Thursday Briefing: Flagler Volunteer Services’ $10,000, Nate McLaughlin Visits Democrats, Ex-Youth Pastor In Court

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♦ March 21: The Inspired Mic, Palm Coast’s most daring and unpredictable open mic event, is scheduled for its monthly edition at its new venue at the Hidden Treasures Restaurant, 820 Moody Ln, Flagler Beach. Each month some of the most creative, innovative performances a person could ever hope to experience take place at The Inspired Mic. 14 presenters each month pull out slices of talent and genius to entertain the audience. Each presenter gets 7 minutes to present on a very eclectic blend of their genius. Hidden Treasures Restaurant, 820 Moody Ln, Flagler Beach (under the bridge). Doors open at 6 p.m. and presenters begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 advance, available at theinspiredmicus.com, or $15 at the door. The ticket includes one drink and entry into a drawing with a prize of $25 cash or a $50 gift certificate to The Hidden Treasures.
♦ March 21: "The Modern Gentlemen," live in concert at 7:30 p.m. the Flagler Auditorium, 5500 East Hwy 100, Palm Coast, call 386-437-7547. These 4 amazing voices have, and continue to be, the background vocals and choreography for the last 12 years alongside rock and roll icon, Frankie Valli. Their own signature sound blends modern voices together in four part, harmonic perfection with high energy & tight dance moves performing the classic hits of Motown, Pop, Rock Doo-Wop and of course, The Four Seasons! The Modern Gentlemen have toured the world performing on the biggest stages from Royal Albert Hall with the London Symphony Orchestra, to Broadway, Asia, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and alongside artists such as The Beach Boys, The Manhattan Transfer, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson. Available with tracks or their 5 piece band, they’re not a tribute, but the real thing. Adult $39.90, Students $35.90.
♦ March 21: Stetson University Community Education Project (CEP) is launching Rethinking Incarceration, an initiative designed to promote dialogue on mass incarceration, prison reform, human rights, political engagement and systemic oppression. The first event of this initiative, “Florida Gathering,” will be a panel discussion from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the duPont-Ball Library, Room 25L, 134 E. Minnesota Ave., DeLand. Panelists include representatives from Exchange for Change, the Florida Prison Education Project, Writers with Conviction and ESUBA (Abuse, spelled backwards) as well as Mark Inch, Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections. The event is free and open to the public.
♦ March 21: The Conklin Center for the Blind hosts world-renowned classical pianist Aldo Ragone from Rome, Italy in a one-night only performance from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St. Ragone is an Alexander Scriabin Scholar. He holds a doctoral degree in piano performance. Tickets are $50 per person for this once-in-a-lifetime concert and can be purchased by visiting www.conklincenter.org or calling (386)-258-3441. All proceeds benefit The Conklin Center.
♦ March 21: A brand new production of "The Sound of Music" at the Peabody Auditorium. The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony, Grammy and Academy Award winning Best Score, including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and the title song, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. 7:30 p.m. At the Peabody Auditorium, 600 Auditorium Boulevard, Daytona Beach. Call 386/671-3462 or book tickets here.

♦ March 22: The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce hosts a business town hall at 9 a.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy., to discuss fiber and other infrastructure needs that can ensure our local businesses success. Expected participants include Helga van Eckert, the director of Flagler County's economic development department, city officials from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell, and County Commissioner Joe Mullins, among others. The event is Free and open to the public, though RSVPs are highly encouraged, to Heather Edwards at the Chamber, who can be reached by email here.
♦ March 22: Teacher work day in Flagler county schools. No school for students.
♦ March 22: The Scenic A1A PRIDE Committee meets at 9 a.m. at the Hammock Community Center, 79 Mala Compra Rd. off A1A.
♦ March 22: Flagler Surf Series #11, 7 a.m. south of the Flagler Beach Pier.
♦ March 22: Stetson University Opera Theatre and Orchestra Contemporary One-Act Operas, featuring L’enfant et les sortilèges by Maurice Ravel, Russell Franks, director, Anthony Hose, conductor. 7:30 p.m., DeLand High School Theater Center, 800 N. Hill Ave., DeLand. Admission: $10 adults, $5 youth and students and free for ages 12 and under. Tickets are available at the door or at www.stetson.edu/music-tickets.
♦ March 22-24: Tennessee Williams's "The Glass Menagerie," at the Flagler Playhouse. "The Glass Menagerie" is a memory play, its action drawn from the memories of the narrator, Tom Wingfield. The play is set in St. Louis in 1937. He is an aspiring poet who toils in a shoe warehouse to support his mother, Amanda, and his sister, Laura. Mr. Wingfield, Tom and Laura’s father, ran off years ago and, except for one postcard, has not been heard from since. The play is strongly autobiographical. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. The Flagler Playhouse, 301 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell. Call the box office at 386-586-0773 or visit the website for tickets here.
♦ March 22-24: The St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival celebrates its 38th year with a return to Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine. A St. Augustine tradition since 1981, the Seafood Festival is the largest, oldest and most family-oriented festival in the Ancient City. With more than 20,000 people expected to attend, the Festival is a cornerstone of the St. Augustine Lions fundraising mission to help those in need. Francis Field is located at 25 W. Castillo Drive in downtown St. Augustine. Festival hours are 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, March 22; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 23; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 24. The Arts & Crafts village closes at sundown. Admission is $5 for adults; children under 15 are free. Active duty military with ID are also free. Food prices are not included with admission. On Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24, free parking with a shuttle to the Seafood Festival will be available. Parking and shuttle are based at the St. Johns County Health Department, located at 200 San Sebastian View, and at the north San Marco lot at 301 San Marco Ave. Shuttles will pick up and drop off visitors at these two locations during Festival hours on Saturday and Sunday only. Look for “shuttle” signs directing you to these locations. More information on the parking and shuttle are on the website.
♦ March 23: Flagler County Fire Rescue Station 16 – Halifax/Plantation Bay Open House, at 3935 Old Dixie Hwy, Ormond Beach, 9 a.m. to noon. Meet with your local Fire Rescue personnel and tour Fire Station #16. Additionally, Flagler County Emergency Management will be available to assist residents in signing up for the ALERTFlagler emergency notifications, and Special Needs Sheltering programs.
♦ March 23: The University of Florida Flagler County Extension holds its annual Spring Open House and Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Flagler County Extension Office, 150 Sawgrass Rd., Bunnell. There will be Demonstration Garden Talks and Tours on Florida-Friendly Landscaping; Maia’s Homemade Reusable Bee’s Wax Wrappers; Raised Bed Gardens, Self-Watering Planters and Vertical Towers; and Palm Basics. Master Gardeners will be offering Plant Clinics and giving free advice on lawn and garden issues. The public is encouraged to bring in samples or pictures of sick plants or unknown insects. Gently used garden tools and plants will be on sale. The event is open to the public and parking is free. For more information contact 386-437-7464 or flagler@ifas.ufl.edu
♦ March 23: Yoga on the Beach from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at Old SDalt Park, 200 16th Road in the Hammock. Call 904/514-3598. Every Saturday.
♦ March 23: The George Washington Carver Foundation's annual Motown Madness evening, a fund-raiser for the Carver Gym in Bunnell, starts at 6 p.m., featuring the band Traces of Gold, dinner and moire for $50 per person. The Carver Center is a recreational facility that also offers tutoring, after school study, internet access and also serves the community with GED classes, employment counseling and other services. It supports the Road to Success program, the AIM summer camp and numerous athletic tournaments. For tickets, email butlerjordan@flaglerschools.com or call Jordan Butler at 386/437-7540, extension 3159.
♦ March 23: Children and teens ages 6-16 are invited to participate in a free NCCAA Youth Sports Clinic from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Youth will choose a clinic from one of the five sports offered, learning new skills and practicing the sport. Instruction will be provided by National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) collegiate athletes and their professional coaches. Check-in will be at 9 a.m., with the sports clinics beginning at 9:30 a.m. The golf sports clinic will be held at the City of Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor Golf Club, 20 Palm Harbor Drive, and all other sports at Indian Trails Sports Complex, 5455 Belle Terre Pkwy. The free sports clinic is being offered by Palm Coast Parks & Recreation. Space is limited and spots are filling fast. Advance registration is required at www.parksandrec.fun/events. On-site registration will be available on March 23 only if space is still available. For more information, call Parks & Recreation at 386-986-2323.
♦ March 23: 2nd Annual Strawberry Fest, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Central Park in Palm Coast's Town Center. Family Fun & Festivities, Delicious Food, Plant City Strawberries, Art & Crafts, Free Bounce Houses, Strawberry Shortcake, Live Entertainment, Classic Cars, Free Rock Painting, Strawberry Fudge, Pie Eating Contest,Pony Rides, Strawberry Wine Slush Mixes, Face Painting, Free Hula Hoop Contest, Strawberry Ice Cream, Free Petting Zoo, Berry Cute Baby Contest, Free Sack Races, Train Rides, Free Bean Bag Toss, Yummy Treats & Much More! Admission $6, Kids 2 & Under Free $1 OFF ADMISSION! Visit our website for coupon or bring a canned good for discount. Benefits Grace Community Food Pantry.
♦ March 23: Salvo Art Project hosts its monthly open house at 6 p.m. with Paul Beaulieu’s Paintings, as well as the works of his students, featured in the Schreiner Memorial Room. "We will also be spotlighting the work of our studio artist Andy Sovia in the classroom. All studios will be open to guests," JJ Graham says. Admission is $10 to help cover food, beverages, and live entertainment in the back parking lot. Overflow parking alongside Peach Street and across Moody Blvd. Feel free to be fancy or casual. 802 East Moody Blvd. Bunnell.
♦ March 24: Stetson University Opera Theatre and Orchestra Contemporary One-Act Operas, featuring L’enfant et les sortilèges by Maurice Ravel, Russell Franks, director, Anthony Hose, conductor. 3 p.m., DeLand High School Theater Center, 800 N. Hill Ave., DeLand. Admission: $10 adults, $5 youth and students and free for ages 12 and under. Tickets are available at the door or at www.stetson.edu/music-tickets.
♦ March 25: The Flagler County Stamp and Coin Club meets at 4:30 p.m. at the VFW Post 8696 47 N. Old Kings Road. From 4:30 - 6 p.m. the time is used for buying, selling and trading stamps and coins. The club meeting starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 7:30. There is a live auction of stamps and coins at the end of the meeting. The club is open for members, the general public, and all who are interested in stamp and coin collecting and investing. Free stamps and coin evaluations at all our meetings. The club is the only non-profit Stamp and Coin Club in Flagler County. For more information please visit the club's web site.
♦ March 25: The "L" Word Identity Group, 6 p.m. at UNF-Jacksonville's John A. Delaney Student Union, Building 58E Room 1111. The L Word is a peer-led discussion group that allows female/feminine and lesbian spectrum identified individuals to meet and discuss a wide range of topics on coming out, relationships, labels, family dynamics, etc. The discussion group is open to all individuals falling on the female/feminine spectrum, including but not limited to: nonbinary, gender nonconforming and trans, bisexual women, queer folks, and questioning.
♦ March 26: The Gargiulo Art Foundation and Palm Coast government unveil the inaugural sculpture of what will be a sculpture garden in Palm Coast's Central Park in Town Center, near City Hall, at 9 a.m. See details here.
♦ March 26: FlaglerCares, the county-wide initiative to expand the safety net for citizens in need, meets at 1 p.m. in training room 3 on the third floor of the Government Services Building, Bunnell.
♦ March 26: Great Organists at Stetson series, Boyd Jones, Stetson University Price Professor of Organ and University Organist. 7:30 p.m. Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. All concerts are free and open to the public. Call 386/822-8950.
♦ March 26: The Daytona State College Foundation’s Wisdom in Senior Education (WISE) program: Advanced Technology College (ATC), 1770 Technology Blvd, Daytona Beach, Multipurpose Room (Rm. 109), All About the Embry-Riddle Research Park. Dr. Stephanie Miller is executive director of Technology Transfer and Research Park Initiatives at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The research park is home to the John Mica Engineering and Aerospace Innovation Complex, (the MicaPlex), the Wind Tunnel Laboratory and coming in 2019, the Applied Aviation and Engineering Research Hanger. The MicaPlex houses Embry-Riddle’s Tech Business Incubator, tenant flex space, collaborative workspaces, cutting-edge laboratories and business support services, co-located to ensure that technology-focused startups will have every advantage for success. The Foundation created the WISE program to provide continuing education and cultural enrichment activities to senior members of the community. WISE is open to anyone age 50 or older, for $30 for an individual or $50 per couple per year. Find a complete list of spring presenters at DaytonaState.edu/wise. For more information, contact Suzette Cameron (386) 506-4506, or Suzette.Cameron@DaytonaState.edu.
♦ March 26: NuMIX Ensemble Concert, Dr. Erin Bodnar and Dr. Andrea Venet, directors. 7:30 p.m., UNF's Fine Arts Center, Building 45, Room 1200. Free admission.
♦ March 26: Coffee and Conversation: Talking Religion with Civility. Join the Interfaith Center to discuss the challenges of talking religion with each other, and learn skills to navigate conflict and disagreement. Coffee and tea served. At UNF's Founders Hall, Building 2, Room 1400. Contact Matt Hartley m.hartley@unf.edu (904) 620-5715.
♦ March 26: Trans Talks, 4 p.m. at UNF's LGBT Resource Center Building, 1 UNF Drive, 58 East, Room 1111. Trans Talks is a peer led discussion group that allows transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals to meet and discuss a wide range of topics associated with being transgender. This group is open to all individuals under the Transgender Spectrum including but not limited to: Transgender, Genderqueer, Genderfluid, and Agender. Please note that Trans Talks is a peer discussion group and that there is no mental health counselor or other accredited professional available at these events.
♦ March 27: A final hearing is scheduled before a judge of workers compensation claims in the more than two dozen cases of Flagler County Sheriff's employees' claims related to what they believe to be the sick building, or Sheriff's Operations Center, evacuated last June. The 10 a.m. hearing is before Judge Wilbur Anderson at the Daytona Beach Office of the Judges of Compensations Claims, 444 Seabreeze Boulevard, Suite 450, Daytona Beach.
♦ March 27: The Flagler Humane Society hosts a happy hour fundraiser at Uncaged on Oceanshore, 3468 Oceanshore Blvd, Flagler Beach, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, available here.
♦ March 27: A meeting of the Compassionate Friends is scheduled at the Vitas Office at 4 North Old Kings Road (across from Kentucky Fried Chicken) in Palm Coast. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. The Compassionate Friends, a nonprofit self-help bereavement support organization for families that have experienced the death of a child. The meeting is open to all parents, grandparents, and siblings over age 18 who has suffered the loss of a child of any age. For more information, call John Brady at 610-428-3139. To learn more about The Compassionate Friends, visit their national website at www.compassionatefriends.org.
♦ March 27: The Cummer Family Foundation Chamber Music Series presents Hagihara Violin & Piano Duo, 7:30 p.m. at UNF's Fine Arts Center, Building 45, Room 1200. ♦ March 28: Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson is the keynote speaker at the 34th Drug Court graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County Courthouse, before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins.
♦ March 31: Daytona Solisti's Concert Series features "Mozartiana," an all-Mozart program with Michael Rickman, piano, Sue Cryan, violin, and Joe Corporon, cello. On the program: Mozart's Piano Sonata Nr. 9 in D Major K 311, Church Sonatas K 245 and K328, and the Piano Trio in G Major, K 496. 3:30 p.m. At First Presbyterian Church, 620 South Grandview Avenue, Daytona Beach. A $15 contribution is requested.
♦ March 31: Lawson Ensemble Concert featuring music by Bach and Dohnanyi, Dr. Nick Curry, cello; Clinton Dewing, violin and viola; Aurica Duca, violin with guest Ellen Olson, viola. free admission, 3 p.m. at UNF's Fine Arts Center, Building 45, Room 1200.

For events beyond this date, see the fuller Coming Days here.