Thursday Briefing: National Coming Out Day, Heat Index to 103, Flagler Beach’s Comp Plan, Road Closures

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♦ Feb. 18: Presidents' Day: No School.
♦ Feb. 18: Coffee with a Cop, 9:30 a.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway. Coffee with a Cop is a movement designed to help break down the barriers in communities. It brings police officers and the community members they serve together, over coffee, to discuss issues and learn more about each other.
♦ Feb. 18: The Flagler County Commission is spending the day interviewing three candidates for interim county administrator, starting with one-on-one interviews in the morning, which are open to the public, a communal lunch with administrative directors at noon, and the commission interviewing each candidate as a whole in the afternoon. The morning interviews start at 8 a.m. (see the lineup here), the afternoon session at 3 p.m. The candidates are Ted Lakey, the former Jackson County administrator, Jerry Cameron, a consultant and formerly an assistant St. Johns County administrator for a decade, and Michael Esposito, a special projects coordinator in Flagler County government and one of two internal applicants.  Glenn Irby, formerly the Apopka city manager, was also shortlisted, but he withdrew.
♦ Feb. 18: The Flagler County Commission meets again at 5 p.m. for a regularly scheduled meeting, assuming the commissioners can still stay awake. Commissioners will consider rental fees for the new "cottages" at Princess Place Preserve. Rates would range from $125 to $200 a night. They'll also consider temporary storage options for the sheriff's evidence and crime scene processing units, at costs ranging from $219,000 to $260,000.
♦ Feb. 18: A new trial is scheduled to start with jury selection at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County courthouse in the case of Michael Bowling, the 47-year-old Palm Coast man accused of molesting a 15-year-old girl in a closet during a sleep-over, as the girl was visiting her friend--Bowling's step-daughter. Bowling also faces accusations of raping his step-daughter. Bowling was tried on just the molestation charges in December. The trial ended in a mistrial. The charges will now be merged and tried together, before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins.
♦ Feb. 19: The The Flagler County School Board meets in workshop at 1 p.m. in training room 3 on the third floor of the Government Services Building, Bunnell, and at 6 p.m. in a meeting in board chambers at the GSB. The workshop will update board members on the district's safety plan.
♦ Feb. 19: The Palm Coast City Council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall at Town center.
♦ Feb. 19: The Palm Coast City Council holds a special meeting as part of its city manager search, 6 p.m. at City Hall at Town Center. Council members are narrowing down their search based on more extensive backgrounding of their short-listed candidates, including cover letters, resumes, written questions, and a video questionnaire. The candidates' full package is here. The video questionnaires are available in the City Clerk’s office.
♦ Feb. 19: The Flagler County Economic Opportunity Advisory Council meets at 9 a.m. in board chambers at the Government Services Building, Bunnell. An agenda for that meeting was not posted at the county's website.
♦ Feb. 19 : The Flagler Woman’s Club hosts a Meet the Candidates night at 7p.m. at 1524 S. Central Avenue in Flagler Beach. Four candidates including two incumbents are running in the March election to the Flagler Beach City Commission: incumbents Jane Mealy and Rick Belhumeur, second-time challenger Paul Eik, and newcomer Deborah Phillips. See the background story here.
♦ Feb. 19 : The Matanzas High School ban d is in concert at 6 p.m. at Matanzas.
♦ Feb. 19 : 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), A State Built on Slavery West Florida - The Sequel. When England won Florida from Spain there were two distinct areas - West Florida and East Florida. So different in ideology and lifestyle that at one point England considered them to be the 14th and 15th original colonies of America. Life, culture and attitudes toward slavery were so different in each region that it was hard to imagine them part of the same state. The west under Spanish influence embraced the Americans, while the East, ruled by the English, cruelly enslaved them. Presented by Dr. Nancy Duke. 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.
♦ Feb. 20: The Flagler County Technical Review Committee meets at 9 a.m. in the First Floor Conference Room of the Government Services Building, Bunnell.
♦ Feb. 20: The Tourist Development Council meets at 10 a.m. in board chambers at Government Services Building, Bunnell.
♦ Feb. 20: The Flagler County Contractor Review Board meets at 5 p.m. in board chambers at the Government Services Building, Bunnell.
♦ Feb. 20: The Palm Coast Planning Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall in Town Center. The board reviews the technicalk site plan for a new assisted living facility, called Azure, consisting of 111 units with 116 beds. The project is proposed for construction on a vacant 5-acre site at 144 Cypress Point Parkway, which is about 400 feet east of Pine Cone Drive on the south side of Cypress Point Parkway and directly west of the City Market Place. This assisted living and memory care facility will be constructed as a three-story building comprising 94,620 square feet. City staff recommends approval.
♦ Feb. 20: The Flagler Beach Economic Development Task Force meets at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 105 S 2nd St.
♦ Feb. 20: Harlem Renaissance, a program presented by the African American Entrepreneurs Association as part of Black History Month, featuring speaker George Fraser, chairman and CEO of FraserNet, a company he founded over 30 years ago to lead a global networking and economic development movement for people of African descent. He spent 20 years in leadership positions with Procter & Gamble, United Way and Ford Motor Company before starting FraserNet in 1987. He’s written 6 best-selling books. He has been named as one of the best speakers in America and 5 of his speeches have been selected for global distribution by the prestigious Vital Speeches of the Day magazine, a first for any professional speaker in America. In 2016 President Obama awarded Dr. Fraser “The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.” 6 p.m. at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 N. US HWY 1, Palm Coast (just north of Whiteview Parkway). Members, $25, guests, $35, students, $10. Call 386/234-2014.
♦ Feb. 20: Ribbon Cutting: Hidden Treasure Restaurant: Celebrate Hidden Treasure Restaurant's three-year Anniversary from 5 to 7 p.m. With three locations in Florida our very own Flagler Beach is home to this true Hidden Treasure located in the Intracoastal Waterway under the Highway Bridge 100. They have daily food and drink specials with a tropical atmosphere and live music daily.
♦ Feb. 20: The Blue Power 2020 Action Forum, 12:30 p.m. at the Fair Trade Cafe at Palm Coast's City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Pkwy. Come and join other progressive Democrats to discuss local, state and national issues, and propose actions to influence elected leaders. The Forum is open and informal and all opinions and ideas are welcomed. This is your opportunity to meet and lend your voice and knowledge to people who share your values. For more information, contact Mike Cocchiola, palmcoastdemocraticclub@gmail.com. The Blue Power forum meets every Wednesday.
♦ Feb. 21: The Flagler County Commission holds a special meeting to discuss what has turned into a controversial contract for a software upgrade for the administration's bookkeeping and other back-end operations involving various aspects of county government, including other constitutional officers. The county administration and the clerk of court had disagreements about the way the software would be implemented. The meeting is at 9 a.m. at the Emergency Operations Center, 1769 E. Moody Blvd, Bldg. 3 (behind the Government Services Building), Bunnell.
♦ Feb. 21: The Flagler County Commission holds a special meeting to discuss the fate of the Sheriff's Operations Center, at 1 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center, 1769 E. Moody Blvd, Bldg. 3 (behind the Government Services Building), Bunnell.
♦ Feb. 21: Belle Terre Elementary hosts its third annual African-American Read-In from 9 to 11 a.m., with dozens of community members turning out to read works by African-American authors to every class in the school, as part of African-American History Month. Last year, 90 people did so. Volunteers are sought: anyone willing to participate should contact LaToya Lockhart at lockhartl@flaglerschools.com or Priscilla Campbell at Campbell@flaglerschools.com by Feb. 12. If you are unable to participate, consider making a monetary donation.
♦ Feb. 21: The Flagler Tiger Bay Club hosts a free and open-to-the-public school safety panel at 7 p.m. featuring Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, Superintendent Jim Tager, Earl Johnson, Executive Director Leadership Development for Flagler County Schools, and Randy Stroud, Director, Domestic and Homeland Security for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Space is limited and advance registration is required on The Flagler Tiger Bay website at www.FlaglerTigerBayClub.com. The event will be held at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy. The panel discussion includes risk assessments, mitigation, preventative measures and deterrence, security, response, recovery, and community healing with regards to school safety. The panel will also cover how Flagler County is positioned, what plans and programs Flagler County has in place, what have been some of the results, and what local concerns are.
♦ Feb. 21: The Wadsworth Elementary School Advisory Council and PTO meet at 6 p.m. in the school’s media center.
♦ Feb. 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.
♦ Feb. 21: "Stayin' Alive" at the Flagler Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
♦ Feb. 21: Science Café at Stetson's Gillespie Museum: Calcite in Florida/Three Florida Geologists, 7-8:30 p.m. Join three of the state’s renowned geologists to discuss Florida calcite and the geological processes, which have created our most common and most beautiful mineral. Tom Scott, Emeritus Geologist and Harley Means, the Assistant State Geologist, both of the Florida Geological Survey, will be joined by Sam Upchurch, Department of Geology, University of South Florida, to discuss their digs, finds and decades of research. All events at the Gillespie Museum are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Stetson University Gillespie Museum, 234 E. Michigan Ave., DeLand. Contact Director Karen Cole, 386-822-7330.
♦ Feb. 21-24: City Repertory Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of "Taming of the Shrew," under the big top tent at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation, 1500 Central Avenue (Town Center). Last year's performances of Macbeth sold out, so get your tickets early: Opening night reception on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m., $60 for the general public, $50 for Palm Coast Arts Foundation members. Feb. 22 and 23, performances are at 7 p.m., $30 for the general public, $25 for foundation members, $10 for students. Feb. 24 performance at 2 p.m. Call 386/225-4394. Or buy tickets online here.
♦ Feb. 21-24: On Stage: "[title of show]" with Music by Jeff Bowen and Book by Hunter Bell, at Stetson's Second Stage Theatre, 600 North Woodland Boulevard, DeLand. Call 386/822-7266. Jeff and Hunter, two self-confessed nobodies in New York, make a pact: They will write an original musical and submit it to a festival. The only catch? The deadline is in three weeks! No worries though. They’ll just write a musical about writing a musical. Frequently hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking, and thoroughly inspiring, [title of show] is a love story celebrating individuality and creativity. All shows 8 pm except for Sunday at 3 p.m.
♦ Feb. 21-May 3: Florida Calcite: Rare Specimens of a Common Mineral, at Stetson's Gillespie Museum: This exhibit, from the personal collection of Tom Scott, Ph.D., Emeritus Geologist, Florida Geological Survey, provides a unique opportunity to view uncommon specimens of our state’s unofficial mineral, calcite. Scott has collected from quarries, underwater caves and limestone seams during his four decades as a professional geologist. From cave pearls to crystal-filled fossils, these natural formations offer a rare perspective on the state’s geologic history. All events at the Gillespie Museum are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Stetson University Gillespie Museum 234 E. Michigan Ave., DeLand. Contact Director Karen Cole, 386-822-7330.
♦ Feb. 22: The Scenic A1A PRIDE Committee meets at 9 a.m. at the Hammock Community Center, 79 Mala Compra Rd. off A1A.
♦ Feb. 22: The Daytona Beach Symphony Society presents the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with Jeremy Denk, Conductor and Piano, at the Peabody Auditorium, 600 Auditorium Boulevard, Daytona Beach. Call 386/671-3462 or book tickets here. Prices $51 to $82. 7 p.m.
♦ Feb. 22: Stetson University Symphonic Band, Douglas Phillips, conductor. The Stetson University Symphonic Band has established a committed tradition of performance excellence and shares the mission of Stetson University through transformative concert experiences presenting inspiring, engaging and exciting performances. Please join the Stetson Symphonic Band for a Friday evening of great musical variety. 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. 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.
♦ Feb. 22, 23, 24: "A Bad Year For Tomatoes," at the Daytona Playhouse, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. The very funny misfortunes of a famous television actress who seeks to “get away from it all” in a small New England town without much luck given her noisy, omnipresent neighbors. A delightful light-hearted comedy. Directed by Larrie Tiffany. Daytona Playhouse, 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach. Tickets are $20. Book here.
♦ Feb. 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.
♦ Feb. 23: Flagship/Career and Technical Education Showcase at the Buddy Taylor/Wadsworth Elementary cafeteria starting at 10 a.m.
♦ Feb. 23: First Aid & CPR/AED 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Palm Coast Fire Station 25, 1250 Belle Terre Pkwy. This class is a seven-hour course (one hour for lunch) designed to meet OSHA regulations and teach administering CPR to children and adults, using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), using a mask or barrier device, assisting with bleeding, broken bones. $50/person with pre-registration required by 9 a.m. Feb. 21. Sign up at www.parksandrec.fun/adults. More info: cprcertification@palmcoastgov.com or 386-986-2300.
♦ Feb. 24: AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation’s 10th Annual Moonlit Gala, a black-tie event to benefit AdventHealth Palm Coast’s Freytag Children’s Rehabilitation Center for pediatric rehabilitation, as well as diabetes education and other community programs. The day starts with golf at Grand Haven Golf Club, 500 Riverfront Dr., then the gala starting at 5 p.m. at Hammock Beach Resort, 200 Ocean Crest Dr., Palm Coast.
♦ Feb. 24: Great Pianists at Stetson series: Ignat Solzhenitsyn, piano. Don’t miss this special opportunity to hear this world-renowned artist perform live at Stetson! His program includes works by Scriabin, Scarlatti, Debussy and Mozart. Ignat Aleksandrovich Solzhenitsyn is a Russian-American conductor and pianist. He is the conductor laureate of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the principal guest conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. http://ignatsolzhenitsyn.com 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.
♦ Feb. 24: “Southside Johnny and the Ashbury Jukes” at the Flagler Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
♦ Feb. 25: Florence Fruehan, the former Palm Coast physician who surrendered his license following a Department of Health investigation into alleged sexual improprieties with patients, is scheduled for arraignment before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins on two counts of felony battery on persons over 65, mirroring similar claims Fruehan faced during the health department investigation. Fruehan has waived his right to attend all pre-trial conferences. Arraignment is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County courthouse. See background stories here, here and here. (2018CF001067 and 2018CF001066)
♦ Feb. 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.
♦ Feb. 26: A case-management hearing is scheduled at 9 a.m. in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County courthouse in the civil case of the family of the late Zuheili Rosado--who was gunned down at a Mobil station on State Road 100 in 2013--who is suing the station's owner, claiming that he was aware that Rosado had her life threatened a week before the shooting but did not move her off the night shift, when she worked alone. The civil suit was filed in 2013. (Case 2013CA000632)
♦ Feb. 26: Stetson University Concert Band Douglas Phillips, conductor. Please join the newly established Stetson University Concert Band for a Tuesday evening concert filled with great band music. 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. 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.
♦ Feb. 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). My Story: Holocaust Survival. Bea Schemer will tell her story from her birth in Bavaria, Germany and living under the Nazi regime through her family’s escape to South America and finally to the U.S. 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.
♦ Feb. 27: The Blue Power 2020 Action Forum, 12:30 p.m. at the Fair Trade Cafe at Palm Coast's City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Pkwy. Come and join other progressive Democrats to discuss local, state and national issues, and propose actions to influence elected leaders. The Forum is open and informal and all opinions and ideas are welcomed. This is your opportunity to meet and lend your voice and knowledge to people who share your values. For more information, contact Mike Cocchiola, palmcoastdemocraticclub@gmail.com. The Blue Power forum meets every Wednesday.
♦ Feb. 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.
♦ Feb. 27: Stetson Jazz Ensemble, Patrick Hennessey, director. You can’t beat an evening of great jazz in the charming Athens Theatre. 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. 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.
♦ Feb. 28: Bethune Cookman University is hosting an opening reception for “Patriot,” an art show featuring the paintings of native son Anthony Armstrong at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center / Visual Art Gallery. The show debuts selected paintings from his “Patriot Series.” These 40 works, two years in the making, are a symbolic testament to the continuous struggle of African Americans to shape a greater nation. The show has been on display since Jan. 14 and will run through March 31, 2019 with the reception on February 28 from 6 to 8 pm in the Visual Arts Gallery, at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center, 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd, Daytona Beach. Admission is free. The Visual Arts Gallery at Bethune Cookman University is free and open to the public, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Funding for this gallery space comes, in part, from the County of Volusia ECHO Grants in Aid Program. For more information on this art exhibit or the gallery, please call (386) 481‐2774.


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