Weekend Briefing: 'Miserables,' 'Hand To God,' 'Little Whorehouse,' Textures, DSC and Stetson Graduations

It’s graduation weekend at Daytona State and Stetson. (Facebook)

Weekend: Partly cloudy with chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s Friday and Saturday. Lows in the 60s.
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: 167
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: stratagem.
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

“One further point about the antiwar movement deserves consideration: Americans will forgive almost anything but failure. The struggle tried beyond endurance the patience of the world’s greatest democracy. Many of its citizens turned sour not because their cause appeared morally wrong but instead because it seemed doomed.”

–From Max Hastings’s “Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy” (2018).

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 teacher and school staff appreciation week.

Free For All Fridays: Hosts David Ayres and Brian McMillan welcome House Rep. Paul Renner for a wrap-up of the 2019 legislative session, starting a little after 9 a.m. with a commentary by FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam on the same topic.

Friday and Saturday: The Flagler Palm Coast High School Thespians, under the direction of Kelly Rivera, present “Les Miserables,” the musical, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Flagler Auditorium. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students. Epic, grand and uplifting, Les Misérables School Edition packs an emotional wallop that has thrilled audiences all over the world. The sung-through piece is ideal for a cast of exceptional singers and overflows with melodies that are already standards. This author-approved edition has been abridged to a running time of just over two hours while beautifully maintaining the integrity of this musical masterpiece. Book tickets here.

Friday: The Foreign Service Retirees Association of Florida, a non-profit organization, hosts a social hour and luncheon at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn, 55 Town Center Blvd, starting with a social hour at 11 a.m. and lunch at noon. Formalized in 1982, the association’s core value is to enhance the camaraderie and friendship of members and guests. Membership invites anyone who has served overseas as a representative of the US Department of State, USAID, USIA, Peace Corps, a branch of the Armed Service, and other US agencies. The event will be hosted by members Robert and Adelet Kegley, of Palm Coast. The lunch will include a speaker, J. Philip Craiger, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, Security Studies and International Affairs, from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, who will speak on “Nation state external threat actors (China, Iran), and also threats to businesses.” For additional information, you can contact Robert at [email protected] or call 386 437 1139. Visit the association’s website here. See the association’s January newsletter here.

Friday: Movies in the Park, 8:20 p.m. at Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast. Families will enjoy a family-friendly movie on the park’s giant outdoor movie screen. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs and snacks and invite your friends and neighbors to join you at this free, monthly family activity offered by Palm Coast Parks & Recreation and Flagler Schools. This month features “Coco.” More info: 386-986-2323 and www.palmcoastgov.com/movies

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: “Hand to God” will be staged by City Repertory Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday 3 p.m. Sunday. Performances are at CRT’s venue in City Market Place, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 students. For more information or tickets, call the CRT box office at 386-585-9415 or buy them here. Nominated for five 2014 Tony Awards, including Best Play, Robert Askins’ HAND TO GOD examines the fragile nature of faith, morality and the ties that bind us – all in an irreverent comedy about a demonic puppet. “This play allows you to explore relationships that we wouldn’t be able to watch on stage if it wasn’t the absurdity of a puppet saying these things,” says Wade, a veteran City Rep actor who also portrays Pastor Greg in “Hand to God.” “It’s hilarious and a lot deeper than what most people would see it for at face value.” See the preview story here.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: The Flagler Playhouse presents “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” at the The Flagler Playhouse, 301 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell. Call the box office at 386-586-0773 or visit the website for tickets here. Based on the true story of a legendary Texas brothel. Protected by a friendly sheriff and frequented by politicians, football teams and other locals, the “Chicken Ranch” thrived in the small town of Gilbert, Texas. Girls came from all over to work at the ranch and make some extra cash. However, a crusading do-gooder Houston radio commentator and his conservative audience expose the Chicken Ranch, forcing it to shut its doors forever. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students under 21 with ID. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday: A community clean-up is scheduled both days at the Masonic Cemetery off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, aided this time by AKA Underground of Flagler Beach, which has arranged for a dumpster to be on the grounds for the clean-up. Community members are welcome to join starting around 9 a.m.

Saturday: AAUW Flagler Annual Scholarship Luncheon, 11 a.m. at Pine Lakes Golf Club, 400 Pine Lakes Parkway, Palm Coast. American Association of University Women (AAUW) welcomes this year’s scholarship recipients to its monthly General Meeting in the main dining room of Pine Lakes Golf Club. Since 1987, the Flagler branch has awarded 222 scholarships to women and girls from Flagler County. For the past six years, AAUW Flagler has provided 26 Flagler County middle school girls with the opportunity to explore S.T.E.M. through its Tech Trek program. This year, Flagler County will be represented by 6 girls from 3 middle schools. Lunch is available for $17 per person. For reservations and menu options, please contact Sally Smeaton by email: [email protected] by May 7, 2019.

Second Saturday Plant Sale, join the Friends of Washington Oaks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Greenhouse area. With Master Gardeners on hand, you are sure to get the personal attention and advice you are looking for. Specializing in Florida friendly and natives, with some unique and hard to find plants for your home and yard. Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 6400 North Oceanshore Blvd.

Saturday: Flagler County Fire Rescue Station 41 in the Hammock holds an Open House: Meet with your local Fire Rescue personnel, while you tour your community’s Fire Station and equipment. Additionally, personnel from Florida Forest Service and Flagler County Emergency Management will be available to explain and assist residents in signing up for the ALERTFlagler emergency notifications, and Special Needs Sheltering programs. 9 a.m. to noon.

Saturday: Palm Coast Historical Society Lecture Series, 10 a.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy. NE. This is the last of the Palm Coast Historical Society’s spring lecture series. Writer and retired public radio journalist Janie Gould will talk about “Global Events that Touched Florida: Great Depression through Cold War.” Free, with light refreshments served. Advance registration is not required. More info: www.palmcoasthistory.org or call 386-986-3708.

Saturday: Textures, a new show at the Flagler County Art League starts with an opening reception at 6 p.m., along with a 4-person show by the Gargiulo Art Foundation featuring the works of Featuring: Robert Mielenhausen, Sunny Vincent Ewanchew, Joan Mangano and StephanieSalkin. All shows are free and open to the public, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite A208, PalmCoast (City Marketplace). www.flaglercountyartleague.org 386.986.4668.

Saturday: Midnight Fishing Frenzy: 2nd Saturday of every month. Midnight to 6:00 a.m. For any questions, please contact the Pier bait shop at 386-517-2436. At the Flagler Beach Pier.

Saturday Graduation: Nearly 3,700 students will join the ranks of Daytona State College alumni during the college’s 59th commencement exercises on Monday, May 13, at the Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach. This year, commencement will take place in three parts according to credentials earned. Start times will begin earlier as well to alleviate traffic around the Ocean Center and allow more time for graduates to celebrate their accomplishments with family and friends: 9:30 a.m., Associate of Science degrees, Certificate programs, Adult High School and GED. 2 p.m., Associate of Arts degrees. 6:30 p.m., Baccalaureate degrees. DSC’s commencement exercises will honor nearly 550 bachelor’s degree recipients.

Saturday Graduation: Stetson University will honor 817 undergraduate students at its commencement on Saturday, May 11, 8-10 a.m., in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. Doors open for guests at 6:45 a.m. Receptions for students, family and friends will be held on the DeLand campus immediately following the ceremony. Visit the commencement website for parking, seating and additional information. The stadium is at 260 E. Euclid Ave., DeLand, Florida. On the DeLand campus, students and faculty nominate and vote on the keynote speakers. This year the graduate ceremony keynoters are Stephanie Jean Duncan, College of Arts and Sciences, and Laurie Gene Cummins Warfield, School of Business Administration. The undergraduate speakers are Justin Jordan Dalisay, School of Music, and Zoe Maxine Weaver, College of Arts and Sciences. The ceremony will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person. Stetson University expects to graduate 991 students at its 133rd commencement ceremonies next week, setting a new record for the university. The previous record was set in 2017 with 879 graduating students. As in the last couple of years, the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies will be separate. Stetson was to confer master’s degrees on 174 graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Business Administration on May 9.

Sunday: Hammock com munity residents hold another protest outside of Bing’s Landing on State Road A1A, opposing a plan that would expand Captain’s BBQ, the restaurant in the park, to 150 seats and move it to a different location.

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):

Saturday: Bealls Outlet, 9 Old Kings Road, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: St. Mark’s By the Sea Lutheran Church, 303 Palm Coast Parkway, 8 a.m. to 1 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.

Last Updated: April 29

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

Installation of a new water main, as well as a new sewer line, is in progress between South 19th Street and South 18th Street. This work is expected to continue over the next few weeks. South of South 19th Street, installation of the French drain system is continuing.

This type of drainage system will collect stormwater into large gravel-filled, underground vaults set into what will be a new raised median. The vaults will be able to store water during heavy rains, which will improve the flooding that occurs to prevent erosion and undermining of the roadway. The water collected will percolate through the vaults into the aquifer. The roadway will be reconstructed at the appropriate slope to collect water at the median.

Pedestrian walkways are open. Pedestrians and bicyclists are asked to be alert to construction equipment and use caution. On South Central Avenue, the project team has applied reflective tape to stop signs to help increase visibility of the signs, and additional enforcement will be conducted by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Segment 3 (North 18th Street to Osprey Drive) Project Update:

Residents can now see all phases of the secant wall process on this segment. At the very north end, the contractor is almost finished bringing in sand and preparing the dune for the drilling process. On the very south end, the concrete cap of the wall has been poured. In the middle of the project, workers are drilling the concrete piles and setting the fiberglass cages.

Once the wall is constructed and the cap has been poured throughout the length of the project, the contractor will shape the dune to the specified slope, place sand on top of the wall, and plant new vegetation.

A short presentation on how the wall is constructed has been added to our project webpage and can be seen below:

Recently, DOT received a few questions from residents that DOT wants to answer:

1. Why do some properties have the black silt fencing and others do not?

The silt fencing is an erosion control requirement to prevent dirt and debris from leaving our work area and being deposited into waterways or onto private property. In some areas, the property to the west of our work area slopes up away from the work area, so erosion control is not required.

2. Will the contractor repair areas on my side of the sidewalk that have been disturbed?

Residents and property owners can get a general idea of where the department’s right of way ends by looking at the placement of the power poles, as well as stakes that have been placed along the project. In some areas, the back edge of the new sidewalk will be slightly farther to the west. For the most part, the back of the new sidewalk will be very close to, or right at, the right of way line.

This project calls for all of the work to be performed within the Florida Department of Transportation right of way. If, however, the work disturbs or damages private property outside of the right of way, the contractor is responsible to make repairs once the work is finished.

Please note that all restoration of conditions within the department’s right of way, including landscaping, hardscaping and driveways, is dictated by the construction plans and existing permits.

3. When will the sidewalk be replaced?

The contractor has begun installing the new sidewalk to the south of 19th Street. As the new water main is installed, there are several types of testing that need to be performed on the new line, and the work needs to be accepted by the City of Flagler Beach before the new sidewalk can be placed. The water main installation is expected to continue for the next several months.

Pedestrians are asked to stay within the temporary pedestrian walkways for safety. Residents and visitors also are reminded that all of the dune walkovers are closed, and removing any signage or barricades to access a walkover is unsafe and unlawful.

Caution! Flagler Beach police and and Sheriff’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:

I-95 Construction, Repaving: Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., single lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line. Monday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 7 a.m., double lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line.

See this week’s full Interstate Construction Report for Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns here.

Announcements/Press Releases:

None

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.

MESSAM SPEAKS AT TIGER BAY: Democratic presidential candidate Wayne Messam, the mayor of Miramar, is slated to speak to the Capital Tiger Bay Club. (Friday, 11:30 a.m., Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)

CITRUS FORECAST UPDATED: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is scheduled to release an updated forecast for Florida’s citrus-growing season. (Friday, noon.)

FINANCE REPORTS DUE: State political candidates and committees face a Friday deadline for filing reports showing finance activity through April 30.

—-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 May 3, 2019, with a link to the full week in review here.

Click to access week-in-review-may-3-2019-development.pdf

Cultural Coda

Bach: The Cello Suites, Performed by Marc Coppey