Ben Lacy, who grew up surfing with Tommy Tant in Flagler Beach, recalls three decades of the town town’s surfing culture and how it has managed to maintain its charms through the changes, even on the waves.
Flagler
After 11,000 Days as Flagler’s Judge, Kim C. Hammond Retires to FSU Fight Song
Kim Hammond started his career as a judge in Flagler County four decades, six presidents and 11,0000 days ago. His retirement ceremony Friday was a tribute to an institution.
“An Agreement is an Agreement”: Maps Contradict Palm Coast’s Annexation Claim
Large maps and a 2007 circuit court settlement show clearly where Palm Coast’s annexation authority ends. That authority doesn’t extend over the site of a proposed National Guard reserve center on county land.
Time to Get Involved: Feed Flagler Challenges County’s Thanksgiving Compassion and Beyond
Led by Commissioner Milissa Holland and the county administration, Feed Flagler aims to provide meals for 2,000 people at Thanksgiving, raise thousands of dollars and stock up food pantries and family pantries for many weeks’ worth.
Tommy Tant Classic Surfing the Weekend As Palm Coast Crashes In With Its Own Festival
Now in its 11th year, the Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic will be a three-day event, including a food festival by the sea, a concert and two days of amateur and professional surfing competition.
Lazier Voters: Flagler’s 52% Turnout Was Worst In At Least 16 Years of Mid-Terms
Just 52 percent of Flagler County’s registered voters went to the polls, the lowest voter turnout in at least 16 years of mid-term elections, and likely the lowest turnout since at least the 1974 election, when voter apathy was acute.
Fischer, Proctor, Mica, Craig, DuPont and Thrasher Win; School Tax Approved; Democrats & Amendments 4 and 8 Sink
In Flagler County, all precincts are in, including absentee ballots and early voting. John Fischer, has won the school board seat being vacated by Evie Shellenberger, defeating Raven Sword with a 58-42 margin. The continuation of the 25-mill school tax is approved, with 61 percent approval, which should boost the school board’s confidence. Amendment 4, […]
Delinquent on Taxes and Other Dues, Hunter’s Ridge Development Wants More Favors
Three years in arrears on taxes and delinquent on $4.5 million it owes the county for a golf course it never built, Hunter’s Ridge now wants to almost double its density to 2,657 homes. Commissioners are puzzled.
Daviana’s Excellent Adventure: Halloween Bash Fills Carts and Kitty for the Hungry
Little Miss Flagler Daviana Campbell raised $900 and filled four shopping carts full of canned goods for a local food pantry through a Halloween dance that drew some 300 participants.
Marineland’s John Hankinson Appointed Director of Obama’s Gulf Recovery Task Force
John Hankinson, chairman of Florida Audubon, has an environmental consulting office in Marineland and was the Southern Region’s EPA administrator during the Clinton administration.
Stalemated Flagler Beach Opts for Bruce Campbell As Acting Manager Beginning Jan. 2
In yet another raucous meeting, the Flagler Beach city commission couldn’t muster the votes to hire Bruce Campbell outright, so it settled for hiring him as acting manager beginning in January.
Campaign Notes: Dwyer Backs Craig, Sword and Fischer Vie for Teachers’ Attention
Craig and Horrox in the circuit court race and Sword and Fischer in the school board race make their final pitches with radio appearances and a television ad from Sword, while others continue to press for the ballot measure on continuing the .25-mill school tax.
Bowing to Pressure, Transportation Department Scraps Plans for a Weigh Station on U.S. 1
Every local government had opposed a proposed $11 million weigh station that would have taken up the median of U.S. 1 at Royal Palms Parkway, at the intersection of Palm Coast and Bunnell. Opposition worked.
Night Waves Smash 50-ft Fishing Vessel To Shore Just North of Flagler Beach
The two fishermen on board the 50-year-old “Satisfaction,” registered to a company in Port Orange, swam safely to shore around 1:30 a.m., and their catch was salvaged.
Holland Walks Out on Palm Coast Council As It “Rewrites History” Over Annexation
Commissioner Milissa Holland had enough once Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon took credit for bringing in the National Guard to a Flagler County airport site, which is at the heart of an annexation controversy.
Jail Riot, Diving Accident, Hostages and Wrecks Jam Flagler’s Paramedic Competition
Organized by the Flagler County Fire Department, the nearly 24-hour paramedic competition put 10 teams through 10 scenarios across the county in grueling, unpredictable drills.
Leveraging Little Miss Flagler Into a Halloween Campaign to Feed the Hungry, and More
Daviana Campbell, the 11-year-old winner of Little Miss Flagler 2010, is throwing a 5th and 6th grade Halloween dance Oct. 29 to raise money and food for the hungry. That’s just for starters.
With Verve and Survivors, Bunnell Pinks Up In 4-Mile Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
Bunnell’s first annual “Going the Extra Mile” walk for breast cancer awareness Saturday morning drew some 160 people and raised $2,500.
September Unemployment Almost Unchanged: 16.3% in Flagler, 11.9% in Florida
With 1.1 million people out of work, unemployment in Florida inched up by a decimal point, and down by a decimal point in Flagler. Some 11,100 jobs were lost in the state in September.
In School Board Race, a Clash of Clarity And Fact Between Fischer and Sword
John Fischer makes wild, often incoherent claims and exaggerations, betting, correctly, that his audiences won’t verify what he says. Sword is about clarity and rational analysis.
And Then There Were One and a Half: Flagler Beach Manager Pick Slims to Default
Edward Sealover has taken a job in Georgia, Gary Word is negotiating terms with Green Cove Springs, leaving Bruce Campbell the choice by default. The question is: will the Flagler Beach City Commission take it?
Flagler Sheriff’s Jail Guards Apologize To Lisa Tanner Over 2005 Brutality Case
Lisa Tanner, the daughter of then-State Attorney John Tanner, was arrested on bogus charges in March 2005, and was then violently restrained and abused by guards at the Flagler County jail.
Bold and Bolder: County Commission Bashes Landon and Coffey Over Annexation Proposal
County administrator Craig Coffey and City Manager Jim Landon worked out an annexation deal for the 55 acres to be filled by a National Guard center near the airport. That was news to the county commission.
Holden House and the Old Courthouse: A Grateful Historical Society and an Update
Flagler County Historical Society President Mary Ann Clark thanks the county commission for the $23,400 renovation, and Sisco Deen relates the latest fixings.
County Raises Bed Tax to 4%, a Victory for Milissa Holland’s Tourism Marketing Thrust
The higher tax, Milissa Holland argued, will broaden Flagler County’s marketing power, drawing more visitors and creating more jobs for local, small businesses.
In Race to Replace Judge Hammond in Flagler, Craig and Horrox Scrape for Distinctions
In the race for the 7th judicial district’s court seat Judge Hammond is vacating, Dennis Craig and Joe Horrox are two competent, unexciting choices, though Craig’s experience is more varied.
It’s Drescher’s Tower Now: Year-Long Quest Ends With Town’s Name in Its Place
The job was finished Sunday, but it took Stan Drescher, a newcomer to Flagler Beach, almost a year and perseverance through slamming doors to have the town’s water tower named after it.
Scott DuPont and Don Holmes:
Dogma vs. Nuance in 7th Judicial Circuit Race
Don Holmes and Scott DuPont’s experience in law is the least of their differences in the Group 10 race for Florida’s 7th Judicial Circuit Court seat (Putnam County), in which Flagler voters do have a vote.
FPC’s Boys Raced, Pink-Socked, in Breast Cancer Solidarity at Manhattan Invitational
Inspired by their coach, an idea started by Brad Walbert, to honor his grandfather, developed into team-wide solidarity for breast cancer victims–with unexpected and moving results as the boys raced in in New York City.
To Bitter Reactions, Flagler Beach Commission Again Delays Hiring a New Manager
This time, Commissioner Joy McGrew, piped in by phone from North Carolina, asked for the decision to be delayed until her return. The vote was moved to Oct. 28.
Burglaries Spike 44% In Flagler in 1st Half of 2010; Violent Crime Falls Locally and Statewide
Aggravated assaults and robberies are down, but Bunnell continues to record a disproportionate number of arrests for a town its size in the semi-annual crime report, which points to the year’s overall crime trends.
Why Republicans Are Listed First All Over Flagler’s Nov. 2 Ballot (It’s Not a Conspiracy)
Being listed first does matter in local races, especially in non-partisan ones, as lazy or uninformed voters tend to go for the first choice they’re presented.
Bunnell Police’s Latest Slipshod Accusations Clear Ex-Cop of Counterfeiting
Former Sgt. Frank Gamarra had cooperated with a State Attorney’s investigation of shoddy policing at the Bunnell PD only to be fired and charged with carrying a fake $20 bill.
Dry, Cool Creekside Festival Packs Them In Under the Pines, With Sunday To Go
In a matter of a few years (this is its sixth) the Creekside Festival has grown into the county’s largest attraction of its kind. It’s benefiting from good weather and more recognition this year.
The Sentinel’s Mica Endorsement Over Beaven: Pork Is Good As Long As It’s Our Pork
The Orlando Sentinel’s unsurprising endorsement of John Mica over Heather Beaven replicates duplicity and errors rampant in discussions of federal spending, pork and earmarks.
Small Recovery Victories for Nate Truelove, the 7-Year-Old in Brutal Old Kings Road Wreck
Sixteen days after the accident that sheared in half the car he was riding in, Nate is still in critical condition but now breathing on his own and giving his family more reasons to hope.
Bill Proctor and Doug Courtney Struggle To Out-No Each Other In Florida House Race
In the race for the Florida Legislature seat closest to Flagler residents, Republican incumbent Bill Proctor of St. Augustine is facing perennial candidate and Democrat Doug Courtney of Palm Coast.
Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano Will Take Over Kim Hammond’s Criminal Docket Come Jan. 1
Depending on who wins, Dennis Craig or Joe Horrox will be assigned to the civil and family division now assigned to Zambrano.The rotations in the 7th Judicial Circuit are made to familiarize judges with various aspects of the law.
“They Don’t Give a Damn”: Flagler Beach Wants Pier Restaurant Owners Who Do
A consultant’s report was as if tailor-made for Raymond Barshay, owner of River Grille on the Tomoka in Ormond Beach, to take over and remake the dilapidated Flagler Beach Pier Restaurant.
Bunnell Nights: “Smidge” Spearmon’s Two Crank 911 Calls and Two Stints in Jail
Spearmon, a 21-year-old Bunnell resident with no arrest history, called 911, pretended to be shot, and asked the dispatcher out on a date before hanging up. He was later arrested.
Flagler Harvests Poverty Warriors To Stalk Rising Hunger and Its Stigmas
Jacksonville’s Second Harvest and a local coalition of social and business agencies want to reach thousands of Flagler residents who need help but aren’t seeking it for various reasons.
Defeated Without a Vote, Economic Tax Talk Shifts Back Uncertainly to the County
A sales tax increase to fund economic development may still be discussed, but its chances of being enacted any time soon are slim to none. Governments want to talk.
Flagler Beach’s Great Bed Race: The Nuttiness, The Bed-Hopping, The Photo Gallery
Flagler Beach’s second annual Great Bed Race featured 14 contesting beds with five contestants each, and plenty of bed hopping. The full photo gallery.
All Maya All the Time: How the Government Building in Bunnell Became Archeology Central
The four-day Maya at the Playa Conference at the county and school building gathered the leading experts in Maya archeology and history from nine countries and 29 states, drawing some 160 participants.
Live Wire Weekend: Jimmy Flynt’s Ex-Cop Friends, Flagler Beach’s Bad Cop, Sink Sinks
Why Bunnell is stuck in the 1950s, an ex-cop in Flagler Beach is on probation, Scott overtakes Sink, undocumented immigrants leave, Heidegger returns, and more.
Palm Coast Data’s Invitation-Only Picnic: Hot Dogs, Flattery and Suspended Disbelief
Half Palm Coast and the county’s elected officials and top administrators were invited to Palm Coast Data’s picnic. The public wasn’t. That’s not the main problem.
“Economic Development” Tax Dies: Enterprise Flagler Wants It Removed from the Ballot
Enterprise Flagler will ask the county commission to ensure that the voting on the troubled tax not be counted. Plan B: a sales tax proposal.
Caryn Miller Appointed Flagler Beach’s Acting Manager As Commission Flirts With Stalemate
Caryn Miller’s appointment was a compromise to enable the commission to have an acting manager without being locked into making a more consequential decision involving Bruce Campbell.
Bernie Murphy’s 1,500 Days: With Few Regrets, Flagler Beach ‘Interim’ Manager Exits
Bernie Murphy was hired as interim city manager of Flagler Beach. That was more than 1,500 days ago. Tonight’s meeting could be his last, though one never knows with that commission.
Census: Flagler’s Population Stalls at 91,600; 28% of Housing Units Vacant; Poverty Rising
The 2009 population figures mean that Flagler will almost certainly not cross into six-figure territory when decennial census figures are announced. Figures on housing, income, poverty and insurance were also released.