Under the guise of having to rezone land it recently annexed, the Palm Coast City Council enabled the highest-density zoning possible in the sensitive Bulow Creek watershed.
Best of the Rest: July 11, 2010
Mark Twain’s latest, Harper Lee’s Mockingbird at 50, the problem with journalists, Florida’s war on the homeless, and more.
Flagler Beach Manager’s Job List at 83 Names; School District’s Mike Judd Withdraws His
Flagler Beach commissioners will begin paring down the list in August but are unlikely to have a new manager in place by Oct. 1.
Dysfunction in Flagler Beach: Jane Mealy Rails at a “Fragmented” and Meddling Commission
Mealy criticized fellow commissioner Steve Settle by name and alluded to Ron Vath in a wide-ranging indictment of micromanagement. Her two colleagues disagree, but welcome a future meeting on the matter.
Tax Wave Hits Flagler Beach First: Rate Going Up 22% (But It’s Not As Bad As It Sounds)
In Flagler Beach as elsewhere, big increases in property tax rates will be offset by big decreases in property values, resulting in a wash for most taxpayers.
Small Businesses Mobilizing Against Broad Restrictions on Commercial Vehicles
As code enforcement responds to anonymous complaints over trucks in driveways, small business owners are tiring of the harassment in a hurting economy.
Individual Student FCAT Scores Available By Monday
Scores in printed format will be available for pick-up at individual students’ schools during regular business hours beginning July 12.
Palm Coast Code Ordinance on Commercial Vehicle Parking in Residential Areas and Elsewhere
The full, original language of Palm Coast’s code enforcement’s ordinance regulating commercial vehicles and trucks parking in residential zones.
How Marineland Got Public Dollars To Build a (Mostly) Private Marina
Marineland will spend $500,000 in public dollars to build a marina that will mostly benefit a private developer, though it will also help redevelop the town.
BP Texas Refinery Spewed Tons of Toxic Chemicals for 40 Days Just Before Gulf Blowout
From April top Mid-May, a BP refinery in Texas spewed 538,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into the skies for 40 days, and never shut down the refinery.
Regulations Will Put Dog and Other Animal Owners on a Tighter Leash in Palm Coast
Palm Coast’s proposed dog and animal control ordinance would impose more restrictive rules for pet owners and steeper fines for violations.
School Board Quietly Hires
In-House Attorney for the First Time
The district was not interested in anyone other than Kristy Gavin for the $85,000 to $125,000-a-year position.
Palm Coast’s Two Best Arguments
For a New City Hall: Take the Tour
This much isn’t too controversial about a new Palm Coast city hall: the current digs are ugly, cramped and unbecoming. And government spending is needed to create jobs.
For a Few Dollars More: How the News-Journal Is Hounding Its Retirees
Retirees’ pension and health plans are in jeopardy as battle continues over who’s owed what first.
3 Connected to a String of ATM Burglaries Arrested on July 4
Two Palm Coast men and one from Massachusetts, now in jail, are tied to burglaries in Flagler Beach, the Hammock and Palm Coast.
This Week in Orlando: Culture Worth The Miles
Singer Andrea Canny, Harpist Christine MacPhail at the rescued James Gamble Rogers home, rocking tributes at Epcot, impressionist William Vincent Kirkpatrick, Marc Cohn and more.
FPC Football Coach Steve Allen Resigns Weeks Before First Scrimmage
Allen had a fractious history with the athletic director and the administration, but that was nothing new.
Raging Skies Redux: The Fireworks in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Palm Coast’s July 4th celebration starts in Town Center at 7 p.m. and culminates with a fireworks show at 9 p.m.
Soaked, Whipped, Rushed, Magnificent, Flagler Beach Fireworks Go Off After All
After a day of rain and uncertainty, the fireworks went off before one of the smallest crowds in memory.
Fireworks Set For 9 p.m. in Flagler Beach, Not 9:30; Latest Video from the Pier’s Arsenal
The decision to move up the fireworks to 9 p.m. instead of 9:30 was dictated by a brief window of opportunity.
The Gods Must Be Crazy: Rain Slams But Doesn’t Stop Flagler Beach Parade
Clouds thicker than menace mobilized offshore, then struck, but the Flagler Beach Independence Day parade held on anyway.
Flagler Beach’s Independence Day Fireworks No Longer a Solo Act
Flagler Beach’s traditional Independence Day fireworks display will be held on July 3rd, and will be followed by another celebration in Palm Coast’s Town Center on July 4.
Miss Flagler County 2010 Essay Winner: Recession or Not, Blessings Point to Rebound
As a nation and a culture, whether in recession or not, we are incredibly blessed and should be thankful, says Mia Parliaricci in an essay that won her this year’s Miss Flagler County essay competition.
Transition in Style: It’s Janet Valentine’s School District Now as Delbrugge Exits
Janet Valentine this week began filling Bill Delbrugge’s shoes amid high expectations and some concerns.
Double-Dip: US Economy Loses 125,000 Jobs Even as Unemployment Rate Drops to 9.5%
With census jobs vanishing, so is job creation as the US economy in June appeared headed for a double-dip recession.
Prescription Pill-Popping By Far a Leading Killer as Florida’s Drug Deaths Spike 20%
Oxycodone, the addictive prescription pain-killer also known as OxyContin, directly caused more deaths in Florida in 2009 than cocaine, heroin and morphine combined.
Crime Reports, June 28-July 4, 2010
A stolen tag from Volusia County is recovered, a bank refuses to refund customer for fraudulent charges, and more.
School Board: Closing Carver Gym Not an Option; How Bunnell Killed Carver Housing
The school district is adding its voice to a chorus of protest and damning history against closing Carver Gym.
Tourism Panel Clears Half-Step Toward Palm Coast Arts Foundation Center, But Questions Persist
A $50,000 study is recommended for the smaller scale of a grand plan for the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s arts, culture and conference center in Town Center.
They’re Watching You: Palm Coast Council Turned on by Spy Cameras at Public Parks
City employees can spy on park-goers from ordinary computers networked to the six cameras installed at the park.
FCAT Scores: Matanzas High School
FCAT Scores, passing rates and historical data for Matanzas High School, including 2010.
Flagler Schools’ FCAT Reading Scores Disappoint, Math Scores a Plus
Every grade but the 6th and 9th posted declines in reading. The district did better in math, either improving or holding steady in all grades except the 5th.
A Confused but Adamant Bunnell Commission Wants Carver Gym to Stay Open
Bunnell city commissioners had neither the numbers nor the patience to discuss Carver Gym thoroughly Monday, delaying the issue to another meeting.
Pressing for Raises, Teachers’ Union Holding District Hostage Over Class-Size Compromise
The union would approve a district plan to comply with class-size requirements in exchange for $2.4 million in raises.
Flagler Get Your Gun: Supremes Rule 5-4 That 2nd Amendment Extends to States and Locals
The ruling is more likely to confuse rather than clarify how state and local gun regulations may be written into law.
Senate Tribute to Robert C. Byrd on Casting His 15,000th Vote
A tribute to Robert Byrd, never before published, on his casting his 15,000th vote in the Senate. Byrd died this morning, June 28, at 3 a.m. He was 92.
Miss Flagler County 2010
It’s Amanda Dack
Amada Dack has achieved more in her 21 years than many people do in an average lifetime.
Substation Problem Cuts Power for 4,000 FPL Customers in Palm Coast
Electric power was out for just under two hours for some 4,000 Florida Power & Light customers in Palm Coast.
Best of the Rest: June 27, 2010
Lousy Duval schools, lousy class-size rules, lousy Gen. McChrystal, and more.
Best of the Rest: June 6, 2010
FCAT scores delayed, Miami’s naked bike ride, Crist’s oily tan, and more.
Palm Coast Roller Derby Scrimmage Against Ocala in a First–and Set Sights on Carver Gym
Palm Coast’s first roller derby team falls to Ocala–and talks about moving to embattled Carver Gym in Bunnell.
Watching Team USA Live With Eddie Johnson (US 1, Ghana 2)
We’re covering the US-Ghana World Cup match live with soccer great and Bunnell native Eddie Johnson, from Palm Coast’s Houligan’s.
Drill This: Hundreds in Flagler, Thousands Across Globe’s Sands Link Against Oil
The moment was as symbolic as it was literal: a human chain in Flagler Beach against off-shore oil drilling and for alternatives to fossil fuels.
Hit the Beaches: Solidarity Against Oil As Hands Across the Sands Gets Set for Noon
Colleen Conklin, the school board member, is organizing the event–handing out slips and whistles, synchronizing the human link–along with Carmen Arasknick.
FCAT Scores, A Month Late, to Be Released After Untold Damage to Schools
The Department of Education and testing company Pearson are still playing word games over the cause and extent of the delay, which ruined district and student planning for fall.
Flagler Beach Again on Collision Course With Boating and RV Parking Regulations
It’s one of three issues–dogs on the beach and surfing near the pier are the others–that get Flagler Beach residents really, really ticked at whatever the commission decides.
Poverty Signs: Steep Rise in Children Needing Free or Reduced Meals in Flagler Schools
The rising numbers of children on free and reduced meals is a reflection of rising poverty and a rising toll on local families with fewer means.
Crime Reports, June 21-27
An attempted break-in at the sheriff’s substation in western Bunnell, vandalism in Espanola park, new home tagged with gang graffiti, and more.
Ex-Sheriff Jim Manfre, Flagler Schools Exec Mike Judd, Among 72 FB Manager Applicants
The MBAs and MPAs are piling up alongside substitute teachers and other surprises in the applicants’ pool, open for five more weeks.
Citing Contractual Failures and Unwarranted Favors, Flagler Kills Hunter’s Ridge Expansion
The 3-2 vote was an unusual split over the difference between growth management and helping a developer be as economically viable as possible.
