo ou fluente) é exigido, proficiência na língua estrangeira Espanhol e Francês (básico) é preferido. Domínio do pacote office, internet, inteligência artificial e marketing digital(utilizador). Licença para conduzir carro e moto é necessário e a disponibilidade para visitar estabelecimentos prisionais. O salário proposto: US$ 38/Hora. Envie o curriculum apropriado para a ocupação no email: info@ mltms.org Jun. 26, Jul. 10 25-00228F

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT, SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 2025 CP 000303 DIVISION: 48 In re the estate of MICHAEL JOHN MORAN, Deceased. The administration of the estate of Michael John Moran, deceased, whose date of death was October 31, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 E. Moody Boulevard Bunnell, FL 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD 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 June 26, 2025. /s/ Christine Roller Personal Representative Christine Roller 136 Lehigh Avenue Flagler Beach, FL 32136 /s/ Christopher J. Leddy, Jr. HEEKIN LAW P.A. Christopher J. Leddy, Jr., Esq. Attorney for Petitioner Florida Bar No.: 1022875 7220 Financial Way, Jacksonville, FL 32256 Telephone: (904) 355-7000 Primary Email: Chris@heekinlaw.com Secondary: Makayla@heekinlaw.com June 26; July 3, 2025 25-00162G

The petitioner shall mail a copy of the petition to the applicant at the address indicated above at the time of filing. The failure of any person to file a petition or request for an extension of time within 14 days of receipt of notice shall constitute a waiver of that person’s right to request an administrative determination (hearing) under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S. Any subsequent intervention (in a proceeding initiated by another party) will be only at the discretion of the presiding officer upon the filing of a motion in compliance with Rule 28-106.205, Florida Administrative Code.

A petition that disputes the material facts on which the Department’s action is based must contain the following information, as indicated in Rule 28-106.201, F.A.C:

(a) The petitioner’s name, address and telephone number;

(b) Flagler County, FLR04E163, Flagler County;

(c) A statement of how and when each petitioner received notice of the Department action;

(d) A statement of how each petitioner’s substantial interests are affected by the Department action;

(e) A statement of all disputed issues of material fact. If there are none, the petition must so indicate;

(f) A statement of facts that the petitioner contends warrant reversal or modification of the Department action;

(g) A concise statement of the ultimate facts alleged, as well as the rules and statutes which entitle the petitioner to relief; and

(h) A statement of the relief sought by the petitioner, stating precisely the action that the petitioner wants the Department to take.

Because the administrative hearing process is designed to formulate final agency action, the filing of a petition means that the Department’s final action may be different from the position taken by it in this notice. Persons whose substantial interests will be affected by any such final decision of the Department have the right to petition to become a party to the proceeding, in accordance with the requirements set forth above.

Mediation under Section 120.573, F.S., is not available for this proceeding. Jun. 26 25-00225F

The administration of the estate of Alero Anukpe Jarikre, deceased, whose date of death was November 28, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Kim C Hammond Justice Center, 1769 E Moody Blvd, Bunnell, FL 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is June 19, 2025. /s/ Lawrence Jarikre Lawrence Jarikre, Petitioner Attorney for Petitioner: /s/ Jennifer A. McGee Jennifer A. McGee, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 1023165 McGee Law, PLLC 6 Meridian Home Lane, Unit 201 Palm Coast, Florida 32137 Telephone: (386) 320-7300 jennifer@mcgeelawfl.com June 19, 26, 2025 25-00161G

Bronson Ln, in the City of Palm Coast, Flagler County, FL 32137 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 22nd day of June, 2025 Artem Y. Vassiouk Jun. 26 25-00226F

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