Thursday Briefing: Baliker's $800 Donation, Mealy-Belhumeur Swear-In, Playhouse's 'Glass Menagerie'

baliker donation — Internationally acclaimed artist Paul Baliker last week donated $800 to the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation while at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fortune Group Properties at European Village, where Baliker and his mother, Joan, hosted a reception for their art show. This donation will specifically support the hospital’s breast cancer fund and the Judith C. Macko Cancer Resource Center, which provides free wigs, turbines, drainage vests, and many other items to anyone undergoing cancer treatment, even if they aren’t being treated at an AdventHealth facility. Baliker has sculpted for more than 35 years and has created more than 1,000 pieces, mainly in wood and bronze. He describes his pieces as “life-sized, monumental and even fractional.” Joan is a lifelong artist in a number of mediums, with work that touches on themes from nature to religion and beyond. Pictured from left to right: Debbie Ridgley, a volunteer at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s Judith C. Macko Cancer Resource Center, Pam Bolter, AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation assistant, Paul Baliker, Joan Baliker, and Victoria Harper, owner and broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fortune Group Properties. (AdventHealth)

Today: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers. Lows around 60. South winds 5 mph shifting to the west around 5 mph after midnight.
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: 210
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: zero-sum.
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
Flagler Beach A1A Construction Updates
US 1-Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates
Announcements
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Cultural Coda

“The truth is—and we Americans don’t like to admit it—that authoritarian societies can work.”

–Fox Owner Rupert Murdoch, quoted in “The Making of the Fox News White House” in The New Yorker, March 11, 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.

It’s spring break for Flagler County schools all week. No school.

The Flagler Beach City Commission meets in special session at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall to swear in Jane Mealy and Rick Belhumeur, who won re-election to the commission. Commissioners will also select a new chairperson and select representatives to various committees. The commission then meets at 5:30 p.m. in regular session. Commissioners will consider selecting a contractor to build new walkovers. They will also discuss protection of tortoises. See meeting materials here.

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. Thursday, 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.

Navy Bombing in the Ocala National Forest: Navy training schedules indicate that inert and live bombing will take place at the Pinecastle Range Complex located in the Ocala National Forest this week. Bombings at times can be heard in Flagler-Palm Coast. The bombings are scheduled as follows:

Wednesday: 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Inert
Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – LIVE

During bombing periods wildlife may be temporarily displaced. Use extra caution when driving through the Ocala National forest and surrounding areas. Secure any items around your residence that could attract wildlife. Always be mindful of larger animals including black bears and practice bearwise <http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/bear/wise/neighborhood/> measures. The telephone number for noise complaints is 1-800-874-5059, Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility, Jacksonville, Fla. For additional information, call (904) 542-5588.

COMMUNITY INPUT SOUGHT ON HEALTH ISSUES (closes March 15): Flagler county residents are being asked to speak up and voice their opinion on a variety of health-related topics through an online survey. The input from the community will be used to create health improvement plans to address community concerns and improve quality of life. The survey is online here countyhealthsurvey.com and is available in English and Spanish. Results of the survey provide the foundation of Community Health Needs Assessments, which are a collection of data used to inform communities and develop goals to improve health outcomes. Once the assessments are complete, they will be used to create three-year Community Health Improvement Plans for both Volusia and Flagler counties. The assessments are being conducted in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health in Flagler and Volusia counties, Flagler Cares, local hospitals and Volusia and Flagler county government. Residents, employers and community partners are encouraged to share this link and ask others to take the survey as well. The survey will close February 28, 2019. Please take the survey here.

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):

Wednesday: Flagler Health Department, 301 Dr. Carter Boulevard, Bunnell, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday: The Windsor Assisted Living, 50 Town Court, Palm Coast, 1 to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: Bealls, 1210 Palm Coast Parkway, 2 to 5 p.m.
Saturday: Palm Coast Seafood Festival in Town Center’s Central Park, 2 to 7 p.m.
Sunday: Palm Coast Seafood Festival in Town Center’s Central Park, 2 to 7 p.m.

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


Jail Bookings, June 19-22 Sheriff's night shift incident reports, June 21 Sheriff's day shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's night shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's day shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's night shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's day shift incident reports, June 21
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.

Flagler Beach Is Open For Business: A1A Construction Update:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to year-long construction on and near State Road A1A in Flagler Beach as the Florida Department of Transportation rebuilds a 1.5-mile segment from South 9th Street to South 22nd Street, and builds a sea wall at the north end of town. These updates are provided through DOT or local officials. If you have any relevant information or images, you’re welcome to email them to the editor here.

Segment 2: South 22nd to South 9th Street:

The contractor has begun placing silt fence for erosion control, and will be excavating along Segment 2, from South 22^nd Street to South 9^th Street.

Property owners who have irrigation lines within the Florida Department of Transportation right of way are advised to cap or relocate those lines.

The right of way is marked by stakes. If you have an irrigation line that sits to the east of the stakes, the irrigation is within the work area.

Dune Walkovers:

The contractor will continue to remove dune walkovers as needed to accommodate construction of the buried seawall. The affected dune walkovers include both public and private walkovers between North 18^th Street and Osprey Drive. By contract, all affected dune walkovers will be reconstructed once work is complete to their pre-construction condition. The contractor is carefully removing and storing separately the existing materials for each walkover. Photographs also are being taken to document existing conditions and will be used to assist with reconstruction.

Please note that the walkovers must remain closed during construction for safety reasons.

The project team has announced that reconstruction of the walkovers is tentatively scheduled to begin in fall 2019. This timeframe is based on the current work schedule. Please note the schedule may be affected by weather or unforeseen circumstances.

The contractor has 300 days to complete the work.

Caution! Flagler Beach police and and Sherriff’s deputies are actively monitoring speed and writing tickets. “I got a warning on north section of A1A before construction actually began so I keep to the 25 limit, but still getting tailgated by cars wanting to go faster,” a reader tells us.

See Also:

The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county's most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view. (DOT) — The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county’s most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view.
(DOT)

U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to the planned 15-month, $4.1 million construction of a roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway. The project started in late January and is scheduled for completion by spring 2020.

The Florida Department of Transportation will be closing Old Dixie Highway and C.R. 325 at U.S. 1 on Monday night, March 4, from about 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The closure is needed to allow the contractor to make improvements to the crossover at the temporary intersection. U.S. 1 will remain open in both directions.

More details here.

See Also:

Announcements:

Palm Coast Parks & Rec offers new adaptive recreation programs for spring: Palm Coast – Palm Coast Parks & Rec is offering two, NEW adaptive recreation programs for spring which are Move to Groove and Chair Zumba. This is the first time Parks & Rec has hosted adaptive sports, recreation and social programs, which are offered to youth and adults with intellectual disabilities. These programs are designed for individuals who can function independently while in a group setting with the supervision of staff. Move to Groove is a free class featuring a Zumba lesson followed by an open dance party to popular songs. Come show off your best moves! It is offered Friday, March 15 from 5-6:30 p.m. for grades 3-8 at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy. If you like Zumba, Chair Zumba is a new adaptive recreation program that provides easy movements to increase strength and flexibility in your arms, legs and core muscles. This is offered Friday, April 12 from 9-9:45 a.m. for ages 13+ at the Frieda Zamba Swimming Pool classroom, 339 Parkview Dr. If interested in either class, please register at parksandrec.fun/wellness. For more information, please call Parks & Rec at 386-986-2323.

DSC again ranks among top online bachelor’s degree programs for veterans: Daytona State College continues to place in the top tier of U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings for online bachelor’s programs – this time for military veterans. The publication’s listing of America’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Military Veterans ranked Daytona State No. 25 among over 700 colleges and universities across the nation. It is the fifth consecutive year that the college made the top-tier ranking. “This is another acknowledgement of our commitment to provide a positive college experience for our former servicemen and women,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “It reinforces the excellence of our faculty and staff, who are honored to serve our veterans, whether online or in person, and help them to complete their programs successfully.” To be considered for the latest veteran-focused rankings, institutions had to be among the top 50 percent of the 2019 Best Online Bachelor’s Program rankings. In addition, the programs had to belong to institutions that are certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, two federal initiatives that help veterans reduce the cost of school. In January this year, Daytona State also earned a top-tier ranking in the U.S. News overall best online bachelor’s program rankings, coming in at No. 33 overall. It was the sixth straight year Daytona State, the only Florida College System institution in the rankings, placed among the best with its fully online Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. Also in January, Daytona State was named one of the nation’s top schools to earn an online Bachelor of Information Technology degree by CyberDegrees.org, a Washington, D.C.-based company dedicated to providing the most comprehensive information available to aspiring students of cyber security. DSC ranked 8th and was the only state college among a field of universities that placed in the top 20. The CyberDegree rankings were based on criteria that included program-specific accreditation, quality markers and outside rankings. The top schools earned their place based on past and present U.S. News & World Report rankings, program completion rates and ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) program accreditation.

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.

JUVENILE PROSECUTION CHANGES SOUGHT: The coalition No Place for a Child will hold a rally and news conference to discuss proposals aimed at preventing youths from being prosecuted as adults. The event is expected to include speakers such as Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach; Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee; Rep. James Bush, D-Miami; and Rep. Juan Alfonso Fernandez-Barquin, R-Miami-Dade County. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Old Capitol steps.)

UNF TRUSTEES MEET: The University of North Florida Board of Trustees will meet after holding a workshop and committee meetings. (Thursday, events start at 9 a.m., with full board meeting at 1:30 p.m., University of North Florida, Center for Entrepreneurship, Jacksonville.)

SUPREME COURT RELEASES OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to release its weekly opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)

‘SUNSHINE’ AWARD WINNERS HONORED: The First Amendment Foundation will hold an event to present its 2018 “Sunshine Awards” to Craig Waters, director of public information at the Florida Supreme Court, and Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi, reporters for the Tampa Bay Times who worked on an investigative series about heart surgery at Johns Hopkins Al Children’s Hospital. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Florida State University College of Law, 425 West Jefferson St., Tallahassee.)

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

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

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A Twitter List by PierreTristam

Keep Up with Donald Trump’s attacks on the press through the ACLU’s running tab here.

Keep Up with mass shootings in a running database here.

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Here’s a summary of the latest city developments as of March 1, 2019, with a link to the full week in review here.

Click to access week-in-review-march-2019-developments.pdf

Cultural Coda

Willie Nelson: Hello Walls