End of Hurricane Season (Good Riddance), Matthew Pile Burns, Gun Violence

hurricane matthew debris burn — Two days before the end of hurricane season, one of the debris pile collected at the northwest end of town, off of U.S. 1, inadvertently caught fire Monday. The piles were being methodically incinerated in a controlled pit, but somehow one of the piles itself caught fire. See the story here. (© FlaglerLive)

Today: Partly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Ridiculous highs in the mid 80s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Details here.
Drought Index is at 371.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: kayfabe, n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

First Light
In Flagler and Palm Coast
Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime Reports
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
The Day’s Best Reads
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Local Road and Interstate Construction
Cultural Coda

“Nothing is more contemptuous than respect based on fear. In that sense, death is no more respectable than Nero or my precinct captain.”

–Camus, from his Notebooks (1939-1942).

In Flagler and Palm Coast:

Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Many can be heard or seen live through each agency’s website.

End of the hurricane season: The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season will end Wednesday. The season included Hurricane Hermine hitting North Florida and Hurricane Matthew causing damage along parts of the state’s East Coast.

No significant events of note today.

In Florida and in State Government:

Note: Some proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.

Parole: The Florida Commission on Offender Review is scheduled to meet and discuss numerous parole cases related to crimes committed in the 1970s and 1980s. (9 a.m., 4070 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

Citizens insurance: The Claims Committee of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Board of Governors will hold a conference call that will include an update about the 2016 hurricane season. (10 a.m. Call-in number: 1-866-361-7525. Code: 5219676193#)

Gun violence: State Rep. Lori Berman, D-Lantana, is expected to be among the panelists during a discussion about guns and domestic violence. (6 p.m., Mandel Public Library, 411 Clematis St., West Palm Beach.)

In Coming Days in Palm Coast, Flagler and the Occasional Beyond:

♦ Dec. 1: Tree lighting in Palm Coast’s Central Park at 6 p.m. kicks off the city’s season of celebration. The fre event will feature Santa Claus, Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland and the Rotary Club of Flagler County in the countdown to the lighting of a beautiful tree, being decorated this year with sparkling lights and ornaments made by Girl Scouts from local troops. Carol Mini, the City’s Urban Forester, hand-selected the tree from Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest in Eustis. The Sand Pine (Pinus clausa) is 25 feet tall with a 25- to 30-foot spread. The tree has been pruned into a Christmas tree shape for many years to prepare it as a City holiday tree. After the tree lighting, Santa will visit with children, and everyone can enjoy entertainment and refreshments, and take a walk through the Fantasy Lights! Parents should bring their own cameras to capture pictures of their children visiting Santa in the Santa’s Village area. Children can also write Letters to Santa. The Rotary Club of Flagler County’s 11th Annual Fantasy Lights Festival at Central Park will open that same night – continuing 6:30-9 p.m. daily through Dec. 30.
♦ Dec. 3: The Palm Coast Arts Foundation in Town Center celebrates the completion of its outdoors stage with a ribbon cutting at the Central Avenue venue. The event starts at 11:30 a.m. with food trucks, speeches begin at 12:15, with words from Mayor Milissa Holland, among others, the ribbon cutting is at 12:40, to be followed by several live performances, including the Liturgical Dancers, the Flagler Youth Orchestra and Kevin Guerra Salsa Dancers, among many others until 5 p.m.
♦ Dec. 3: First Friday in Flagler Beach from 6 tpo 9 p.m., including music in the park with Christmas music and the lighting of the Christmas tree in Veterans’ Memorial Park. There will be lots of children’s activities and vendors from 6 to 9 p.m.
♦ Dec. 3: Flagler Beach’s Annual Holiday Parade starts with Santa parachuting down at the Pier at 1 p.m., on State Road A1A. Details here.
♦ Dec. 4: Craig Flagler Palms Funeral Home, Memorial Gardens and Crematory is hosting the annual Candlelight Service of Remembrance at 6 p.m. at the Garden of Memory Mausoleum located at 511 Old Kings Road, South in Flagler Beach. The event, now in its 13th year, usually draws between 300 and 400 people. Details here.
♦ Dec. 8: “Imagine,” an evening of live music and art celebrating John Lennon, at Salvo Art Gallery. Musicians performing John Lennon’s Beatles songs and solo hits include Bob Thames, Linda Epstein Flynn, Curt McKenzie and Mick Marino, Clayton Park, Rick de Yampert on sitar, the band Glass Onion (featuring Anthony Sica, Pat Floyd and Matthew Godwin), the Flagler Youth Orchestra, Joe Gibran, Jim Gear, Morris Sullivan and Fylo Zoet. Lennon and Beatles-inspired art by Andy Sovia and others will be on exhibit. Admission: $10, or $15 includes two raffle tickets for artwork and door prizes. All proceeds benefit Salvo Art and the Flagler Youth Orchestra. Where: Salvo Art Project, 313 Old Brick Road (in the Nature Scapes Landscape & Garden Center), Bunnell, Florida. Parking also is available in the southwest corner of Marvin Gardens, 4601 E. Moody Blvd. (S.R. 100), Bunnell. Admission: $10, or $15 includes two raffle tickets for artwork and door prizes. All proceeds benefit Salvo Art and the Flagler Youth Orchestra. Where: Salvo Art Project, 313 Old Brick Road (in the Nature Scapes Landscape & Garden Center), Bunnell, Florida. Parking also is available in the southwest corner of Marvin Gardens, 4601 E. Moody Blvd. (S.R. 100), Bunnell. Info: 386/334-2752.
♦ Dec. 10: Palm Coast Starlight Holiday Parade and Event: the Parade is at 7 p.m. with activities from 4-6 p.m. including visits/photos with Santa, music, children’s activities, food trucks and fun family entertainment. Night-time parade featuring lighted floats starts at 7 p.m., at Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast. More info: 386-986-2323 or www.palmcoastgov.com/events.
♦ Dec. 10: Handel’s classic, popular oratorio, “Messiah,” will bring musical magic, and will be performed by the First Church Choir for one performance only, at 4 p.m. Dr. Samuel Shingles, former Music and Fine Arts Director of the phenomenal Edward Waters Concert Choir, will conduct. Shingles is currently director of the Paxon Concert Choir and the Women’s Chorus at the Paxon School for Advanced Studies in Jacksonville. Both choirs are Triple Superior Choirs awarded by the Florida State MPA Competition. Admission is free, but a freewill offering will be requested. For further details, contact Jeroline D. McCarthy at 386/446-5759.
♦ Dec. 10: Daytona State College Enrollment Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wetherell Center (Bldg. 100), 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach. Students can take advantage of the one-stop events to complete everything from admission to registration and have a chance to win a $350 scholarship (Dec. 10 only) for a free class from the Daytona State Foundation. Students start by completing a Daytona State application, then meet with an Admissions Advisor and Financial Aid Counselor, take an assessment test (if applicable), meet with an Academic Advisor, and then lock in their schedule.
♦ Dec. 15: The Florida Department of Transportation hosts a public meeting on the long-term improvement strategies for the reconstruction of State Road A1A in Flagler Beach at the south end of town. The meeting is scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Flagler Beach City Hall, 105 S 2nd St, Flagler Beach. The meeting will be an open house with an ongoing loop presentation. The purpose of the public meeting is to present initial findings related to existing and future conditions and to receive input from interested stakeholders.
♦ Dec. 15: The Flagler County Historical Society is having a Holiday Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Holden House, 204 East Moody Boulevard, Bunnell. Author Sandra Thurlow who has complied a history of the US Life-Saving Service, Florida’s East Coast will be present. Refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend. For information contact Susan Baird at 437-8414.
♦ Dec. 17: Annual Holiday Boat Parade at 6 p.m., presented by the Palm Coast Yacht Club. Boats will be lighted and begin departing the Cimmaron Basin, following this route: Cimmaron Basin to Intracoastal Waterway, turn south, passing Tidelands, Canopy Walk, St. Joe’s Walkway, Waterfront Park, Island Estates, then turning at Grand Haven Gazebo before heading back north to Clubhouse Waterway.
♦ Dec. 17: Starlight 5K at 6 p.m., in and around Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave. The run is part of the Run Flagler P.A.L. Running Series. More info: www.triumphraces.com.
♦ Dec. 20: Learn about historic and interesting Flagler County sites with local author Bill Ryan as your guide. The bus leaves at 10 a.m. from the Holden House, 206 East Moody Boulevard, Bunnell, and returns at 2:30 p.m. The cost is $20 per person which does not include lunch at Bull Creek Fish Camp. To make reservations or for more information call 386-439-5003.
♦ Jan. 7: Daytona State College Enrollment Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wetherell Center (Bldg. 100), 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach. Students can take advantage of the one-stop events to complete everything from admission to registration and have a chance to win a $350 scholarship (Dec. 10 only) for a free class from the Daytona State Foundation. Students start by completing a Daytona State application, then meet with an Admissions Advisor and Financial Aid Counselor, take an assessment test (if applicable), meet with an Academic Advisor, and then lock in their schedule.
♦ Feb. 6: The great violinist Itzhak Perlman opens the 2017 season of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival with a 7:30 p.m. performance at First Baptist Church, 1600 South 8th Street in Fernandina Beach. Tickets here.

The Day’s Best Reads:

North Dakota's governor has ordered the eviction of thousands of anti-pipeline protesters https://t.co/pXmn4ZyOjO pic.twitter.com/g3iA3KWH8t

— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) November 29, 2016

In Syria children play underground to avoid bombing as 0.5m remain trapped in besieged areas https://t.co/Wu45oiJ2r1 @Independent

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) November 29, 2016

Tips on spotting fake news: https://t.co/sHYvDFSI4E

— FactCheck.org (@factcheckdotorg) November 28, 2016

Trump is usually sputtering at random. Now he has a real (and sinister) plan to trap the opposition. https://t.co/8XWyp4VEnA pic.twitter.com/uwRALPlPWN

— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) November 29, 2016

No other developed country in the world has anywhere near the same rate of gun violence as America. https://t.co/JDiCV3DzqU pic.twitter.com/2hPanUd39l

— Vox (@voxdotcom) November 28, 2016

Fact-Checking the Knaves:

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

The following is an update of ongoing permitting, construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through Nov. 10 (the city administration’s full week in review is here):

Click to access development-nov-10-20161.pdf

Road and Interstate Construction: