Christmas Briefing: Last Briefing of the Year, Ten Tenors at the Auditorium, Solstice Celebration, Roth's Christmas

Bunnell Elementary School students this week preparing some of the 81 boxes of goodies for shipment to U.S. servicemen overseas. (Carmen Sanford) — Bunnell Elementary School students this week preparing some of the 81 boxes of goodies–toiletries, snacks, cookies–for shipment to U.S. servicemen overseas. The students also wrote out 123 cards. (Carmen Sanford)

Weekend of Dec. 20-22: Showers expected on and off all weekend, highs in the lower 70s, lows in the 50s. See the latest National Weather Service-Jacksonville Briefing here.
Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Today’s National Commemorations.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Drought Index: 141
Global Warming: The daily carbon count.
A.Word.A.Day from Wordsmith.org. Today’s word: logodaedaly.
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
Statista’s Chart of the Day
Flagler Beach A1A 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

“There were no trees for sale in our neighborhood-because there was no one to buy them–and so the month of December, if it smelled at all, smelled of something a hissing alley cat had tugged from an overturned garbage can in somebody’s yard, and of supper heating on the stove of the flat whose steamy kitchen window was open a crack to let in air from the alleyway, and of the bursts of noxious coal gas spewed from furnace chimneys, and of the pail ashes dragged up from the cellar to be emptied outdoors over slippery patches of sidewalk. Compared with the fragrances of North Jersey’s damp spring and swampy summer and unsettled, moody fall, the smells of a bitter-cold winter were almost unnoticeable–or so I was convinced until I traveled downtown with Earl and saw the trees and took a whiff and discovered that, as with many things, for Christians December was otherwise.”

–From Philip Roth’s “The Plot Against America” (2004).

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.

Take the 2019 Palm Coast Community Survey.

Free For All Fridays: Host David Ayres welcomes the city managers of Palm Coast, Bunnell and Flagler Beach–Matt Morton, Alvin Jackson and Larry Newsom–and County Administrator Jerry Cameron for a year-end wrap-up, starting a little after 9 a.m. with a commentary by FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam on a pastor’s bigotry before the school board against a transgender student.

This is the last Daily or Weekend Briefing of the year. The Briefing will return on Monday, January 6. Meanwhile, help us recharge: contribute to FlaglerLive or become a monthly subscriber.

Friday and Sunday: Three farmers’ markets operate over the weekend in Flagler County. The Flagler Beach farmers’ market is on Friday from 8 a.m. to early afternoon, downtown at 111 South Central Ave. Contact the market by email here. The European Village Farmers’ Market at 101 Palm Harbor Parkway is Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., featuring music jams as well. The Salt Air Farmers’ Market is on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Marinelad’s parking area near the marina, on the West side of A1a.

Friday: Christmas Brunch with Santa 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy. NE. Put on your favorite Christmas sweater and enjoy a visit from Jolly Ole’ St. Nick. Bring your favorite batch of cookies for a cookie exchange. Brunch and refreshments will be served. $7/person. Registration required at www.parksandrec.fun/seniors. More info: 386-986-2323.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: “Classic Christmas Radio Show” at the Daytona Playhouse, 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach. All performances at 7:30 p.m. except for Sunday matinees 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: Sunrise Solstice Celebration: Join Ranger Joe for a discussion on using the changing of the season to reconnect with nature and natural cycles, all while enjoying a beautiful sunrise on our beach. Meet in the Beach parking lot. Park entry fees apply. Registration not required. Washington Oaks Gardens State Park 6400 North Oceanshore Blvd, Palm Coast.

Saturday: Guided Beach Exploration at the GTM Reserve, 9 to 11 a.m., GTM Reserve Visitor Center, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach. Join GTM Research Reserve docents for a beach walk. You will learn about the animals that call the beach their home, about seashells and other interesting facts. This is a “Beaches 101” experience that the entire family will enjoy. The hike will begin at the Visitor Center, where you will learn about the different habitats on our beautiful seashore. The group will then walk across the street to the beach for this salty adventure. Free parking in front of the visitor center. The walk is free, but online registration here is required. After the walk, you can come back to the GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center, enjoy our many miles of trails, or spend the day on the beach.

Saturday: First Aid and CPR/AED Class, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Fire Station 25, 1250 Belle Terre Pkwy., Palm Coast. 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. Registration required by 9 a.m. Oct. 10 at www.parksandrec.fun/adults. More info: 386-986-2300 and [email protected]

Saturday: Family Fun Saturday at the Museum of Art DeLand, 600 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free. Are you looking for an entertaining family activity that will bring out everyone’s artistic side? Family Fun Saturday offers free, hands-on art activities that highlight the Museum’s exhibitions. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and admission to both Museum locations is free all day. Family Fun Saturdays are sponsored in part by the Rotary Club of DeLand and the Orange City Blue Springs Manatee Festival.

Saturday: Free Flag Football and Cheer Clinics, 10 a.m. to noon, Belle Terre Park, 339 Parkview Drive, Palm Coast. Flagler Bull Sharks is a nonprofit 501c3 organized and run by local moms. We are proud to be a part of such a great and growing community of children. Our events will consist of: Flag Football Drills and Fundamentals. All of the coaches participating in this event are certified through USA Football and have completed background checks. Sideline cheer clinic which includes some tumbling and stunts. Fun games for the whole family! Potato sack races. Tug of War. Relay races and much more. Ages 5-17 are welcome. There is also an area for the little ones so that they are kept entertained while their siblings participate. Bubbles, Chalk, Hula Hoops, Jump ropes, etc.. Come on out and join us! 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Ten Tenors, 7:30 p.m. Flagler Auditorium, 5500 East Hwy 100, Palm Coast, call 386-437-7547. The TEN Tenors are undoubtedly one of Australia’s most successful touring entertainment groups of all time, with more than 90 million people worldwide witnessing their unmistakable charm, camaraderie and vocal power.  Following 17 years of sell–out performances across the globe, including more than 2000 of their own headline concerts, The TEN Tenors have cemented their place as one of the worlds most loved classically based contemporary music groups. Tickets $29-39.

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):

Friday: Palm Harbor Golf Club, 100 Cooper Lane, Palm Coast, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday: Walmart, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast, 10 a.m. 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.

Statista’s Chart of the Day:

The Nationalities Deported From The U.S. In 2018: “The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently released a report detailing immigrant arrests and removals in the United States over the past four fiscal years. Priority for apprehensions falls under three levels. The highest focuses on threats to national security, border security and public safety while the others take into account misdemeanants, new immigration violators and other offences. In 2018, there were 112,870 enforcement and removal operation (ERO) arrests and that increased to 151,889 in 2017 before falling slightly to 151,497 in 2018. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed people from nearly 200 countries every year between 2015 and 2018.”

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.

GRADUATION CEREMONY HELD FOR INMATES: A graduation ceremony will be held for 45 inmates who have completed the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution Commercial Driver’s License Program. Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch is expected to take part. (Friday, 8 a.m. Central time, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, 5850 East Milton Road, Milton.)

UNDERGROUND POWER LINES AT ISSUE: Administrative Law Judge James Peterson is scheduled to hold a hearing in a dispute about how to carry out a new law that is expected to lead to more underground power lines in Florida — and higher costs for utility customers. The state Office of Public Counsel, which represents customers, is challenging a Nov. 5 decision by the Florida Public Service Commission to approve proposed rules stemming from the law, which the Legislature passed this spring. The public counsel does not challenge the underlying law but contends that the rules are flawed. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., DeSoto Building, 1230 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee.)

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

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

Coming Days:

The Live Calendar is Flagler County’s and Palm Coast’s most complete, detailed and searchable community calendar of events, including culture, the performing arts, theater, government, the courts and justice system and a lot more. If you’re not listed here, you’re not getting the visibility you deserve. To include your event, please fill out this form. Any other issues, email the editor.

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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 Dec. 16 2019:

See the full Week in Review here.

Cultural Coda

Bach: The Christmas Oratorio, Performed by the Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner