During a 60-minute stop in Flagler County this morning Gov. Ron DeSantis and Emergency management Director Kevin Guthrie took in the extent of damage to the pier and Flagler’s nearly-erased dunes, and the governor repeatedly spoke of Rep. Paul Renner, the incoming Speaker of the House, as an opportunity for Flagler to score big in funding help.
Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach Commission Wants Higher Increases in Water, Sewer, and Garbage Rates Than Proposed
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening voted to delay a series of increases to water, sewer, garbage and stormwater until Oct. 27–not because they were uncomfortable with the increases, but because they felt the increases may not be enough. So the rates to be proposed in two weeks will likely be higher than those before them on Thursday.
What To Do With Flagler Beach Pier? City Caught Between Costly Repairs and Demolition
The Flagler Beach City Commission is wrestling with whether to repair the pier at a potential cost of $650,000 and reopen it for well short of a year or keep it closed until it is demolished next year, ahead of the construction of a new, concrete pier. More data and public input may sway the commission.
Flagler Beach Smoking Ban on Beaches Set to Take Effect This Weekend, Cigars and Vaping Exempt
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday is set to approve banning smoking almost any tobacco product on beaches, in parks and on the city’s boardwalk, with the exception of unfiltered cigars. Enforcement will be an issue: there are no intentions to police the ban, which does not extend to the beaches under county jurisdiction. The ordinance is silent on vaping and marijuana products.
Hurricane Debris Removal Continues in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, Starts in Flagler on Tuesday
Hurricane Ian debris removal is continuing in Flagler County’s cities or about to begin in unincorporated Flagler, and is expected to take several more days, with patience at a premium.
Beach Front Grille of Flagler Beach, as ‘Loopers,’ Wins Former Green Lion Lease at Palm Harbor Golf
A proposal by Jamie Bourdeau and Dudley Shaw, co-owners of Beach Front Grille in Flagler Beach, is the Palm Coast city administration’s top choice to replace the Green Lion Cafe at Palm Harbor Golf Club. The city today announced its intent to award the new lease for the concession at the club to Loopers, the name Bourdeau is giving to the new enterprise.
Karen Barchowski Sells Storied Sally’s Ice Cream in Flagler Beach as She Plots Her Next Revolution
Karen Barchowski has owned Sally’s Ice Cream on A1A in Flagler Beach for 10 years. She is selling the business and moving to Vermont, after her embracing outlook fostered through Sally’s a powerful hub of acceptance and diversity. “We found invincible love,” Barchowski says of her years in Flagler Beach.
The Blessing of Barrier Islands
Barrier islands protect about 10 percent of coastlines worldwide. When hurricanes and storms make landfall, these strands absorb much of their force, reducing wave energy and protecting inland areas. They also provide a sheltered environment that enables estuaries and marshes to form behind them.
In Flagler Beach, ‘We Got Hit the Hardest’ in the County, Manager Says at Emergency Meeting, Calling for Patience
The Flagler Beach City Commission took stock of Hurricane Ian’s impact on the city at a hastily arranged emergency meeting at noon today, balancing the fact that the hurricane largely spared Flagler County of severe impacts but still left Flagler Beach with the most damage locally.
Catastrophic Loss: Dunes All But Gone Along Flagler’s 18-Mile Shore, Leaving A1A and Properties Dangerously Exposed
While Flagler County was spared the brunt of Hurricane Ian’s fury, its shoreline was ravaged, and what remained of its already battered dunes and rock revetments sacrificed themselves to protect A1A and properties. There is no more protection should another storm strike. The disappearance of the dunes is stunning in Flagler Beach north of the pier, and in many other places along the 18 miles of beach.