As school employees prepared to demonstrate against massive state budget cuts on Tuesday, the Flagler School Board got closer to proposing cuts of its own that would eliminate classes and up to four dozen teachers.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
FPC’s Mockingbird Director Quits Abruptly, Walking Out on 6 Classes and 2 More Shows
Ed Koczergo, a drama teacher at FPC for the past three years, said he wasn’t going to let the administration “suck a couple more months out of me and then not hire me back.” He leaves 150 students in six classes and two scheduled plays in a lurch.
Flagler Reinstates Burn Ban Indefinitely as Rain Proves Too Scarce to Dampen Kindling
The restoration of the ban, lifted just a few weeks ago, is prompted by last week’s wildfires, a return of drought conditions, and no rain in the forecast for almost two weeks.
Led Zeppelin Revival, Minus Groupies and Sharks: Zoso Plays Flagler Auditorium
Part tribute part imitation part improvisation, Zoso is Led Zeppelin all over again, the 1970s heavy rock band. In performance at the Flagler Auditorium at 7:30.
Familiar Slogans and More Familiar Questions as 2-Day Economic Development Summit Ends
It was left up to Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon to remind the assembled that slogans don’t make economic development policy, and unity of message is still far from a given in a county with diverse interests and constituencies.
Marriage Encounters: Can This Man Bring Flagler Together for $1,100 an Hour?
The consultant Flagler County hired to shepherd local governments through their political and financial obstacles related to economic development has a long record of bracing cheerleading. Dividends are less clear.
Economic Development Summit: Diagnostic Kumbayas Drown Out Harder Questions
Day one of the summit produced generous and optimistic self-evaluations from some 60 elected and had-picked representatives of local governments, but no breakthrough on fundamental differences on economic development financing or leadership.
High-Speed Chase Ends in Serial Wreckage Near Town Center Publix (Updated)
The suspect crashed into three police cruisers. He is believed to have robbed three pharmacies, two in Volusia one in Flagler. He was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler with injuries.
Obstacles Cleared: Flagler Beach’s Iconic Pier Restaurant Will Have a New Owner
Every previous deal-breaker dissolved as prospective owner Raymond Barshay and city commissioners relented in turn on various issues. Neither side was an outright victor. But the city’s iconic restaurant will have new life.
Benefit Concert for Nate Truelove, the Young Boy Massively Injured in Old Kings Wreck
Nate is back in school, but his physical struggles continue, as do his family’s financial struggles. The benefit concert will feature several musical acts, including his great-grandmother’s a cappella group, The Firecrackers.
Flagler Beach Commission To Noisy Restaurants and Irritable Residents: Cooperate
Flagler Beach city commissioners turned up the volume on the status quo Wednesday as they analyzed noise levels first-hand and agreed to document and analyze noise complaints for a while before changing the noise ordinance.
Win Jones, Watercolorist of the Elusive and The Impish, at the Flagler County Art League
The retrospective of Win Jones’s watercolors trace his evolution from the social commentator of the 1960s to the time-traveling experimenter of the 1990s and the present. At the Flagler County Art League gallery.
13- and 8-Year-Old Injured in Single-Vehicle Wreck on Rymfire in Palm Coast
Danaizha Walker, 13, of Palm Coast, was transported to Florida Hospital Flagler in serious condition this morning after a single-vehicle wreck on Rymfire Drive in Palm Coast.
Angering Grand Haven, Palm Coast
Stops Short of Full Stormwater Fee Refunds
Palm Coast concedes that it improperly charged Grand Haven and other residents a stormwater fee going back to 2004. But the city is prepared to pay back money owed only since 2008. Grand Haven voters promise consequences.
Flagler Reads Together, Year 10: March Is the Month of Huckleberry Finn
It’s the 10th anniversary of Flagler Reads Together, and this year’s choice is Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Join the Friends of the Library for a series of events–Twain reenactments, movies, book chats and even a river tour. And read the book.
School Board Reminds County and Cities of Its Own 1/2 Penny Sales Tax Renewal Ahead
The county is angling for a new half-penny sales tax for economic development. That tax could hurt the school district’s renewal of its own half-penny tax, in effect since 2002.
Unresolved: Who’s To Arbitrate Daring Artistic Expression–Principals or the School Board?
The triumph of “Mockingbird” is past. The Flagler County School Board’s confusion over how to prevent another controversy without chilling artistic expression isn’t, as a pair of proposed policy changes indicate.
I-95 and U.S. 1 Both Re-Open, Traffic Crawls as Firefighters Battle 1,000-Acre Fire in St. Johns
All northbound lanes of I-95 have been closed since 2 p.m. at U.S. 1 near the Flagler-St. Johns County line because of thick plumes of smoke wafting over the highway in St. Johns, where firefighters are battling a large brush fire.
Flagler Beach City Commission Election: 3 Candidates Mostly of 1 Mind for 2 Open Seats
Phil Busch, Kim Carney and Marshall Shupe, candidates for the Flagler Beach City Commission election on March 8, more or less agree on most issues, making the race mostly a matter of personalities.
Memory for Cause: Flagler Youth Orchestra In Concert For Founder and The Sheltering Tree
Members of the Flagler Youth Orchestra and Caren and Paul Umbarger’s Island Duet will perform Sunday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m. at Bunnell’s Methodist Church in memory of Jobnathan May and to benefit the Sheltering Tree, Flagler County’s cold-weather shelter.
Corey Nichols, 34, Found Dead Near Walmart in Palm Coast from Likely Drug Overdose
Deputies are investigating the suspicious death of a 34-year-old man found this morning in a wooded area on the westside of Walmart on Cypress Point Parkway in Palm Coast.
Lifeguard Tower Rises Again in Flagler Beach, Pier Restaurant Lease Falters
The commission reversed itself and voted to build the tower. The decision displeased the prospective owner of the Pier Restaurant. Several other deal-breakers hardened in those negotiations, leaving the restaurant deal in doubt.
More Turmoil at the Top in Flagler Beach: CRA Director Caryn Miller Resigns
Caryn Miller had been Flagler Beach’s community redevelopment agency director since 2006, and the city’s acting manager briefly last year. She was passed over for the permanent job.
Marineland’s Future: Dividends in Waiting After Acquisition by Georgia Aquarium
David Kimmel, President of the Georgia Aquarium, the new owner of Marineland’s dolphin attraction, and others assess the future of the marriage between town and attraction.
As Politicians Mull School Cuts, FPC Lights 10 Candles to Excellence: The IB Class of 2012
While Tallahassee and the local school district prepare to cut school budgets, FPC students lit 10 candles in a ceremony Wednesday symbolizing the very best that local education offers, and produces, in Flagler County.
Ryan Rogers, Son of Bunnell Commission Candidate, Jailed on Drug and Other Charges
Rogers was allegedly trespassing on Flagler County Housing Authority grounds, from where he ran when a cop confronted him. He is in jail on $1,500 bond.
Trailer Overturns and Shuts I-95 in Palm Coast, Wrecks 2 Cars, Doffs Tons of T-Shirts
The 18-wheeler was traveling north just past the Palm Coast weigh station on I-95 when it overturned around 3 a.m., triggering a wreck with two other cars and spilling parts of its freight of tens of thousands of tons of t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies.
Severe, $3.5 Million in School Cuts on the Way: 40 Teachers, Shorter Days, Shorter Calendar
The Flagler County School Board agreed to the cuts today, the result of federal stimulus aid running out and Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed cuts to the education budget. Many of the cuts must be negotiated with the unions.
Scout’s Up: Mockingbird‘s Real Stars Take the Auditorium Stage Thursday for 3-Day Run
The controversies over, cast members of the Flagler Palm Coast High School Drama Club production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” talk about their roles in the show at the Flagler Auditorium Feb. 24-26.
40-Acre Controlled Burn on CR11 Goes Out of Control and Jumps Flagler-Volusia Line
The fire, still not under control, centered in a swamp, was encompassing some 50 acres and accounts for the smell of smoke that residents in Bunnell and Palm Coast will be experiencing. No homes have been affected.
From Raves to Shock: Flagler Playhouse’s Artistic Director and President Both Resign
John Sbordone and Diane Ellertsen had been associated with the transformation of the erratic Little Theater of Palm Coast into the successful Flagler Playhouse, including unparalleled sell-out shows this season. They resigned over differences with the Playhouse board of directors.
Heroes Park, Site of Monument Vandalism, Will Get a Motion-Activated Alert System
The $5,000 laser-perimeter system is similar to security installations at other city properties. It connects directly to a security operator who then has the option of alerting police dispatch.
63-Year-Old Man Lost in Palm Coast’s P-Section Since Morning Found at 2:30p
Jan Jablonski and his dog, lost from their home on Patrick Place in Palm Coast’s P Section since 8 a.m. today, were found at 2:30 p.m. in good condition behind the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club at 73 Patricia Drive.
Tense Community Meeting on Homeless in Bunnell Yields to Problem-Solving
Businesses had complained that the shelter was a magnet for problems while advocates disputed turning their mission into a scapegoat for problems beyond the shelter. The meeting diffused tensions as both sides agreed to keep talking.
As County Health Departments Brace For Cuts in Vital Services, Flagler’s Makes Its Case
The Flagler County Health Department sees an average of 136 people a day, providing clinical, dental and maternal services, among other things, that no other agency provides. That safety net is in jeopardy.
Despite Successes, Flagler Auditorium Loses Out on at Least $15,000 in Tourism Funding
The first $10,000 were lost when the tourism council’s logo did not appear in a TV ad. Another $10,000 are in jeopardy because of a missed deadline, though the auditorium is having a successful year, with three sold-out shows so far.
Commissioner Flynt’s Election-Qualifying Check Bounces, But Not His Candidacy
Flynt made good on the check as soon as the city clerk informed him of the bounce, 20 days after qualifying ended, but did so with cash. State law requires the payment to be made with a cashier’s check, “the end of qualifying notwithstanding.”
Gallery Whales: Rick Cannizzaro’s Giants Opening at Ocean Publishing
The third in a series of gallery shows that tie art to books (and a cause), Rick Cannizzaro’s “Ocean Giants” features 11 new paintings of whales, along with a few works from previous shows.
Saving Carver Gym: Breakthrough In Sight, Barbara Revels Battles One Last Obstacle
County Commissioner Revels is preparing to submit a plan to the commission that would blend financial responsibility and management of Carver Gym between various groups while diminishing two existing employees’ direct control.
A Morning Memorial on A1A for Jigme Norbu Before His Walk Resumes By Other Steps
The Dalai Lama’s nephew’s body was flying back to his home in Indiana as a group of friends and supporters gathered at the accident site in the Hammock before resuming his Walk for Tibet-Florida, ending in West Palm Beach later this month.
Dalai Lama’s Nephew’s Last Day: Jigme Norbu Remembered, and His Mission Honored
Jigme Norbu’s Florida walk for Tibet will continue, starting with a prayer ceremony on A1A in the Hammock Thursday morning in honor of Norbu, the Dalai Lama’s nephew killed there Monday evening.
$75-an-Hour Fee Wrecks on Council Shoals As Beach Clean-Up Plan Is Rejected Again
In a 4-3 vote, the Flagler County Tourist Development Council turned back a $15,000 request for beach clean-ups by the Friends of A1A Scenic and Historical Byway group. The group’s third try in four months is its last.
Dalai Lama’s Nephew Killed by a Car While Walking for Tibet on A1A in the Hammock
Jigme Norbu, nephew to the Dalai Lama, had walked or biked 7,800 miles for Tibet on several continents, and had just started his 20th walk, and first in Florida, when he was struck and killed near Palm Coast.
State Attorney Larizza on Bunnell’s Ghetto Spy-Cams: Should Be a Cost-Benefit Thing
State Attorney R.J. Larizza echoed comments by Public Defender Jim Purdy and Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker on the economics of spy cameras, though a majority of the commission appears sold on the idea.
Donald Flynt, Son of Bunnell Commissioner, Jailed on Fraud Charge
Donald Flynt, the 25-year-old son of Bunnell City Commissioner Jimmy Flynt, was jailed on Friday on a charge of obtaining property by fraud.
Don’t Be Alarmed: Smoke-Testing in Palm Coast’s P-Section Sewers Feb. 21-25
Some residents may see smoke rising from yards, streets or drains, signaling faulty sewer lines or plumbing. Residents may experience caughing, but the city says the smoke is not hazardous to health and dissipates within 15 minutes.
A First for Matanzas High School: Rebecca Wight a National Merit Finalist
Matanzas High School senior Rebecca Wight is one of 15,000 finalists across the United States, a little more than half of whom will be selected for an award in march.
Memories of River City: “The Music Man” Then and Now
Caren Umbarger, artistic director of the Flagler Youth Orchestra, grew up in Mason City, the real setting for “The Music Man”‘s River City, and both her grandfather knew Meredith Willson, the musical’s author, personally. She recalls her youth–and previews the show.
Gumbo Humanitarian: Sauce Boss
Crusade for the Poor Blues Up Flagler
Sauce Boss Bill Wharton: a blues-singing, gumbo-cooking humanitarian for the needy feeds the homeless Friday and performs at the Florida Agricultural Museum Saturday in a fundraiser for the museum and the needy. A profile.
Fearful of Obstructing Pier Restaurant Deal, Flagler Beach Kills Lifeguard Tower
After eight years of trying, winning an $80,000 federal grant, and spending $51,600 on construction, commissioners reversed course on a lifeguard tower to satisfy the Pier Restaurant’s potential new owner, who worried about blocked view.