Tuesday Briefing: New Precinct Chief, Palm Coast Data’s Pink Success, Community Center Prized

FlaglerLive | January 15, 2019

The Palm Coast Community Center is among the winners of the 2018 Florida Recreation and Park Association Facility Showcase. The Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and advocacy of the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services profession, highlighting newly designed or renovated park or recreation facility spaces that serve communities across Florida. Each year, the FRPA Journal winter edition features these facilities as a sort of yearbook of the achievements made throughout the Sunshine State. The Palm Coast Community Center, which reopened last year following a major $8 million dollar renovation and expansion, was chosen to be showcased based on a number of factors–economic, environmental, communal. The city’s Parks & Recreation team completed an extensive application for the recognition. The showcase of all winners including Palm Coast can be viewed here. ‘The renovation and expansion of the Community Center has allowed us to reach a wider demographic, as well as increase our number of activities offered to our community,’ said Alex Boyer, director of Palm Coast Parks & Recreation. Community Center reopened last March with 21,000 square feet. Its size was tripled, and it was transformed it into a multi-generational facility offering many popular programs ranging from youth to seniors. ‘The ‘new’ Community Center is truly the heart of our community, providing residents so many opportunities to socialize, exercise, learn and meet their neighbors,’ said Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland. See a profile of the center here.

Today:: Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s. North winds around 5 mph. Details here.
Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Drought Index: 85
The OED’s Word of the day: butterfingered, adj.
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

First Light
In Flagler and Palm Coast
Flagler Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours of Incident Reports
Announcements
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Local Road and Interstate Construction
Cultural Coda

“I’d like to apologize to all the “banana republics” I’ve offended over the decades with snarky references to their dysfunction. This is karma: I now live in a nation where a petulant president has shut down much of the most powerful government in the world — so the White House isn’t even paying its water bills. The government has shut down before, under presidents of both parties. But this shutdown is particularly childish and unnecessary; to revise Churchill, rarely have so many suffered so much at the hands of so few.”

–From Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times column, “Trump’s Five Craziest Arguments About the Shutdown,” Jan. 12, 2019.

Previously:

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.

The Sheriff’s daily incident reports and jail bookings are posted here.

The Palm Coast City Council meeting scheduled for today was cancelled due to council members traveling or being ill, thus making a quorum impossible. The council had been scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Town Center. The council was to be presented with its new Palm Coast sheriff’s coordinator, David Williams, who is replacing Mark Carman, who is to be the chief of police in Crescent City. See the story here. Palm Coast Data’s team in the Pink Army run for breast cancer awareness was to be presented with a best-of-teams participation certificate. The council was also set to approve a development plan for a 233-unit apartment complex at Town Center.

The Flagler County School Board meets in workshop at 1 p.m. on the third floor of the Government Services Building, Bunnell, a closed-door expulsion hearing at 5 p.m., and in an open meeting at 6 p.m. in board chambers, same building. At the information workshop, the board will consider a proposal by FPL to take part in a proposal that FPL words this way: “SolarTogether, an FPL Shared Solar Program is an exciting new program that allows your company to participate directly in large-scale solar projects in Florida. As a participant, you will be able to offset up to 100% of your energy usage with solar and receive monthly bill credits on your FPL bill for a fixed subscription rate. The program will be filed with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) in the first quarter of 2019. Based on preliminary feedback, we anticipate that this program will be very well received, and we’re providing you with the opportunity to pre-register starting Nov. 29, 2018, through Jan. 25, 2019. By pre-registering, you are reserving your spot in the program.” See FPL’s presentation here.

The Bunnell Planning and Zoning Board meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 201 West Moody Boulevard, Bunnell.

County Commissioner Joe Mullins holds a pair of town hall meetings with emergency management and fire rescue personnel, the first at 9 a.m. at Fire Station 51, 3055 County Road 13, the second at 6 p.m. at Hidden Trails Community Center, 6109 Mahogany Boulevard in the Mondex.

The Flagler County Library Board of Trustees meets at 4:30 p.m. at the Flagler County Library, 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Palm Coast.

Flagler Beach’s Beach Management Plan Ad-Hoc Committee meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board meets after holding committee meetings. Committees start at 10 a.m., with full board at 11 a.m., district headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka.

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus will be at the following locations this week (schedule your donation by going to the website and entering a Palm Coast zip code, then locating one of the venues below):

Tuesday: Flagler Animal Hospital, 130 Old Kings Road South, Flagler Beach, from 10 a.m to 1 p.m.
Tuesday: Coastal Cloud, One Hammock Beach Parkway, Palm Coast, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Wednesday: Flagler County Public Transportation Department, 5400 State Road 100, Palm Coast, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday: Aldi, 5095 State Road 100, Palm Coast, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Saturday: Chick Fil A, 1000 Palm Coast Parkway, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours' Incidents in Flagler, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell


Jail Bookings, February 15-18 Sheriff's night shift incident reports, February 17 Sheriff's day shift incident reports, February 17 Flagler Beach's night shift incident reports, February 17 Flagler Beach's day shift incident reports, February 17 Bunnell police's night shift incident reports, February 17 Bunnell police's day shift incident reports, February 17
Previous and archived reports

Sources: Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Flagler Beach Police Department, Bunnell Police Department. This is Flagler County's only comprehensive, one-stop compilation of all local law enforcement's daily day and night shift commanders' reports.

Announcements:

Flagler County Land Management on Thursday conducted its first prescribed fire of 2019 on an 11-acre section of Princess Place Preserve. Land Management assembled a team that also includes Flagler County Fire Rescue, Florida Park Service, and Florida Forest Service. “This is our first prescribed fire of the year and all of us working together, so we wanted to start small,” said Land Management Technician Mike Orlando, who was “burn boss” for this fire. Flagler County hired Orlando in April 2018 for his expertise as a Certified Burner Manager. He has worked about 500 prescribed fires in Florida. Fire is a natural and necessary component of wildfire mitigation and ecosystem maintenance within nearly all of Florida’s ecosystems, and vital to local Land Management duties as it maintains about 10,000 acres within Flagler. A successful prescribed fire, also referred to as a “controlled” fire, removes the hazardous level of fuel in a given area. Unplanned wildfires have a greater risk of being destructive, because the accumulation of vegetation serves as the fuel for these hotter, faster moving fires. Flagler County’s goal with prescribed fire in Princess Place Preserve is longleaf pine restoration. Longleaf pine already exists in the area of Thursday’s burn – which mimics the natural fires that have historically occurred every two to three years within longleaf pine ecosystems. A thriving ecosystem reduces the invasive species populations while enhancing other native plants and animals. “It’s all about the trees,” Orlando said. “Periodic fire supports a healthy forest, which has a diversity of plant and animal species.”

In Florida and in State Government:

Note: Some proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel. Most legislative proceedings can be followed through the Senate or House websites.

INSURANCE ‘SUMMIT’ BEGINS: The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will start a two-day insurance “summit,” with speakers including Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier and state Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Augustus B. Turnbull Florida State Conference Center, 555 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)

LAWMAKERS SEEK ARTS FUNDING: Orlando Democratic House members Carlos Guillermo Smith and Anna Eskamani will push for increased funding for arts and culture during a town-hall event. (Tuesday, 3 p.m. Orlando Repertory Theatre, 1001 E Princeton St., Orlando.)

PARK RESTORATION EFFORTS DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will hold a meeting about Hurricane Michael recovery efforts at T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Gulf Coast State College, Gulf/Franklin Campus, Building A, 3800 Garrison Ave., Port St. Joe.)

ST. JOHNS RIVER BRIDGE AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a meeting about proposed improvements to State Road 44, from west of County Road 42 in Lake County to east of Ed Stone Park in Volusia County, including a new bridge over the St. Johns River. (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Sanborn Activity and Event Center, 815 South Alabama Ave., DeLand.)

GULF RED SNAPPER AT ISSUE: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will continue a series of meetings about state management of Gulf red snapper. The council is seeking input on a draft plan that would allow the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to set the recreational red snapper fishing season and, potentially, other management measures in state and federal waters off Florida. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Ave., Key West.)

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

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

To include your event in this section, please fill out this form.

♦ 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.

To include your event in this section, please email the details, including date, time, a brief description of the event, contact information, and, if you wish, an image, please use this form.

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Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Here’s a summary of the latest city developments as of Jan. 11, 2019, with a link to the full week in review here.

Road and Interstate Construction: