Weekend Briefing: Cycle de Mayo, Bunnell Bonanza, Hazardous Waste, Choral Arts Society, Brown at 65

Today--May 17--is the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the unanimous Supreme Court decision finding school segregation unconstitutional. — Today–May 17–is the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the unanimous Supreme Court decision finding school segregation unconstitutional.

Weekend: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. Nights 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: 165
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: countermand.
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 old man had listed hundreds of the truths in his book. I will not try to tell you of all of them. There was the truth of virginity and the truth of passion, the truth of wealth and of poverty, of thrift and of profligacy, of carelessness and abandon. Hundreds and hundreds were the truths and they were all beautiful. And then the people came along. Each as he appeared snatched up one of the truths and some who were quite strong snatched up a dozen of them.
It was the truths that made the people grotesques. The old man had quite an elaborate theory concerning the matter. It was his notion that the moment one of the people took one of the truths to himself, called it his truth, and tried to live his life by it, he became a grotesque and the truth he embraced became a falsehood.”

–From Sherwood Anderson’s “Winesburg, Ohio” (1919).

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.

Free For All Fridays: Hosts David Ayres and Brian McMillan welcome School Superintendent Jim Tager, Clerk of Court Tom Bexley, the Flagler Health Department’s Gretchen Smith, and author Jeanne Sanner, who will speak about suicide prevention, starting a little after 9 a.m. with a commentary by FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam.

In court: An evidentiary hearing scheduled for Friday in the case of James McDevitt, who is serving a 40-year prison sentence in the 2015 rape of a woman in Flagler Beach, has been postponed to July 31. McDevitt pleaded guilty to the rape charge, but is now claiming ineffective counsel by two successive lawyers and is seeking to have the conviction and sentence vacated. The hearing would have taken place before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins at the Flagler County courthouse. Perkins has reserved one hour for the hearing. The hearing had originally been scheduled for early April. McDevitt’s lawyer asked for it to be rescheduled because of an emergency family issue (regarding the lawyer’s family). It’s not clear why the hearing was again postponed. McDevitt has been at the Flagler County jail since April 4, awaiting the proceeding. He is normally incarcerated at Taylor prison in Perry, in Florida’s Big Bend area. See details here.

Friday: Cycle de Mayo: 6th Annual Bike to Work Day, meet-up at 6 a.m. at Central Park in Palm Coast’s Town Center, ride starts at 6:30 a.m. reThink Your Commute for the sixth annual Bike to Work Day for Flagler County Public Schools’ faculty, staff and parents (though anyone is welcome to come join the ride!) For more information, contact Angie Bush at (386) 437-7526, ext. 1155. Register online at http://bit.ly/2019CycleDeMayo.

Friday, Sunday: Choral Arts Society Spring Concert, St Thomas Episcopal Church, 5400 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast. Friday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. The concert features favorites from the stage repertoire.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: “Southern Fried Funeral,” a play at the Daytona Playhouse, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Adults $20, Seniors 55 and up, $18, Youths 18 and under $8. Address: 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach, or see directions here. Buy tickets online here. Box office: 386-255-2431.

Saturday: Flagler Pier Fishing Tournament, starting at 6 a.m. at the pier.

Saturday: The 2nd Annual Bunnell Bonanza, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s a great family-friendly tradition located in the heart of Bunnell. In its second year, the Bunnell Bonanza will be expanded to a centrally-located venue in the heart of Bunnell at the historic Coquina City Hall. Brought to you by the Flagler County Chamber, the Bunnell Area Council, the City of Bunnell and Yellowstone Landscape.

Saturday: Matanzas High School Interact Club’s “Rise Up Against Hunger,” in the school’s Dining Hall, a food packaging event for the needy starting at 1 p.m.

Saturday: First National Kids to Park Day at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. 3rd Saturday of every month. 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. For any questions, please contact the Pier bait shop at 386-517-2436.

Saturday: Household Hazardous Waste Clean Out Campaign, City of Flagler Beach Library Parking Lot, 315 S. 7th Street, Flagler Beach,8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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):

Thursday: Publix Belle Terre, 4950 Belle Terre Parkway, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: Epic Theaters, 1185 Central Avenue, Palm Coast, 1 to 6 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: May 13

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

New Sidewalk: 1,500 square feet installed.
New Watermain: 3,210 linear feet of 12-inch pipe installed, plus 19 gate valves and 5 fire hydrants. The contractor also began moving customers to the new water line this week.
New Gravity Sewer: 7 sanitary sewer structures and 788 linear feet of 8-inch sanitary sewer line installed. This work is complete.
French Drain System: 18 new drainage structures, 911 feet of a planned total of 2,081 feet of 30-inch pipe installed, and 765 feet of 36-inch pipe placed. All of the 36-inch pipe is now installed. The work also calls for installation of 4,566 feet of 42-inch pipe.

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

New Sand: This work is about 98 percent complete. This week, the contractor has begun moving the sand over the top of the wall and creating the final slope of the dune. Later in the project, vegetation will be planted on the dune.
Guide Wall Installation: Work has been completed to just north of Marine Drive. Installation will continue to just south of Osprey Drive.
Secant Wall: Nearly 1,200 of the needed 1,847 auger cast piles have been installed along more than 2,400 linear feet.
Concrete Cap: More than 300 cubic yards of concrete poured to complete nearly 1,600 linear feet of the wall.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:

Lost Ring: A lost ring was found at Varn Park at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11. The ring, which has identifying characteristics, is with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. “Anything you can do to help this person get their ring back would be most appreciated,” the person who found it writes.

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.

ENVIRONMENTAL ‘EXPO’ HELD: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s South District will hold an environmental business “expo.” (Friday, 8:30 a.m., 2031 Jackson St., Fort Myers.)

UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS RELEASED: The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is scheduled to release April unemployment figures. (Friday, 10 a.m.)

STATE GOP HOLDS QUARTERLY MEETING: The Republican Party of Florida will start a two-day quarterly meeting in Sarasota. (Friday, 5 p.m., Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota.)

DEMOCRATS HONOR NELSON: Former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., will be honored during an event hosted by Bay Blue Block, a coalition of Democratic parties from Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. (Friday, 6:30 p.m., Fenway Hotel, 453 Edgewater Dr., Dunedin.)

EDUCATION ‘SUMMIT’ PLANNED: The Florida Education Association will host an event titled, “Bringing Voices Together: An Education Summit for Florida’s Public Schools.” (Saturday, 10 a.m., Hilton Orlando, 6001 Destination Parkway, Orlando.)

—-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

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major, K.622 (Arngunnur Árnadóttir, clarinet)