Tuesday Briefing: Tourism’s Matt Dunn Lands National Board Seat, Obama’s Osama Lies, Palm Harbor Housekeeping

Today’s weather:sunny, high of 86, low of 69. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is Low. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 382
The weather in Amelia Island, Fla.: mostly sunny, high of 88, low of 74. Details.
The OED’s Word of the Day: polyhistor, n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

 

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

• In Flagler and Palm Coast
• In Court
• In State Government
• Beyond
• In the Press
• Local Road and Interstate Construction
• PR Releases
• Blood Donations Needed
• In Coming Days in Flagler and Palm Coast
• Cultural Coda

In Flagler and Palm Coast:

Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.

The Palm Coast City Council meets in workshop this morning. Continuing its budget season overview, the council will hear a presentation on the city’s various funds then discuss several matters associated with the Palm Harbor extension project, due to start soon, including a land donation and a contract approval with Hubbard Construction, one of four contractors to bid. Hubbard was the lowest bidder at $2.95 million. The council will also decide its financial priorities for 2015-16. See the priority list here. The meeting’s agenda is here. (9 a.m., Council conference room, City Marketplace.)

Flagler County’s Planning and Land Development Board meets at 6 p.m. with three items on its agenda, which is here. (Commission Chambers, Government Services Building.)

Flagler County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. in the third floor financial services conference room of the Government Services Building, Bunnell. The agenda is here.

Flagler County Historical Bus Trip: Discover many of our historic sites in Flagler County with a 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. tour. Tours begin behind the Old Court House in Bunnell. There is ample parking here. You should arrive in the parking lot between 9:30 and 9:45 a.m. for check-in. There is an on-board briefing and the tour will depart promptly at 10:00 in an air conditioned bus. Tours will be scheduled for the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. There is a fee of $15.00 per person. Planned comfort stops are scheduled & a stop at Bull Creek Fish Camp for lunch (cost of lunch not included in fare). Event Contact: 386-439-5003.

Rymfire Elementary Opens Medical Lab: Community leaders and educators will celebrate the opening of the Rymfire Elementary Flagship Medical Lab (Locos Medica, Latin Translation). The new lab is the centerpiece for Rymfire’s Flagship Program that focuses K-6 classroom lessons on medical sciences, health and fitness. See details below in the PR section. (6 p.m. at Rymfire Elementary.)

The Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System in a Parent Advisory Committee Meeting presents “Accommodation vs Modification” in the third floor conference room of the Government Services Building, 5 p.m.

7th Grade Orientation for Bunnell Elementary students going to Buddy Taylor, at the Buddy Taylor cafeteria, 6 p.m.

Wadsworth Elementary School PTO Meeting, Wadsworth library, 6 p.m.

Flagler Palm Coast High School Senior Awards Banquet, the FPC dining hall, 6 p.m.

Closure Note: The City of Palm Coast’s Belle Terre Tennis Courts will be closed beginning Tuesday, May 12, for resurfacing. The project is expected to take two to three weeks to complete. See more details in the Coming Days section below.

In Court:

Circuit Judge J. David Walsh holds close to 50 felony arraignments, among them that of Paul Dykes, the (Courtroom 401.) 18-year-old Palm Coast man accused of raping a child younger than 12, and Erin Vickers, his ex-girlfriend, accused of the same capital crime. (Courtroom 401) Judge Melissa Moore-Stens also holds arraignments. (Courtroom 403.) Judge Michael Orfinger holds non-jury trials. (Courtroom 301.)

In State Government:

Note: Most proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.

The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board meets today. (11:15 a.m. or upon the completion of earlier committee meetings, district headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka.)

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida

Beyond:

Texas is executing Derrick Charles, condemned in the 2002 slayings of three people at their Houston home. A Harris County jury decided he should die for the deaths of his 15-year-old girlfriend, her 44-year-old mother and the girlfriend’s 77-year-old grandfather. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused Friday to stop the execution. Charles’ lawyers say he is mentally incompetent for execution and that they need more time and money from the courts to pursue their claim. An appeal for him is at the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the Press, In the News:

The Killing of Osama bin Laden: Seymour M. Hersh in the London Review of Books: “t’s been four years since a group of US Navy Seals assassinated Osama bin Laden in a night raid on a high-walled compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The killing was the high point of Obama’s first term, and a major factor in his re-election. The White House still maintains that the mission was an all-American affair, and that the senior generals of Pakistan’s army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) were not told of the raid in advance. This is false, as are many other elements of the Obama administration’s account. The White House’s story might have been written by Lewis Carroll: would bin Laden, target of a massive international manhunt, really decide that a resort town forty miles from Islamabad would be the safest place to live and command al-Qaida’s operations? He was hiding in the open. So America said. The most blatant lie was that Pakistan’s two most senior military leaders – General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the army staff, and General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of the ISI – were never informed of the US mission. This remains the White House position despite an array of reports that have raised questions, including one by Carlotta Gall in the New York Times Magazine of 19 March 2014. Gall, who spent 12 years as the Times correspondent in Afghanistan, wrote that she’d been told by a ‘Pakistani official’ that Pasha had known before the raid that bin Laden was in Abbottabad. The story was denied by US and Pakistani officials, and went no further. In his book Pakistan: Before and after Osama (2012), Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies, a think tank in Islamabad, wrote that he’d spoken to four undercover intelligence officers who – reflecting a widely held local view – asserted that the Pakistani military must have had knowledge of the operation. The issue was raised again in February, when a retired general, Asad Durrani, who was head of the ISI in the early 1990s, told an al-Jazeera interviewer that it was ‘quite possible’ that the senior officers of the ISI did not know where bin Laden had been hiding, ‘but it was more probable that they did [know]. And the idea was that, at the right time, his location would be revealed. And the right time would have been when you can get the necessary quid pro quo – if you have someone like Osama bin Laden, you are not going to simply hand him over to the United States.’ The full report.

Road and Interstate Construction:

Palm Coast: Palm Coast Parkway between Cypress Point Parkway and Florida Park Drive. IMPACTS: Lane shifts and closures will occur and this may cause traffic congestion on this already busy roadway. Most construction work will occur between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. though weather and unforeseen issues may adjust the schedules. This project will be complete by December 2015.”

Matanzas Parkway Bridge at I-95 Matanazas Parkway at the I-95 bridge will close on June 5 at 7 p.m. for the I-95 interchange project and will remain closed until Aug. 9. Detour will be via Old Kings Road. Details here.

Lane Closures on I-95 at Palm Coast Parkway: Starting on Monday, May 11, and through Friday, May 15, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., motorists should expect two lane closures on the northbound and southbound sides of I-95 at Exit 289, Palm Coast Parkway. Only the outside lanes in each direction will remain open. It is part of the Palm Coast Parkway widening project.

Flagler County: County Road 305 is now detour-free. 

Volusia: I-4 Widening from SR 44 to east of I-95, Monday and Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Eastbound/Westbound shoulder closing. Sunday through Thursday, Eastbound and Westbound lane closures as needed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday, 9:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. EB road closure between Canal St./SR 44 and I-95 with detour at US 92 exit ramp.Motorists should be aware of traffic shifts near Canal St./SR 44.

Traffic will be detoured at State Road (SR) 44/Canal Street, for reconstruction work May 12-14: The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is providing project support to Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) to replace the current crossing surface. Motorists will encounter detours beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, and ending at 6 a.m. Thursday, May 14. The SR 44/Canal Street detours are: Eastbound SR 44/Canal Street: North on North Myrtle Avenue, East on Washington Street, South on US 1/North Dixie Parkway. Westbound SR 44/Canal Street: North on US 1/North Dixie Parkway, West on Washington Street, South on North Myrtle Avenue, West on SR 44/Canal Street. For the most up-to-date information on road and lane closures, go to www.cflroads.com and click on ‘Lane Closures.’

• Palm Coast Parkway Project Website
• Florida Department of Transportation Road Project List
• County Road 304 Project Map and Description

PR Releases:

Rymfire Elementary Opens Medical Lab: On Tuesday, May 12 at 6 p.m., community leaders and educators will celebrate the opening of the Rymfire Elementary Flagship Medical Lab (Locos Medica, Latin Translation). The new lab is the centerpiece for Rymfire’s Flagship Program that focuses K-6 classroom lessons on medical sciences, health and fitness. Rymfire’s Flagship Program is a part of a district-wide “Classroom to Careers” effort that encourages students to explore, discover and succeed through project-based learning and community partnerships. “Flagship Programs are a way to get kids excited about what they’re learning so they can see how what they’re learning impacts their everyday lives and gets them thinking about their future beyond school. We are becoming laser focused on college and career readiness and have expanded the conversation by bringing in middle and elementary schools,” says Superintendent Jacob Oliva. During the planning phases of the medical lab, Rymfire Elementary Principal Paula St. Francis met with the Principal’s Advisory Council, a group of students in grades 4-6, and asked them to make a “Wish List.” Dr. Steven C. Bower, a local surgeon, member of Florida Hospital Flagler Health Care Partners, and advocate for the Medical Lab made a “Wish List” of his own. When they compared the two lists, they were essentially the same with items that included: adult and baby rescue mannequins, stethoscopes, microscope, stretcher, exam table and models of torso, kidney, skeleton and heart. Florida Hospital Flagler chief nursing officer Robert Davis was eager to offer his support by coordinating donations from the hospital and looking for ways to strengthen the partnership with Rymfire students. The hospital donated nearly $7,000 worth of medical equipment to the Rymfire Medical Lab to provide students with hands-on learning tied to K-6 Florida Standards. Furthermore, Davis is working with the Flagler County Education Foundation and Rymfire’s Flagship Program Leadership Team to help students connect what they are learning in the classroom and medical lab to careers by offering guest speakers and student shadowing opportunities throughout the school year. In addition, the Flagler County Education Foundation’s Innovation Grants program provided a $10,000 grant to support the elementary school’s medical lab, half of which will be provided by the Florida Consortium of Education Foundation matching grants program. These funds were used to purchase workstations and materials for the Medical Lab and stipends for teachers who hosted after school health, nutrition and science clubs that include: Gardening, Cooking, Robotics, Math in Sports and Science Club. “Flagler County Education Foundation has been supporting innovation in classrooms since 1990. Currently, we are focusing our grants on helping elementary schools develop their Flagship programs, knowing that K-6 students are the pipeline for middle and high school programs,” says Deborah Williams, executive director, Flagler Education Foundation. Additional medical and dental professionals have generously donated time and materials to support lessons in medical science health and fitness. Dr. Jeremiah Mahoney donates a day of his time to present dental health information to students in kindergarten and first grade. Dr. Ken Davis, a local chiropractor, donated a model of the spine, x-ray boxes and samples of x-rays. Dave and Desiree Chalice, owners of Peak Fitness & Rehabilitation, provided an after school fitness class for students in grades 4-6. “Flagler County’s future economy depends on how well we prepare our youngest generation for success after high school, whether that’s college, career training, or the workplace,” says Helga van Eckert, executive director, Flagler county Department of Economic Opportunity.

Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches Director Matt Dunn Appointed to National Association of Sports Commissions Board of Directors: Dunn has been a member of the NASC for more than 18 years. “Over the past two decades, Matt has truly become a leading industry professional to the sports tourism space, and this appointment by the NASC membership is a stamp of approval that confirms his position within our industry,” said Kevin Smith, CSEE, NASC past chair and director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission. “Matt has the industry knowledge to contribute to the NASC board of directors’ dialogue immediately as his advice has been extremely sought after for years. He understands the NASC’s mission and will help craft its strategic plan for the next five years.” Dunn has led the tourism effort at Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches since January of 2014 and is a certified sports event executive (CSEE), which is part of the continuing education effort through the NASC. “We are very proud of Matt being selected for the NASC board of directors. This type of recognition certainly acknowledges Matt for his industry expertise, years of experience and passion to the industry and we are pleased that he will represent our destination at the next level,” said Rebecca DeLorenzo, Flagler County Chamber of Commerce president. The NASC is the only trade organization for the sports tourism industry and serves as a resource for sports commissions, convention and visitors bureaus and sports event owners. There are nearly 700 member organizations and 1,800 sports event professionals who gain education, networking opportunities and industry knowledge from the NASC.

Flagler Beach Police Offers Safe Place to Close Your Online Transactions in Person: Are you looking for a safer way to close your on-line (Craig’s List, “Facebook’s SwipSwap”, etc.) transactions? If the answer to that questions is yes, we’ve got a brand new program especially for you. The dangers of meeting strangers at a remote location to trade items has ended too many times in senseless violence and this trend continues to occur across the nation. This program is specifically designed to provide a safe place to trade, which in turn will protect all parties involved. In a proactive effort to protect our citizens, the Flagler Beach Police Department is welcoming the public to utilize our Department’s lobby and parking lot to close their online transactions in a safer manner for all involved parties. The Flagler Beach Police Department is centrally located at 204 South Flagler Avenue. In addition to utilizing the Police Department as an “On-Line Transaction Safe Place”, our Police Officers will be available to stand by in order to increase both the buyer’s and seller’s sense of security. Along with our commitment to the safety of all parties involved, the Flagler Beach Police Department is committed to ensuring that on-line transactions conducted in our City are being done so with merchandise that hasn’t been reported as stolen. Police Officers will be available to check any item’s serial number against the State of Florida and National databases (to include NCIC and Leads On-Line) to ensure that transactions don’t include items that have been reported and/or entered into databases as stolen. To schedule an appointment, please contact our Staff at the Police Department between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Feel free to stop by to make your appointment or call us at 386-517-2020. If you have any questions about the aforementioned information, please contact Captain Doughney or any member of the Flagler Beach Police Department.

In Coming Days:

Palm Coast’s Belle Terre Tennis Courts to close for 2-3 weeks for resurfacing: The City of Palm Coast’s Belle Terre Tennis Courts will be closed beginning Tuesday, May 12, for resurfacing. The project is expected to take two to three weeks to complete. The court surface will be repaired, repainted and restriped. The restriping will include dual lines, meaning that the courts will have the regular tennis lines and then “shadow” lines for pickleball (on the outer courts) and U10 tennis (on the center court.) During this closure and through November 2015, the Palm Coast Tennis Center, 1290 Belle Terre Pkwy., will offer reduced rates for players. Prices shown are per person:
· Monday – $5 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
· Tuesday – 2 for Tuesday $2 from 4-8 p.m.
· Wednesday – $4 from 4-6 p.m. and $2.50 from 6-8 p.m.
· Thursday – $4 from 4-8 p.m.
· Friday, Saturday and Sunday – $5 from 8-11 a.m. and $2.50 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Additionally, other public hard-surface courts are available at:
· Seminole Woods Neighborhood Park (1 court – lighted), 350 Sesame Blvd., Palm Coast
· Old Dixie Park (1 court), 1250 S. Dixie Hwy., Bunnell
· Wadsworth Park (3 courts), 2200 Moody Blvd., Flagler Beach
The City’s pickleball program is suspended at this time and will resume at Belle Terre Park once the resurfacing project is completed. Once pickleball resumes, it will be held on Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. and on Fridays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. For additional questions, please call Palm Coast Parks & Recreation at 386-986-2323.

Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare will run a free Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification course for Flagler County residents on Friday, May 15, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Flagler County Government Services Building. The course will be instructed by Sini Summerlin, MHFA instructor, who will teach a five-step action plan to offer initial help to people with signs and symptoms of a mental illness, or who are in crisis, and learn to connect them with the appropriate professional, peer, social or self help care. “You are more likely to come in contact with a person who is experiencing a mental illness than a person suffering from a heart attack,” stated Summerlin. “This is an essential course to take for anyone that works with young adults,” added Summerlin. Anyone that resides or works in Flagler County can take the 8-hour Youth Mental Health First Aid course, but it is ideally designed for adults who work with young people, ages 12-18 — teachers, coaches, leaders of faith communities, social workers, and other caring citizens Seating is limited and registration is required. The Flagler County Government Services Building is located at 1769 E. Moody Blvd. in Bunnell and the class will be held in Building 2, 3rd Floor, Room 3. To register, follow this link.
For more information or to participate in a Mental Health First Aid training in Flagler County, visit www.mentalhealthfirstaid-florida.com or email Sini Summerlin, MHFA contact at [email protected].

The Florida Agricultural Museum will be co-hosting an orienteering event on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum facility, 7900 Old Kings Road North in Palm Coast. The event is being produced by the Florida Orienteering Club. There is a $2 per person registration fee. In addition there is a map fee of $4 for club members and $6 for non-members. Orienteering is the sport of navigating a series of designated locations on an outdoor course with a map and compass. The event is suitable for all ages. No experience is necessary and instructors will be on site for assistance. Closed toe shoes, sunscreen, insect repellent and water are recommended for all participants. The museum recently opened a permanent orienteering course at its facility. It is available when the museum is open to the public. There is $5 charge per user. The event will take place rain or shine. For more information, please visit floridaagmuseum.org or floridaorienteering.org or by contacting (386) 446-7630 or [email protected].

Food Truck Tuesdays on Tuesday, May 19: Enjoy gourmet food and family fun – all for a great cause – from 5-8 p.m. at Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast. This month, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office will provide demonstrations by its K-9 Unit, Command Unit and Mounted Posse. Entertainment will be hosted by Flagler Sheriff’s PAL, including a DJ, music, face-painting, and fun games with prizes for kids. The Food Truck event will feature about a dozen food trucks – mobile kitchens, canteens and catering trucks that offer up gourmet foods including appetizers, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. Many menus are kid-friendly. The food trucks signed up for May include:

· Caketeer – gourmet cupcakes

· Kona Dog – Hawaiian Style Hot Dog, pulled pork, fries, coconut shrimp

· Monsta Lobsta – crab rolls, spicy lobster rolls, lobster bisque

· London Fishy & Chippy – corn fritters, fish tacos, butter beer (non-alcoholic)

· It’s All Greek to Me – gyros (chicken, pork), Italian sausage

· Flaming Pizza – pizza, calzones, wraps

· Magic4urPlate – salmon, grouper, crab and shaved beef

· El Cubanito Subs – Cuban sandwiches, onion rings, steak sandwiches, pastrami subs, mahi, mohi

· Corl Concessions – cotton candy, snow-cones, hot chocolate, coffee

· Mama’s Foods – chicken quesadillas, fried shrimp, chicken tenders

· Chi Phi – chili cheese fries, roast pork sandwiches, hot dogs, salad, cheese curds

· Bruster’s Real Ice Cream/Nathan’s – ice cream and shaved ice

· Barnwood BBQ – Angus beef brisket, ribs, mac & cheese, pulled pork, fried fruit pies

Proceeds from the May 19 Food Truck Tuesday will go to Flagler Sheriff’s PAL. Food Truck Tuesdays is held every other month, on the third Tuesday of the month. Food Truck Tuesdays is presented by the City of Palm Coast Parks & Recreation Department. For more information, call 386-986-2323 or visit www.palmcoastgov.com/foodtruck.

Blood Donations Needed

Blood donations are urgently needed. Patients in our local hospitals are in need of blood transfusions, and the need for blood does not take a holiday. That’s why OneBlood is asking people to donate immediately.

Big Red Bus schedule in Flagler-Palm Coast:

Wednesday May 13th 11:30AM -4:30PM Department of Health Flagler, 301 Dr. Carter BLvd, Bunnell
Thursday May 14th 9:00AM – 2:00PM Florida Hospital Flagler, 60 Memorial Med Parkway, Palm Coast
Friday May 15th 1:00PM – 6:00PM Epic Theatre, 1185 Central Ave, Palm Coast
Saturday May 16th 9:00AM – 2:00PM Bunnell Festival, 200 East Moody Blvd, Bunnell
Monday May 18th 11:00AM – 4:00PM City of Palm Coast, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast
Wednesday May 20th 12:00PM – 5:00PM US Post Office, 2 Pine Cone Drive, Palm Coast
Friday May 22nd 1:00PM – 6:00PM Epic Theatre, 1185 Central Ave, Palm Coast
Sunday May 24th McDonalds Restaurant, 5190 East Highway 100, Palm Coast
Monday May 25th Bealls Outlet, 9 Old Kings road, Palm Coast
Friday May 29th Zaxby’s, 180 Cypress Edge Drive, Palm Coast
Saturday May 30th Walmart Supercenter, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast
Sunday May 31st Lowe’s, 315 Cypress Edge Drive, Palm Coast

Cultural Coda:

Twin Beaks, Sesame Street’s Parody of David Lynch’s 1990 Show: