The Flagler Beach City Commission signed off on returning the city’s popular holiday-season events and First Friday, kicking off on Dec. 3 and 4. The city will also launch the second edition of Starry Nights, lighting up the pier, Veterans park and participating businesses, also starting on Dec. 3.
Flagler Beach
Flagler Health Department Chief Tells Cities and County: Decision to Hold Events Is Yours, Not Health Department’s
The Flagler County Health Department is making it clear to local city and county governments: the department is no longer in the business of telling them whether to hold events or not. That goes for the Christmas parade in Flagler Beach. That was true of the Creekside Festival last weekend. That goes for events at the Flagler Auditorium and anywhere else.
Panel Discusses Eliminating Flagler Beach’s July 4 Parade, or at Least Significantly Scaling It Back
Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson suggested doing away with the Independence Day parade, an idea that gained little traction among July 4 committee members today, but there was more unanimity about significantly scaling back the parade and eliminating politicians and most businesses from participation.
Panel’s Latest Ideas: Make Visitors Pay for July 4 in Flagler Beach–and Make Businesses Pay for Fireworks
Members of the committee responsible for recommending whether to keep July 4 fireworks in Flagler Beach or scrap them reflect a broad complexity of opinions in town, for and against fireworks, but more data is emerging about the heavy cost the city is paying–in dollars, safety and quality of life.
Limited Public Opposition to New Fire Truck Weighs In as Flagler Beach Commission Reasserts Need and Support
A town hall-like workshop to give the public a chance to weigh in on Flagler Beach’s proposed purchase of a new fire truck did not change dynamics: a commission largely supportive of the purchase, and a small minority strongly opposed.
Carla Cline’s New Project: Raise 1,000 Local Restaurant Gift Cards of $20 for Hospital’s Overworked Health Care Staff
Carla Cline, the Flagler Beach philanthropist, is raising a thousand $20 restaurant gift-cards to distribute to health care workers at every level at AdventHealth Palm Coast (and beyond) in an effort to counter the indifference and “nonsense” that has overwhelmed the public debate about the pandemic.
Gunnar Galambos, 27, Faces Felony Charges After Violent Weekend Incident Involving 3 Victims at Johnny D’s
Gunnar Joseph Galambos, 27, is accused of violently assaulting Johnny D’s manager and pulling a gun on two patrons, and was seen striking his girlfriend, who did not want to pursue charges as the other alleged victims are. The Saturday incident drew a large police response including a helicopter and a K-9 unit as cops searched for Galambos, eventually finding him in Palm Coast.
Flagler Beach Appoints Committee to Rethink July 4 Fireworks While Aiming for a Show on New Year’s Eve Too
Five residents and the mayor make up the committee that will study the continued feasibility of July 4 fireworks, while the city will ask the county’s tourism bureau for twin allocations of $25,000 next year, to pay for both July 4 and New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Flagler Beach Again Delays First Friday Resumption, Possibly to December Unless Covid Pall Lifts Sooner
The Flagler Beach City Commission signed a new agreement with Laverne McNeil Shank, Jr. of Surf 97.3 FM to run First Friday events but a September re-start will be delayed, possibly to December, pending a better covid climate.
Family Life Center’s Trish Giaccone Sternly Rejects Flagler Beach Mayor’s ‘Rogue’ Attack, But Fences Aren’t Mended
Family Life Center Executive Director Trish Giaccone responded bluntly Thursday to criticism from Flagler Beach mayor Suzie Johnston that Giaccone had gone “rogue” by appearing on a radio commercial hosted by an incendiary county commissioner. But it does not appear as if relations between the city and the Life Center will improve.
Flagler Beach Fire Department Again Requests $546,000 Pierce Truck, and Again Embers of Opposition Flare
The Flagler Beach Fire Department is requesting approval of a $546,000 fire truck to replace its 25-year-old Engine 111. The commission is receptive. But as in 2016 and again in 2020, when fire-truck purchases were floated, the proposal is drawing some opposition, some of it intimating (again) that the city should consider consolidation with county fire services.
Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston Is 1st County or City Elected Official To Call for Vaccines and Masks
The mayor was acting on her own, representing herself rather than the city of Flagler Beach. The statement was issued within hours of Gov. Ron DeSantis issuing an executive order banning masking requirements in public schools, and as he has continued to counter efforts by communities to institute more restrictive safety measures in the face of Florida’s (and Flagler’s ) unprecedented surge in covid cases.
As Flagler Beach Grapples with Tawdry Pro-Trump Gatherings, City’s Wink to Surveillance Cameras Raises Questions
The weekly pro-Trump demonstrations featuring profane language in the heart of Flagler Beach has city commissioners concerned about the city’s image and the administration and police eying surveillance cameras they insist will not target the demonstrators, but be used as a tool in case of criminal activity. Others see a Pandora’s box.
Flagler Beach Swiftly Approves 240 Apartments and 112 Houses on Roberts Road, a Contrast With Gardens Brawl
The 240 apartments in eight buildings on one side of Roberts Road near Wadsworth Park and 112 single-family houses on the other have gained the Flagler Beach City Commission’s approval with hardly a peep from the public, while The Gardens and its planned 335 houses not far off, remains mired in a court battle.
17-Year-Old Lifeguard in Flagler Beach Is Seriously Injured in Diving Accident While Training
A 17-year-old lifeguard was seriously injured during training on the beach around 2nd Street South in Flagler Beach Monday morning, injuring his spine. The lifeguards were practicing dolphin dives into the surf, running in from the beach, a routine exercise.
End of an Era: Flagler Beach Might Let Palm Coast Take Over July 4 Fireworks and Shift Its Own to New Year’s Eve
The Flagler Beach City Commission has agreed to an explosive idea–explosive in the best sense and, potentially, in the worst sense: ending the July 4 fireworks, the single-most recognizable and beloved tradition associated with Flagler Beach. Instead, the city will shift its fireworks to New Year’s Eve as a way of helping business in slow winter months.
Their Boat Sank in Minutes 10 Miles Offshore of Flagler Beach: How 4 Men and 2 Boys Kept Their Cool Until Rescued
A group of six Palm Coast boaters off on a snapper fishing trip Saturday (July 10) rapidly sank two hours into their trip, 10 miles offshore. Quick action, level heads and a series of fortunate events led to their rescue by another fishing boat, then the Coast Guard. here’s their story.
Flagler Beach Mayor Throws Marker Against Supporting Organizations Appearing on Joe Mullins Infomercial
Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston, with fellow-commissioners’ support, severed her support for the Family Life Center, the shelter for abused people, after the center’s director appeared on Joe Mullins’s partisan infomercial on WNZF, what Johnston described as crossing a line. Mullins recently had slurred Flagler Beach commissioners as “cowards” and has been in an open feud with Commission Chairman Eric Cooley.
Despite Covid, Property Values Jump by 10% in Palm Coast, 9% Countywide, With Revenue Windfall from New Construction
New construction alone means an additional $1.2 million in revenue for Palm Coast, despite the Year of Covid. That will be compounded by millions of new dollars in government coffers drawn from the federal government’s stimulus. The two combined means that tax increases are very unlikely, and tax decreases possible.
Joe Mullins’s Defamatory Attack on Eric Cooley
Ostensibly proposing a discussion about sexual predators and domestic violence abusers, Joe Mullins in a Facebook posting about his radio infomercial features a screenshot of Bill Cosby over one article, and the image of Flagler Beach City Commissioner Eric Cooley over another, implying an equivalence.
Flagler Beach Will Borrow Up to $15 Million to Finance Reconstruction of Its Ramshackle Sewer Plant
The Flagler Beach City Commission is embarking on an ambitious and expensive plan to rebuild its derelict sewer plant and position the city to stop dumping treated water in the Intracoastal by the beginning of the next decade.
Flagler Beach’s First Friday Returns in September, But Commissioners Want It Refocused on Local Businesses
First Friday will return at Veterans Park in Flagler Beach on Sept. 3, for the first time in a year and a half, but under the new sponsorship of Vern Shank, known as DJ Vern, and Surf Radio, a switch from Flagler Broadcasting’s Beach 92.7, which had sponsored the event for the past nine years.
Veni Vidi Vinci: Flagler Beach Detective Is Named Officer of the Year by Florida Police Chiefs Association
Flagler Beach Police detective Rosanna Vinci, on the job at the city for seven years, is the Florida Police Chiefs Association winner of the Lee McGehee Award for small Law Enforcement agencies statewide. The Flagler Beach City Commission will recognize Vinci at its meeting this evening, at 5:30 p.m., the association will do so next week.
Crime Dropped By Half in Staly’s 1st Term, Giving Flagler 4th-Lowest Rate Among Florida Counties of 100,000 or More
Flagler County’s crime rate in 2020 fell for the 11th straight year, though it’s never fallen as sharply as it has in the last three, when it fell by half since 2017. In 2020, Flagler had the fourth-lowest crime rate in the state for counties of 100,000 or more people, aided in part by the pandemic.
Road Signs May Not Be Enough to Stop Sea Turtles’ Carnage on Flagler’s Beachside
A dead or stranded turtle on the side of the road is common, but prevention is not complicated, whether it’s reducing clutter and pollution on the beach or following up on the Flagler Turtle Patrol’s awareness tips.
Crews Will Work to Stabilize Rock Revetments in Flagler Beach Starting Monday, With Detours
The work between South 16th Street and South 12th Street in Flagler Beach will support dune maintenance previously done in this area and address the areas of revetment that are the least protected.
‘Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough’: Flagler Marks Pulse Nightclub Massacre at Year 5 with a March and Vigil
It has been five years since a gunman ended the lives of 49 people and injured 53 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Saturday night the Flagler community honored the dead with a march across the Flagler Bridge and a vigil at Veterans’ Park.
Palm Coast Fire Chief on Joe Mullins: a ‘Wrecking Ball’ who ‘Disgraces the Hard Working Men and Women of Flagler County Fire Rescue’
After County Commissioner Joe Mullins spoke to Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte about Palm Coast taking over county fire services, Forte ripped into Mullins in a scathing email to the county administrator and his deputy, calling Mullins a “hack” who seeks to incite hostility when he “stay in his own lane.”
A Petition Sparks Flagler Beach Consideration of Better Beach Access for the Disabled
Responding to a social media petition organized by a disabled resident, the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday said it was interested in exploring easier and clearer disabled access to the beach.
For Operator of Flagler Beach’s City-Owned Golf Club, Criminal Trials He Faces Next Week Are Barely Half the Story
Terry McManus, who’s run Flagler Beach’s Ocean Palm Golf Club since 2016, faces felony fraud and DUI trials and a civil breach of contract suit, and is once again facing questions about the club’s financial state from the Flagler Beach City Commission.
Meet and Greet with Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson on May 18
The Flagler Beach City Commission welcomes the public to a “Meet & Greet” with new City Manager William Whitson on May 18 at 5:30 p.m. at Wickline Park, 315 South 7th Street in Flagler Beach.
In Flagler Beach, Bank of America’s Blockish Eyesore Will Be Replaced By Vacation Rentals and Shops
The blockish and unsightly Bank of America building that sat for decades at South 3rd and State Road A1A in Flagler Beach will be renovated into the unrecognizable Ocean Club, with seven short-term rentals upstairs and clothing and gift shops downstairs.
Vaccines Now Exceeding Demand, Health Department’s ‘Ground Game’ Targets New Veins in Flagler Beach
As vaccine supply edges past demand and the rate of those getting vaccinated is slowing, the Flagler County Health Department is shifting strategies and making walk-in vaccines available at four Flagler Beach restaurants and later, on Sundays, at the Flagler Beach branch of the tax collector’s office.
Flagler Beach Will Combine Prescription Drugs Take-Back Day With Golf Cart Registrations on April 24
Elected last month, Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston came up with the idea of combining a prescription drug take-back event with golf cart registrations. The city’s police chief will also go to the homes of those who prefer not to come out to drop off drugs.
Restaurant Owner Danny Catalan, Now a Felon, Sentenced to 6 Months in Jail and 4 Years’ Probation in 3 Cases
Arrested three times in six months, Daniel Catalan, 41, had threatened an employee he’d just fired, pointed a gun at a minor and battered a family member. He had faced up to 20 years in prison.
Paul Harrington, A Flagler Beach Commission Candidate in March, Dies at 66 After Weeks of Struggles
Paul Harrington, who died this morning at 66, had been in the thick of Flagler Beach City Commission issues going back five years. He attended almost every meeting and twice ran for a commission seat. He’d been hospitalized in late February for the removal of brain tumors just before the last election.
Flagler Beach Gives Up on Recycling All But Aluminum and Some Cardboard; Palm Coast Not Expected to Follow
Flagler Beach becomes the latest among hundreds of cities and counties across the country to abandon traditional recycling in whole or in part since 2018. Palm Coast is preparing for a new trash-hauling contract, with recycling a significant component. The city does not expect to abandon recycling.
Flagler Beach’s Iconic A-Frame Is Getting a Make-Over for First Time in 24 Years
The Flagler Beach Pier’s A-frame is getting its first re-shingling in 24 years, a $9,360 job and the fourth in the last four years on different parts of the pier and its restaurant, ahead of the city’s upcoming centennial.
Judge Rules Against Excluding Key Interview with Detectives in Larry Cavallaro Rape Case as Details Emerge
Cavallaro, a former gallery owner in Flagler Beach who divided his time between Winter Park and the beach town, was arrested on June 12, 2019, on a first-degree felony rape charge stemming from an allegation that he drugged and raped 40-year-old woman who had gone to visit him there with a friend. He’s been free on $100,000 bond.
Flagler Beach Library Will Reopen Its Doors to In-Person Browsers After 322-Day Covidian Hiatus
Starting Tuesday, the 20,000-volume Flagler Beach Public Library at 312 South 7th Street will reopen again to in-person browsing and computer use, at least for four hours a day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Capacity will be limited to 10 patrons at a time.
Flagler Beach Again Cancels July 4 Parade and Fireworks, Wrapping Hopes for a Big Event Around Christmas
For the second year in a row, Flagler Beach will not host its traditional July 4 parade and fireworks, the city commission decided tonight, nor will the event be postponed to Labor Day. Doing so would be too “risky,” the commission agreed with Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder. Commissioners are placing their hopes on a big event and parade around Christmas, including fireworks.
Now Ex-Mayor Provencher Finally Gets Her Taser as Johnston Is Sworn-In and Cooley Is Elected Chair
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening bid farewell to Linda Provencher, the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, and welcomed Mayor Suzie Johnston, electing Eric Cooley chairman of the commission for the next year, and Rick Belhumeur vice-chairman.
Now Florida’s Only 2nd All-American Road, Storied A1A Has Long Navigated Between Quaint and Crass
State Road A1A is now an All-American Road, adding to the road’s paradoxes of beauty and history on one side and and relentless commercialization and development on the other, though the same people who applaud its scenic designation are also those who endanger it most.
Suzie Johnston Is Flagler Beach’s New Mayor; Eric Cooley Is Re-Elected Commissioner
Suzie Johnston was elected mayor with over 50 percent of the vote in a three-way race and Eric Cooley won re-election with 54 percent of the vote, defeating Paul Harrington.
Flagler Beach Commission Candidate Paul Harrington Hospitalized With Grave Illness, Upending Election
Paul Harrington, a candidate in next Tuesday’s election for the Flagler Beach City Commission, was hospitalized Sunday, has been largely incapacitated by a grave illness and was undergoing surgery for the removal of brain tumors today. Many questions remain unanswered if he were to win the election but be unable to serve.
In 3rd Arrest in 6 Months, Owner of Dessert Bar in Flagler Beach Charged With Threats to Kill Ex-Employee in Racist Rants
Daniel Fernando Catalan, 41, owner of the Dessert Bar in Flagler Beach, allegedly texted numerous racist threats to kill a former employee months after he’d been arrested on an aggravated battery charge in one incident and a domestic battery charge in another, triggering an “Officer Safety Bulletin” about his behavior.
In Flagler Beach, 4 of 5 Candidates for City Commission and Mayor Liven Only Forum Ahead of March 2 Election
The Flagler Woman’s Club hosted a forum featuring incumbent Commissioner Eric Cooley, whose opponent, Paul Harrington, was a no-show, and all three candidates vying to replace Linda Provencher as mayor: Kim Carney, Suzy Johnston and Pat Quinn. Here’s a full summary of the evening.
Flagler Beach Chooses William Whitson, Veteran of Municipal Leadership, as Its Next City Manager
Whitson’s style and personality, if not his career path and sense of humor, could often evoke that of the late Larry Newsom, and may have played a strong role in the decision of a commission that had grown to depend on Newsom’s command of local and state issues.
Controversial Vacation Rental Proposal All But Eliminating Local Regulation Advances in Senate
The ongoing battle over short-term rental regulation is of special interest to Flagler County and its local government, which last decade initiated the movement that led to the 2014 law granting local governments the power to regulate short-term rentals up to a point.
In Flagler Beach, the Two Finalists for City Manager Are a Contrast of Experience and Personalities
William Whitson has managed four cities and was assistant manager of Port orange for eight years, Dru Driscoll has worked 22 years in Daytona Beach, the last few as deputy city manager and fire chief. They are seeking to replace the late Larry Newsom, who died in August.