The Flagler Youth Orchestra performs its first concert of the 2013-14 season on Wednesday, December 11, at 7 p.m. at the Flagler Auditorium in Palm Coast. Conductor Sue Cryan and fellow teachers of the FYO will lead five orchestras with more than 300 string musicians.
The Live Wire
Flagler Technical Institute:
Registration Open for Winter Term
Flagler Technical Institute is now accepting registrations for its career and technical programs for the Winter Term. Most classes will be held in the Flagler Technical Institute building at 1 Corporate Drive in Palm Coast.
Dawn to Starlight: Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and the Hammock Warm Up Christmas Parades
Palm Coast’s annual Starlight parade is scheduled for Dec. 14. Flagler Beach’s Holiday at the Beach Parade is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 1 p.m., and businesses in the Hammock will be lighting up A1A with special events, lights and Christmas cheer for the first two week-ends of December.
Monique Haddad Branon
Beirut 1938 – Palm Coast 2013
Monique Haddad-Branon, née Safa, who died peacefully on the evening of Sunday 17 November 2013 in Palm Coast, had been a fixture in Lebanon’s media of the 1960s, 70s and 80s as a television and radio and newspaper reporter and columnist before evolving into a novelist and poet in her American years.
1963’s Familiar Bloodstains: Far Right Politics from JFK to Barack Obama
John F. Kennedy was called treasonous and was the target of a relentless far-right campaign to vilify and demolish his presidency by demagogues and media barons whose ideological descendants have unleashed the same tactics on Barack Obama, writes Steve Robinson.
Palm Coast Getting Fleeced of Red-Light Camera Dollars, Harming Local Economy
In September, the 43 red-light cameras in Palm Coast generated $255,740 in fines, what would work out to an annual total of $3 million. The state and ATS, the private company running the system, took more than seven times the revenue share left Palm Coast, which means that the overwhelming majority of the money is leaving the local economy.
Sen. Thrasher Headlining Lunch Celebrating Chamber’s Leadership Flagler Graduation on Nov. 15
State Sen. John Thrasher will join the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and the county’s economic development department as special guest and speaker at the “Think Flagler First” lunch on Friday, November 15 at Pine Lakes Country Club in Palm Coast.
Don Fleming: Private Dick, Scott’s Millions, California’s Excellent Marijuana Adventure
Ex-Sheriff Don Fleming turns private investigator, Rick Scott Rakes in the re-election millions, California’s medicinal pot legalization is working wonders, a Saudi comic drives Bob Marley through the Saudi ban on women drivers, Suzanne Somers on Obamacare, and West Virginia’s red turn.
Congressman Ron DeSantis: A Tea Party Fanatic Who’s Earned His Walking Papers
Ron DeSantis, who represents Flagler County, is not interested in governance. A standard-issue tea party reactionary, he’s a saboteur. He derails, with self-righteous bombast and distortions. He is part of the suicidal extremists willing to plunge the country in default over Obamacare, rather than fight to amend it legislatively. He should pay the price of his recklessness.
A 2-Year-Old’s Life Saved and a Murder Suspect’s Arrest Headline Sheriff’s 3rd Quarter Awards
Communications Supervisor Genice Caccavale was one of three department employees to win Employee of the Quarter awards, Sheriff Jim Manfre announced this week. Also winning were Detective Mark Moy and Detention Deputy Randy Vickers.
Focus on Flagler Sets Golf Fund-Raiser at Pine Lakes, for New Youth-Resilience Program
Focus on Flagler won a $25,000 Juvenile Justice grant to run the Creating Lasting Family Connections program locally, helping youths and their parents become more resilient in the face of social and personal difficulties. The golf tournament fund-raiser will help establish the program.
Ex-Bunnell Police Chief Jeff Hoffman Sworn in as Sheriff’s Chief Deputy
Senior Commander Jeff Hoffman will oversee the agencies Neighborhood Services Division, the largest within the Sheriff’s Office, essentially filling the chief deputy’s role previously occupied by Paul Bovino, who’s on medical leave, and David O’Brien, who was forced top resign earlier this year.
Bill Filed to Give Henry Flagler His Own Bronze Statue near State Capitol in Tallahassee
State Rep. Bill Hager, R-Boca Raton, wants a bronze sculpture of Henry Morrison Flagler, who was integral in the development of Miami and Palm Beach–and gave Flagler County its name–to go up in the courtyard between the state Capitol and the Historic Capitol in Tallahassee.
Mysterious China Series Airs on Palm Coast Municipal TV199 Starting Sunday
Palm Coast Municipal Access Television, PCMA-TV199, usually focuses on local and regional public affairs, but–with “Marco Polo’s Shangri-La,” the first espisode in the Mysterious China series airing for the next three weeks–also shares interesting content from a diverse variety of sources.
Pope Francis’s Sexual Revolution, Banning Child Beauty Pageants, Scott’s Drug-Testing Addiction
Pope Francis teaches abortion and anti-gay fanatics a lesson, Rick Scott wants his drug-testing addiction judged by the US Supreme Court, France bans child beauty pageants, racists insult Miss America, and Edward Said and Philip Roth have the last word.
Florida Festivals and Events Association Hosting Workshop at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn
The Florida Festivals and Events Association (FFEA), the state’s primary professional organization for producers, vendors, and sponsors of festivals, fairs and special events, is hosting a workshop and seminar at the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Coast on Thursday, October 10, for all those interested either in learning the ropes or capitalizing on special events.
Back From Budget Brink, Flagler Youth Orchestra Begins 9th Year on New and Record Note
The Flagler Youth Orchestra is back for its ninth year with a new artistic director–and what appears to be another record-setting enrollment–three months after the school board had considered eliminating the program altogether.
Projection Shows $846 Million Surplus Ahead of Florida’s 2014 Budget
The estimated $845.7 million surplus could be used during the 2014-15 fiscal year to increase spending or cut taxes — or it could be rolled into the budget for the following year. The projection comes with all sorts of caveats, as the 2014-15 year will not start until July 1.
Loretta Lynn, Just Named Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient, at Peabody on Sept. 13
Last month President Obama named Loretta Lynn, alongside Gloria Steinem and Bill Clinton, among others, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. The 81-year-old country star will be at Daytona Beach’s Peabody Auditorium for one show on Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Pit Bull Argument Then Homicide, Alan Grayson vs. Syria, Defunding Obamacare and the Benefits of LSD
The latest homicide in Jacksonville results from an argument over a pit bull, Alan Grayson says leave Syria alone, majority of Americans oppose defunding Obamacare, your brain on LSD and mescaline, badly paid women doctors, and 60 minutes of Louis CK.
Flagler County, Palm Coast, Habitat for Humanity and Stetson Line Up 9/11 Events
Several local organizations and local governments, including Flagler County, Palm Coast, Habitat for Humanity, Stetson University and others are commemorating the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Palm Coast Food and Wine Festival Returns, This Time With Wine, and Free Admission
The Palm Coast Food and Wine Festival at Town Center’s Central Park is scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, with no gate admission, a dozen wines and more than a dozen food vendors from several countries, along with cultural and other entertainments.
Why Chris Lane Is Not Trayvon, a Dissent on Woody Allen, and 10 Rules for Penis Management
The false Trayvon Martinizing of Chris Lane, Seattle’s police-state mentality gets an image check, Stephen Fry wants Sochi boycotted, Darden’s Red Lobster and Olive Garden screw waiters, Malcolm X to the Rhythms of Keith Leblanc, and the wonders of James Randi.
CPR and First Aid Heart Saver Certification Training Offered Free
The Flagler County school district and the Palm Coast Fire Department are offering free day-long training in CPR and first aid heart-saver techniques to all school employees or any member of the community. Anyone 13 and older may participate in the Saturday classes Aug. 31, Oct. 5 and Dec. 7.
Al Jazeera America Lands, Kids Riot in Polk County, Executioners Cry For Drugs
Al Jazeera America, launching Tuesday, is CNN’s and Fox’s latest competitor, juveniles riot at a Polk County prison, Rick Scott shows how to pay to get him to play, Richard Ford offers his 10 tips to be a fiction writer, and some magic from Alexander Calder.
Team Feed Flagler Kicks Off Food Drives at Local Events
Team Feed Flagler, the annual community Thanksgiving meal and food drive led and chiefly sponsored by Flagler County government, has scheduled several drop-off locations for donated food over the next three months. Chart included.
Marco Rubio’s Redemption Tour, Egypt’s Day of Shame, North Carolina’s Tarred Legacy
Marco Rubio is trying to get back into his tea party graces for all the wrong reasons, Robert Fisk nails the Egyptian army’s mass murders, North Carolina retreats to the dark ages, synthetic pot’s owners are imprisoned, students discover a new ADHD high.
Breast Cancer Therapy Technique at Florida Hospital Flagler Now Reduces Radiation Exposure
The Prone Breast Board radiation therapy technique, allowing patients to rest on their stomach rather than their back, significantly decreases radiation exposure to the lungs and heart.
Fish and Wildlife Asking Public to Report Sightings of 3 Rare Snake Species
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists are asking the public to report sightings of three rare snake species–Florida pine snake, southern hognose snake and short-tailed snake–to help with research.
Stop and Frisk Unconstitutional, Children on Steroids, Jeb Bush Goes Splat and Texting Deaths
A judge gives stop-and-frisk its overdue what-for, parents push steroids on their athlete children, a Tennessee judge’s Messiah complex, Werner Herzog’s haunting film on texting and driving, Larry David stands up again.
Oxycontin’s Biggest Pusher, Pardon Obsession, Boobies and Free Speech, Gen-X in Crisis
Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma hides its list of abusive physicians, benefits of daydreaming, when Sartre and Camus were friends, an appeals court in defense of boobies, Schiff does Bach’s Italian Concerto, Florida’s tax evaders.
Jeff Bezos’s Post-It Note To Self: Rekindle American Journalism
Unlike the sort of vulgar ad men who’ve taken over most newspapers since the 1990s, slicking up newsprint with more hair gel than ink, Bezos knows the value of a sentence. He’s shown healthy contempt for the forces of the market, which are equal parts poison and speed to innovation.
Bikers’ Annual 9/11 Memorial Ride and Ceremony Set for Sept. 8 Starting in Bunnell
The annual and free 9/11 Memorial Motorcycle Ride and Ceremony, marking the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9 at the Government Services Building in Bunnell.
The NSA’s Total Recall, Detroit Matters Less Than Colombia, Cutting Off 5 Million Food Stamp Recipients
The NSA’s X-Keyscore program allows electronic snooping of anyone, anywhere, any time, the GOP plan to cut off more than 5 million food stamps recipients, Fox’s embarrassing interview with Reza Aslan, and Universal’s big investments in Orlando.
NBC’s Olympic Blinders to Russia’s Gay-Bashing, Florida’s School-Voucher Crock, Spike Lee’s Essentials
NBC plays coy over Russia’s gay bashing as it prepares for the Sochi Olympics, Florida’s corporate-voucher-school scheme keeps growing, Malcolm X invents peanut butter, Spike Lee shows off his list of best films, and Finnegans Wake goes through the spell-checker.
Florida Education Commissioner Bennett Changed School Grading System in Indiana to Benefit a Donor
Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett and his then-Indiana employees “frantically overhauled” Indiana’s school-grading system last year (just as Florida’s was last year and this year) when it looked like one of his political contributors’ schools might get a “C,” the Associated Press reported.
End of Florida Oranges, Stand Your Grim, Steve King’s Cantaloupe Brain and Separation of Church and Skin
Florida orange groves may be doomed as a disease ravages them, Florida’s security-industrial complex continues to freak out over schools, South Florida dumps millions of tons of sand on beaches, charter schools may be the new segregation, and Mick Jagger speaks about drugs.
Ted Corless Against the Death Penalty, Ohio’s DeWine’s Gay Cruelty, Jews vs. Jaws, SNL Unleashed
Ohio AG DeWine finds a way to torture a dying gay man over his last wish, prison populations decline for the third straight year, the Jewish origins of Discovery’s Shark Week, and a revolting video on the skinning of exotic animals.
Eddie Johnson’s Thunder, Emmett Till’s Witness, NSA Spying Victory and Manatee Milestones
Eddie Johnson powers US to Gold Cup final, Conservatives and liberals fall short in an attempt to rein in NSA spying, Emmett Till’s courageous trial witness is dead, Ted Nugent is brain-dead, “The Drowning Room” shows art’s vision of global warming, and Florida manatee stories: good and very bad.
Obama in Jacksonville Thursday in Economy Tour as GOP Ridicules Visit
President Barack Obama plans an appearance Thursday in Jacksonville to talk about economic issues, and the Republican Party of Florida has already launched a counter-attack.
Bunnell’s Eddie Johnson Shines in 5-1 Win Over El Salvador in Gold Cup Semi
Bunnell-born Eddie Johnson, the electrifying striker gunning for a spot on Team USA’s World Cup squad, scored immediately after coming into the quarterfinal Gold Cup match on a substitution Sunday, refreshing his Demolition Man moniker.
Gun Rights Advocates and Church Join in Suit Against NSA as Companies Petition White House
Sixty-three companies are asking the federal government to allow companies that receive foreign-intelligence surveillance requests to publicly discuss those requests in basic terms, while gun rights advocates have joined the Unitarian Church and the Electronic Frontier Foundation in a lawsuit against NSA spying on First Amendment grounds.
Sheriff Swears In 6 New Deputies, Among them Lashbrook of Flagler Beach and Hristakopoulos of Bunnell
George Hristakopoulos in Bunnell and Dennis Lashbrook in Flagler Beach built long records patrolling the two cities’ streets. The six new deputies don’t increase the total number of deputies working at the sheriff’s office.
The Zimmerman Trial and Kathleen Parker’s Courtroom Camera Ban
After watching the Zimmerman murder trial, Kathleen Parker concludes that it’s time to ban television cameras from courtrooms again, though not any other type of media. She’s wrong: the distortions of cameras on justice are not nearly as dangerous as the distortions of masked justice.
Traffic Disruptions at Florida Hospital Flagler as Parking Lot is Resurfaced
Florida Hospital Flagler is in the process of sealing and re-striping its parking lots and driveways over the next 30 days, covering the better part of July.
President’s Service Award Crowns Flagler County Rotarians for 2nd Time in 6 Months
The 15 recipients honored Tuesday evening at the Hilton Garden Inn double the Rotarians who have received the President’s Service Award during Rick Staly’s tenure at the head of the local club. Staly will be replaced by Bill Lyon on July 1.
The Cruel and Unusual Justice Thomas
The cruelties of the self-loathing, self-pitying Clarence Thomas were on display again this week when he provided the deciding vote that had the Supreme Court managing to turn the right to remain silent against the accused, and using that silence as evidence of incrimination.
Home-Flipping in Central Florida Fuels Bubble Fears
The median price of existing-home sales in the core Orlando market has increased from $108,000 at the beginning of last year to $145,000 as of April. A review of 30 flips by a single seller shows a median buy price of $41,178 and resale price of $74,000 — after accounting for repairs and renovations.
Teens-In-Flight Launches First Female Fliers: Cora Jo Rand and Gigi Gonzalez
Teens-In-Flight students Cora Jo Rand and Gigi Gonzales became the first female students to fly solo for the Palm Coast-based Teens-In-Flight program, which plans expansions to Fort Bragg and Camp Lejune, N.C., as well as Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, Texas, by year’s end.
Palm Coast’s Jim Landon Gets Top Career Award from Statewide Association
It is indicative of the persistent pettiness of the rivalry between Flagler County and Palm Coast that when the county sent out the announcement of its own deputy administrator receiving a state award earlier this week, it left silent the—somewhat more significant—award that went to Jim Landon, the Palm Coast City Manager.
