The twin proposals would result in three cottages at the Princess Place Preserve costing $390,000. and 10 cottages at River to Sea costing close to $1 million. Profits would be modest, but the county’s aim is to broaden the availability of nature tourism in Flagler.
Outdoors
Palm Coast Dedicates Third Bike Maintenance Station, This Time in Frank Celico’s Memory
It is Palm Coast’s third maintenance station. The Celico Foundation also donated one at the Lehigh Trail on Belle Terre Parkway and Royal Palms Parkway, near the fire station. The Palm Coast Observer and PC Bike donated the first one, located at Waterfront Park. The stations are part of Palm Coast’s emphasis on its trails.
A Florida Panther Struck By a Car Last May Is Returned to the Wild After 10-Month Rehab
The 9-month-old kitten was panther was rescued in Collier County last May after a homeowner saw it drag her hind leg. She went through two surgeries and rehabilitated in a 10-acre enclosure before she was released back into the wild on March 10 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
First Manatee Count in 3 Years Shows Healthier Number Despite 2013’s Record Deaths
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported a preliminary count of 4,831 manatees in Florida during a statewide aerial survey conducted on Jan. 24 and Jan. 27. That’s the third-highest number of manatees recorded since such surveys began in 1991. No surveys were conducted in 2013 and 2012 because of unusually warm weather.
Woody’s BBQ Owners Take On New Restaurant at Bull Creek Camp, With County as Landlord
The Flagler County Commission unanimously approved leasing the restaurant and bait shop at Bull Creek Campground for $1,000 a month to JMC Food Company, a consortium of three partners who run Woody’s B-B-Q in Palm Coast, including Matt Crews, Joe Rizzo and Chris Zwirn. The restaurant opens in spring.
GOP Lawmaker Calls State’s Surplus Land Sale Program a “Disaster”
The Department of Environmental Protection effort was created with the intent of generating $50 million and replace the defunct and once-popular Florida Forever program, but so far no money has been raised and what has become a shortened list continues to draw criticism for sites remaining under consideration.
A Billboard Crashes Down on A1A and Flagler Makes a Little History as “Goodliest Land”
The demolition and permanent removal of the massive billboard in a ceremony Monday afternoon is the first of up to 10 billboards the county bought and will have removed by 2016 as part of a deal to diminish visual blight along the scenic highway.
Long Creek Nature Preserve Groundbreaking Postponed to Jan. 14
The Long Creek Nature Preserve project was made possible with money from Flagler County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands program and Florida Forever dollars. Tuesday’s public groundbreaking ceremony planned for the $1.46 million construction is being postponed, due to cold weather, to Jan. 14 at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14. Construction was originally due to begin in October.
Palm Coast and Flagler Prepare For Hard Freeze Warning Ahead of Coldest Night in Years
A hard-freeze warning is in effect for Palm Coast and Flagler County overnight Monday to Tuesday, with temperatures falling to the mid-20s in Palm Coast and the teens inland. Wind chill will make temperatures feel much lower. Residents must take precautions to protect themselves, their animals and affected vegetation. A local homeless shelter will be open all night.
Record-Breaking Skateboard Mile Among 3 Saturday Races in Flagler Beach and Palm Coast
The International Distance Skateboard Association is hosting a one-mile skateboard race down A1A for the Guiness record, along with a longboard half-marathon starting at Wadsworth Park and a kids and beginners challenge, all Saturday morning, Jan. 4.
Your Ad Here: State Negotiating For Advertising Along Florida’s Prime Nature Trails
New York-based Bikepath Country has offered to give the state 30 percent of any revenue over 15 years in exchange for making signs and seeking corporate sponsors for the controversial program, which went into effect more than a year ago.
They Don’t Only Shoot Them: Sheriff’s Deputy Bret Wood Saves Raccoon Stuck in Tree
When a 12-year-old student on his way to school this morning noticed a raccoon stuck in a tree on Palm Coast’s Florida Park Drive, deputies were called in, and as Animal Control would not respond, deputy Bret Wood used a car jack to pry the imprisoning branches apart and free the raccoon.
Palm Coast’s Ambitions for More Parks Soar, But Development Tax to Fund Them Declines
Palm Coast’s park impact fees levied on new construction are about to decline by a few hundred dollars, though the city’s ambitious plans for new parks and recreational facilities over the next few decades are unchanged.
Jacksonville Zoo Announces Birth of Two Amur Leopards, a Critically Endangered Species
There are only three dozen or so Amur leopards living in the wild, and as such they may be the most endangered big cats in the world. The first cub was born at the Jacksonville zoo at about 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 16. The second followed at 11:15 a.m. They have not yet been named.
County Sharpens Its Authority to Close Public Lands, But Not Without Commission Input
County Administrator Craig Coffey formalized authority to close certain public lands, including Bulow Woods, Pellicer Flats and the old hospital in Bunnell, either for safety reasons or as lands are undergoing construction or conservation. Trespassers may be arrested. Commissioners wanted to ensure that the administrator would not close lands without their knowledge.
Record 769 Manatee Deaths So Far This Year Represent 15% of Endangered Population
With two months to go in the year, 769 manatee deaths have bee recorded in Florida waters, breaking the previous record of 766 set in 2010. Deaths are blamed mostly on a red tide bloom that started in southwest Florida in September 2012 and that only recently dissipated. Four manatees have died in Flagler so far this year.
Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Lionfish Summit Will Explore Threats to Florida’s Ecology
As the linfish populations’ expansion threatens marine ecosystems in Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting a Lionfish Summit Oct. 22-24 at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront hotel in Cocoa Beach, to determine research and management gaps and to bring together leaders in the lionfish issue.
Flagler County Buys 276 Minutes on Electronic Billboard Near Times Square, for $15,000
The 10-second spot will run once an hour, 18 times a day, through Jan. 2, on a billboard on 42nd Street, four and a half blocks south of Times Square, and is paid for half by the county’s tourism bed tax and half by the general fund, through the economic development department.
In Wake of 9th Death in Florida, Flagler Health Department Cautions Against Seawater Bacteria
Vibrio vulnificus is a cholera-like bacteria that lurks in warm Intracoastal waters and infects people through raw shellfish or oysters or through open lesions, and causes death 50 percent of the time. Henry Konietzky, 59, is the latest victim to die from exposure to the bacteria as he crabbed in Ormond Beach’s section of the Intracoastal this weekend.
Despite 1,000-Acre Trim, Environmentalists Warn of Too Much State Land for Sale
The trim still leaves 4,250 acres at 48 state-held sites, such as parks, trails and management areas, that remain under consideration for sale by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection even though the lands fit criteria for protection.
A Feral Cats Plea to Palm Coast: Time to Adopt Trap, Neuter and Return Rather than Kill
As Palm Coast continues to trap and kill feral cats, Jacksonville, Deland, Port Orange and Flagler Beach are among the growing list of cities and towns that have adopted trap, neuter and return programs. Cities are turning to the protocol not only because it is humane, but because it is cost effective.
Palm Coast’s Scott Jones, 51, Drowns in Intracoastal During Fishing Trip
Scott Jones, 51, of Wildwood Drive in Palm Coast, drowned while swimming in the middle of the Intracoastal Waterway Thursday afternoon, during a fishing trip with friends.
Burnishing Green Creds Ahead of Election, Gov. Scott Wants To Give Everglades a Lift
Gov. Rick Scott is proposing $90 million to help lift a section of the Tamiami Trail, which groups such as the Everglades Foundation have called “one of the most prominent dams” blocking the natural flow of the River of Grass.
Palm Coast Tax Holds Even, But Council Tiring of Deficit-Ridden Golf and Tennis Operations
The Palm Coast golf course had a $50,000 deficit this year, the tennis center a $100,000 deficit, both covered by taxpayers, with more deficits expected ahead. Palm Coast City Council members are wearying of carrying both centers. But they’re not ready to end the subsidies, either.
At Yellowstone, a Cathedral of Peace Glories to the Very Best of America
At Yellowstone National Park, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with children of immigrants from many lands, and alongside those whose greatest hope is to become a U.S. citizen and claim ownership of a small piece of this wondrous landscape, it is impossible to fathom anyone declaring “Take Back America.”
Three Occupants Pulled from 41-Foot Hatteras Yacht Sinking in Intracoastal in Flagler Beach
A 41-foot Hatteras yacht carrying three people began sinking in the Intracoastal Waterway after 10 a.m. Saturday. The boat was listing severely, but was still afloat around noon, with several people in and out of it, trying to salvage it. No one was injured.
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.
6-Mile Tour de Palm Coast Highlights New Sculptures and Trail Riches
A cycling tour, a discovery of the four new ‘Flight of Life’ sculptures of herons at Waterfront Park, and interactivity with the city’s new QR codes along its Waterfront trail highlight the annual Tour de Palm Coast Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m.
Water Management District Tax Will Decline Slightly, to About $33 For Average Flagler House
All property owners in Flagler County, including all its cities, pay the St. Johns River Water Management District tax. The district’s $135.5 million proposed budget includes $13 million for 22 reclaimed water and water conservation projects, one of them in Flagler.
July 6 Palm Coast Splash N Dash: Free Swimming and Running Event for 5 to 15 Year Olds
Register now for the Splash N Dash Aquathlon, a free, non-competitive swimming and running event for children 5 to 15, to be held beginning at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, July 6, at Belle Terre Park and Frieda Zamba Swimming Pool in Palm Coast.
Lawmakers Object As Florida Fish and Wildlife Prepares to Ban All Deer and Elk Imports
But lawmakers are joining some of Florida’s deer farmers in expressing concern that a growing industry will be harmed if a measure goes in effect imposing a blanket prohibition on the importation of live deer and elk to reduce the chance that potentially fatal Chronic Wasting Disease.
Flagler County Will Buy 11 Billboards on A1A and I-95 and Eliminate Most of Them By 2016
The Flagler County Commission agreed to buy 10 billboards on A1A and one on I-95 for $140,000, and eliminate all but three by 2016, retaining the one on I-95 and two on A1A to promote the county’s tourism and economic development efforts.
Flagler Scrapes Up a Few Acres of Preservation Despite Demise of Florida Protection Program
Even though it’s not been a good few years for land preservation in Florida, two areas tagged by environmentalists as Jewels of Flagler County were expanded with recent purchases as those who work to set aside land for the future struggle with diminishing budgets amid great opportunity.
Paul Bouler, 49, Found Dead of Self-Inflicted Gunshot at Varn Park After an Argument
Paul Pete Bouler Jr., a 49-year-old lawyer, was found dead in his car at Varn Park Saturday night in an apparent suicide by firearm, about an hour and a half after he’d left his Palm Coast home after an argument with his wife.
Palm Coast’s Arbor Day Moves Back to Central Park on May 18
Palm Coast is bringing back its rescheduled Arbor Day celebration to Central Park (from Waterfront Park), on May 18. the event will be featuring a tree give-away, butterfly release, food drive, walk and run, exhibits and activities for children including a petting zoo, character visits and rock-climbing wall. Admission and parking are free.
Flagler’s Tourism Industry Takes Its Pulse, Declares Itself Healthy, and Cheers Its “Heroes”
In Flagler County, 2,600 people work in tourist businesses, which have weathered the recession and are seeing strong, sustained activity. Flagler County’s annual Hospitality Employees Recognition of Excellent Service (or H.E.R.O.E.S.) awards lunch at the Hammock Beach Resort Thursday was an occasion for the county’s tourism industry to cheer its own.
Place Your Bids: Today Is the Final Day for Carver Gym Auction
The third annual Carver Gym auction aims to exceed last year’s total of $6,000 as the gym’s foundation hopes, beyond sustaining the gym one more year, to improve insulation and work toward adding weekend staff.
Flagler Lands Its 1st Statewide Horseshoe Pitching Tournament at New Old Dixie Park
The Flagler County Horseshoe Pitching Club will host a Florida-wide horseshoe tournament at the 18-pit Old Dixie Park the county built last year. The tournament is another addition to a growing list of specialty sports tournaments bringing visitors the county.
When Deputies Shoot Animals: An Explanation from the Flagler Sheriff’s Office
Responding to a citizen’s concerns, Commander Paul Bovino of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office explains why deputies sometimes shoot animals that are reported sick or injured, and why they don’t take them away in their patrol cruisers.
Death in the Afternoon
It was that the death rattle. You’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it if we live south of the Mason-Dixon Line. This one broke the silence of a perfect Palm Coast afternoon. But an investigation proved to be a succession of decapitated assumptions.
Wadsworth Dog Park In Flagler Beach Will Remain Closed Through the Week Over Virus Scare
The dog park at Flagler Beach’s Wadsworth Park is closed until further notice as authorities try to determine whether a dog that contracted the virulent and infectious parvovirus may have been picked up at the dog park. The Palm Coast dog park remains open.
Growls Again Over Palm Coast’s Dog Park As the City Pleads Money and Other Woes
For the third time in six years, Palm Coast users of the dog park at Holland Park are complaining to the city council of dusty, dirty, grass-less and unhealthy conditions at the park, only to hear that improvements may be on the way–but not just yet.
Experimental Plane Crashes Into Alligator-Infested Lake Disston, 2 Safely Swim to Shore
Allan Burrows, 59, and Kathrine Burrows, 51, both of Port Orange, survived after their A-22 LS fixed-wing sank into Lake Disston Tuesday evening.
U.S. Corps’ Cost to Rebuild 2.5 Miles of Beach: $39 Million and Up, Storms Not Included
The Corps of Engineers is favoring “renourishing” a 2.5-mile segment of beach from South 7th Street to South 28th Street in Flagler Beach five times through 2060 by rebuilding dunes and dumping 320,000 cubic yards of sand five times over, for $39 million. Adding another segment could add $30 million.
Earth Day at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park April 20 and 21
The Friends of Washington Oaks Gardens State Park will welcome all visitors from 10 am until 4 pm. This two day event will include Live Entertainment, Living History re-enactors, Environmental Groups and Arts and Crafts.
Between Flagler Beach and the County, a Clash of Visions Over Protecting an Eroding Shore
Flagler Beach and Flagler County may be heading toward a showdown over the fate of the eroding beach they have in common. Between now and then, the Flagler Beach City Commission itself may fracture on either side of an unresolved conflict between those opposed to protecting the beach by way of dredging up and dumping sand on it, and those willing to give that approach a shot despite its costs and uncertainties.
From Green to Red: With Golf Course Buy, Flagler Beach Fears Going Palm Coast’s Way
Flagler Beach officials are looking into whether the city should bid on the failed the Ocean Palm Golf Club course at a foreclosure sale, but they don;t want to repeat Palm Coast’s money-pit experience after that city bought the Palm Harbor golf course.
Repeat Folly: Florida Prepares to Boom Again By Busting Local Environmental Authority
Bills in the Florida Legislature would take away Flagler’s and other counties’ authority to ensure that development doesn’t sprawl without required infrastructure, and would virtually demolish environmental land acquisition programs. Milissa Holland argues that such bills make a mockery of local control.
Losing “Protection”
In Florida’s Environmental Agency
Some of the state’s strongest protectors of our natural resources were recently expelled from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Fifty-eight of the most knowledgeable and long-serving employees were let go in order to fulfill the governor’s promise/threat of less regulation.
That New Year Resolution to Exercise? Your Local State Park Wants You.
Rangers at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park and Faver-Dykes State Park are organizing guided walking tours on New Year’s Day for those who have resolved to exercise more.