Thursday Briefing: Belhumeur Sworn-in, a New Project WARM Playground, Trump Reflexes

Upcoming: Motown Madness: A March 26 fund-raiser for the G.W. Carver Community Center in Bunnell. See the flier below for details.

Local News Recap:

Updated jail bookings and day and night shift incident summary reports are available here.

Flagler County Supportive of Broadening Discrimination Protection in Housing for LGBT: County Commission Chairwoman Barbara Revels proposed the amendment to the county’s housing ordinance at the end of a meeting Monday, testing her colleagues’ positions on the issue. None disagreed.

Waldemar Rivera Found Guilty of Raping His Step-Daughter: The jury reached a verdict after just 15 minutes of deliberations. He will be sentenced on April 26 at 1:30 p.m. He faces up to 30 years in prison. Rivera stood next to his attorney, showing no emotion as the verdict was read. His step-daughter, who sat with a family member and the State Attorney’s victims’ advocate, smiled briefly and appeared to sigh.

Family and friends celebrate life of Flagler artist Linda Solomon: “Known for her passion and deep love of art, Solomon was recognized as the 2004 Flagler County Artist of the Year, but to many, she was so much more. Solomon died earlier this month,” the News-Journal reports. “Tonight is a celebration of her art, her smile, her beauty, the wonderful woman she was, still is,” said Sh’mal Ellenberg, Linda’s partner for the past decade. “She’s floating around the gallery tonight. The energy was just in her — a gift. Her smile was a gift.” (Story paywall-protected)

With Less Accountability, Flagler’s Tourism Dollars Continue Shift To Big-Ticket Events: The changes again diminish accountability, reduce the paper trail (in Dunn’s own words: “It would drastically reduce the paper trail”), narrow to a single month the window when smaller community events may apply for grants, impose a three-year limit on community groups’ eligibility for such grants, eliminate eligibility for the smallest organizations to qualify for “overnight stay grants” (but still leave them eligible for much smaller “quality of life grants”), and further shift money and attention toward the bigger sports events Dunn likes to recruit and lavish with big subsidies from the less-accountable discretionary fund.

In State Government:

Note: Most proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.

The State Consumer Health Information and Policy Advisory Council, which works on issues related to public reporting of health-care data, will meet. (10 a.m., Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee.)

The Florida Supreme Court is expected to release its weekly opinions. (11 a.m.)

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast and Flagler:

Click on the links for more details:

♦ March 26: Motown Madness, a fund-raiser concert for Carver Gym and the George Washington Carver Foundation,, featuring the band Traces of Gold. Tickets are $50, includes dinner and music, 6 to 10 p.m. at the the G.W. Carver Community Center, 201 East Draine Street, Bunnell. Tickets and information: Cheryl Massaro, 386-437-7540, extension 5101. See the flier below.
♦ March 29: Museum curator Christina Katsolis, photographer A.J. Neste and architect Sean Palmer speak to students at Flagler Palm Coast High School starting at 11:50 a.m. at the Flagler Auditorium as part of Art Works, a Flagler County Art League-sponsored program for high school students interested in a career in the arts. The art league worked with the art department faculty to bring this new program to FPC students to learn about a variety of careers from artists, all former FPC students, who have turned their love of the arts into successful careers. Following formal presentations by each artist, students will have the opportunity to meet with the artists in small groups. Parents, city and county government leaders and school board members have been invited to attend the program.
♦ March 28: Campaign kick-off for Tom Bexley, currently the deputy Flagler County clerk of court, running to be the clerk in place of the retiring Gail Wadsworth, though Bexley, a Republican, so far has no opposition, either in the primary or from Democrats. The kick-off and fund-raiser is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Black Cloud Saloon, 2551 North State Street, Bunnell.
♦ March 30: Resumption and conclusion of a hearing in the case of William Merrill, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence for manslaughter in the shooting death of his wife with an AK-47 in Palm Coast in February 2012. He is contesting his sentence. 2 p.m. Courtroom 401 before Circuit Judge Matthew Foxman.
♦ March 30-April 2: Florida Future Problem Solvers State Competition, to be attended by four to five Flagler County schools, at Doubletree Orlando Seaworld, 10100 International Drive, Orlando.
♦ April 1: The Friends of the Library of Flagler County celebrate the annual April Poetry Month by acknowledging the 2016 presidential election year. Poems by presidents or about presidents of the United States, from Washington to Obama, will be presented at 1 p.m. in the Doug Cisney Room and appropriate refreshments–that is, alas, no booze, no matter how drunk Nixon could get–will be provided by the Hospitality Staff of the Friends.
♦ April 2: Cheer at the Pier, a fund-raiser for the Flagler Beach Historical Museum, from 3 to 6 p.m. Call Virginia Giaramita for information at 386/299-8892.
♦ April 3: The Chamber Players of Palm Coast, under the direction of Paige Dashner Long, will present a beautiful concert at Palm Coast United Methodist Church, performing works by Haydn, Mozart, and Abel. This concert is free and open to all. will also include a special appearance by the Harmony Chamber Orchestra, the advanced orchestra from the Flagler Youth Orchestra Program, directed by Sue Cryan. At the end of the concert, the two orchestras will join together to perform Haydn’s delightful Toy Symphony, complete with toy drum, ratchet, cuckoos, nightingales, quails, triangles and more. 3:30 p.m. at at Palm Coast United Methodist Church, 5200 Belle Terre Parkway. Details here.
♦ April 6: Moody Boat Launch to close April 6 through May 20 for improvements. Click for details.
♦ April 6: The Flagler County Republican Club hosts three speakers: U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, running for U.S. Senate (to replace Marco Rubio), State Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Representative Paul Renner, who are running for re-election. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy NE, Palm Coast. Registered Republicans, club members and their guests are invited to attend. A Q&A session will follow providing an opportunity for in-depth discussion. For more information, email Flagler County Republican Club President, Wes Priest, [email protected] or call 386-986-0317.
♦ April 6-10: Flagler County Fair, at the county fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell. lots of rides, games, food, fun, shows, 4H and FFA exhibits, livestock shows and auction. Enter to win in the Home and Family Division (canning, baking, sewing, quilting) Art Division and Shoe Box Floats, and the Rock ‘n RibFest the last three days of the fair.
♦ April 7: Tea At Tiffany’s is the theme this year for an afternoon tea benefiting Arts In Education at the Flagler Auditorium from 3 to 5:30 p.m. This event will take place center stage for all to experience what it’s like to look out at the auditorium from a performer’s vantage point. The food will be prepared by Palm Coast High School’s culinary students. Arts in Education helps support children in our community with scholarships, band camps, instruments needed, as well as other vital business skills. Ticket are $50 and can be purchased by clicking here. High tea attire is recommended.
♦ April 7-10: Rock’n RibFest at the Flagler County Fair: The annual event, sponsored by Flagler Broadcasting (owner of WNZF and Beach 92), presents a weekend of music, food and fun. County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell.
♦ April 12: Anjali Anabel Tomerlin, a third grader at Imagine School at Town Center in Palm Coast who’s written and illustrated her first book, will hold a book-signing at the Flagler Beach Public library from 4 to 6 p.m.
♦ April 13: Public Safety Coordinating Council meeting at 8:45 a.m., Emergency Operations Center, Bunnell.
♦ April 15: The Florida Ethics Commission will take up an administrative law judge’s recommendation in the ethics case against Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre. 9 a.m.
♦ April 16: Flagler Beach will hold a victims’ rights memorial at sunrise. The memorial ceremony honors victims and their advocates. It will be held at the end of the iconic pier. Please contact Victim Advocate Donna Kearney with any questions about the memorial at 517-2020.
♦ April 26: Sentencing of Waldemar Rivera at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 401, Flagler County Courthouse, before Judge Matthew Foxman. Rivera was found guilty on March 23 after a two-day trial of raping his then-13-year-old step-daughter two years ago. He faces up to 30 years in prison. He had declined a plea that would have netted him 10 years, and declined a judge’s advice, after the first day of trial, to consider taking a plea.

In the Press, In the News:

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

The following is an update of ongoing permitting, construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through March 9:

Click to access permits-construction-march-11-2016.pdf

Road and Interstate Construction:

Moody Boat Launch to close April 6 through May 20 for improvements: Flagler County’s Moody Boat Launch will be closed April 6 through May 20 for improvements. “The scheduled upgrade will enhance the launch’s usability in a number of ways,” said Heidi Petito, Director of General Services. “The new system provides for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance, minimizes docking difficulties caused by fluctuating tides, and new lighting will promote boater safety and security.” The closure includes the Moody Boat Launch– located at 825 Moody Lane in Flagler Beach– the parking area, restroom, and dockage on the Matanzas River. It does not affect Betty Steflik Preserve and boardwalk. The scope of work includes dredging 1,650 yards of silt from the launch basin, thus improving navigability. The adjacent wooden docks will be replaced with an aluminum floating dock and gangway system. Additionally, the existing restroom will be replaced with an ADA compliant facility. Moody Boat Launch provides public access to the Intracoastal on the east shore, just south of SR100. The closest alternative boat launches are located at Herschel King Park on the west side of the river at 1000 Grady Prather Jr. Cove, Palm Coast, and Bing’s Landing on the east shore at 5862 N. Oceanshore Blvd. in Palm Coast.

Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway to be closed starting Dec. 18: Effective Friday, Dec. 18, the City of Palm Coast will be closing the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway. This road closure is required as part of construction operations for the Palm Harbor Parkway extension, which is currently under construction. Palm Harbor is being realigned and extended to connect directly with Matanzas Woods Parkway where it intersects with Old Kings Road. Message boards will be placed to advise motorists and other travelers of the upcoming change, and a public meeting has already been held for residents living in that area. Both the Palm Harbor extension and a separate extension of Old Kings Road are being built in preparation for the new Interstate 95 interchange to open next June at Matanzas Woods Parkway. As part of the projects, traffic patterns around Matanzas High School will be changing. One goal is to turn Forest Grove Drive back into a residential street as it was originally intended to be. The upcoming road closure of the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway is part of that project. Forest Grove will be turned into a cul de sac on that end. Once the separate Old Kings Road extension is completed, in June 2016, the Forest Grove Drive access to the high school will be closed because it will no longer be needed. Instead, motorists and other travelers will get to Matanzas High School via the new signalized intersection at Matanzas Woods, Palm Harbor and Old Kings. For more information, please contact Palm Coast Communications Manager Cindi Lane at 386-986-3708 or [email protected].

• Florida Department of Transportation Road Project List

Cultural Coda:

Beethoven’s Symphony No 1 in C major, Op 21, Christian Thielemann, Cond.

Previous Codas:

• Tartini’s Trumpet Concerto in D, Markus Wursch, Trumpet
• Handel: Then Entrance of the Queen of Sheba (From Solomon)
• An Excerpt from The End of Joyce’s Ulysses
• Pavel Kolesnikov Performs the Magnificent Scarlatti Sonata in B Minor, L. 447, and the D Major, L. 465
• Alvin Ailey Dance: Wade in the Water from Revelations
• Leonard Bernstein Conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Mozart’s Symphony Nr. 40 in G Minor, K550
• Sheng Cai Performs Triana by Albeniz
• Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, “Emperor,” Performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet
• Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, “New World,” Performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, Conducted by Sergiu Celibidache (1991)
• The Great Jacques Brel Sings “Amsterdam,” Live, With Subtitles
• Emmanuel Pahud Performs Mozart Flute Concerto No 1 in G Major, K 313
• Wynton Marsalis Performs Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto
• Evgeny Kissin Performs Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, from Paris
• Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.6, Performed by Martha Argerich (1966)
• Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Hélène Grimaud, piano
• Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, Rudolph Serkin, piano
• Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832): Sonatine No.1 in C Major, Op. 20, Mitsuru Nagai, Piano
• Roland Hanna at the Village Vanguard
• H. J. Baermann (1784-1847): Adagio D flat major for Clarinet and Strings
• Mily Balakirev’s Islamey, Op. 18, Performed by Valentina Lisitsa
• Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 33
• The Danza Final from Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia
• John Coltrane: Alabama
• W.F. Bach: Sinfonia in D minor, F 65
• Robert Schumann’s Symphony No 2 in C major, Op 61, Leonard Bernstein Conducting
• Daniel Barenboim Performs Mozart Sonata in C Major, K,330
• Mieczysław Karłowicz: Violin Concerto in A Major Op 8
• Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248
• Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C Minor, BWV 1060
• Glenn Gould on Bach
• Bach’s Harpsichord Works on Historical Instruments
• Mstistalv Rostropovich Performs the Complete Bach Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012
• The Six Brandenburgs Performed by the Munich Bach Orchestra, Conducted by Karl Richter
• Andras Schiff Plays Bach’s French Suites
• Andras Schiff Plays Bach’s English Suites

Click to access Motown-Flyer-2.jpg.pdf