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Thursday Briefing: Grand Landings’ Problem With Blacks, Romeo and Juliet at Flagler Auditorium, Rubio’s Surge

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The State Ballet Theatre of Russia presents Romeo and Juliet
The State Ballet Theatre of Russia presents Romeo and Juliet at the Flagler Auditorium this evening. See below.

Today: high around 70, lows in upper 50s. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 371.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: alastor, n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

In Flagler and Palm Coast:

Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Many can be heard or seen live through each agency’s website.

Matanzas High School Final Piano Recital at Matanzas’s Pirate Theater, 6 p.m.

Romeo & Juliet, Performed by The State Ballet Theatre of Russia, at the Flagler Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Founded by legendary dancer and former principal dancer of The Bolshoi Theatre Ballet, Maya Plisetskaya, The State Ballet Theatre of Russia – now under the direction of award-winning dancer and Moiseyev Dance Company soloist Nikolay Anokhin – presents the most passionate romantic tragedy every told. This full-scale production is choreographed by Bolshoi Theatre Ballet Choreographer Michael Lavrovsky, and based on William Shakespeare’s timeless tale of tragic love. The State Ballet Theatre of Russia presents 55 of Russia’s brightest ballet stars to bring this celebration of true love onto our stage and into our hearts.

Local News Recap:

Former Miss America’s son is profiled in Palm Coast subdivision: Marjorie Vincent-Tripp, crowned Miss America from Illinois in 1991 and now a resident of Grand Landings, wrote an arresting column for the Palm Coast Observer that starts: “This is particularly for the resident of Grand Landings subdivision who called the Sheriff’s Office on a recent morning to report a black male walking in the neighborhood who looked like he didn’t belong there. That black male happens to be my son. Let me tell you about him and his family background.” And, she notes with irony, “when you saw him walking down the street, he was reading a book by Frederick Douglass.” Read the full column here.

Belle Terre Swim Club 161 Members Short of Goal as Drop-Dead Decision Time Nears: As of Dec. 31, some 239 members have been recruited, up from about 130 last October. That’s still short 161. Last year’s losses at the club totaled $141,000. Patty Wormeck, the district’s finance director, said that based on current membership number, the reduced hours and the staff cuts, the loss over the year would add up to $54,000. But that’s assuming there would be no additional memberships.

The Palm Coast Fraternal Order of Police Furthers a Lie in a Protest at Epic Theaters: The FOP’s protest was triggered by false claims that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had called cops “murderers.” The lie didn’t stop FOP organizers from going ahead with their plans or standing by their protest even when shown Tarantino’s actual words.

Ex-Flagler deputy Daniel Ruddell’s robbery trial moved to Volusia: Daniel Ruddell, the ex-deputy who last February won a wage dispute with Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre, was arrested in St. Johns County in late November after an alleged robbery in Daytona Beach and a pursuit through Volusia and Flagler counties that ended in a wreck on I-95. The News-Journal reports Ruddell will face all his charges–from St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia–in Volusia County. “To make it easier, (the prosecution) will be held in Volusia. It’s essentially all the same episode,” Spencer Hathaway, a spokesman for the state attorney’s office, told the News-Journal. “He will be transferred to the Volusia County Branch jail, where he will be housed.” (Story paywall-protected.)


https://twitter.com/MyNews13/status/684900520448765952

In State Government:

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

The Florida Gaming Congress will be held in Orlando, with discussion about a wide range of issues affecting the state’s gambling industry. Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, is expected to be among the speakers. (8:30 a.m., Rosen Shingle Creek, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando.)

The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to release its weekly opinions. (11 a.m.)

Death Row inmate Oscar Bolin is scheduled to be executed for the December 1986 murder of Terri Lynn Matthews, whose body was discovered by the side of a road in rural Pasco County. (6 p.m., Florida State Prison, near Starke.)

Election kickoff: Several state lawmakers and legislative candidates are expected to take part in an election-year kickoff event hosted by the Sarasota Republican Club and the Republican Party of Sarasota County. Attendees are expected to include Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice; Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton; Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota; Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota; Rep. Julio Gonzalez, R-Venice; Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton; Senate candidates Doug Holder and Nora Patterson; and House candidate Joe Gruters. (6 p.m., Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.)

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast and Flagler:

Click on the links for more details:

  • Jan. 8: Celebrate the Flagler County Public Library’s 16th birthday at 2 p.m. Music will be provided by well know musician and resident of Flagler Beach, Capt’n Nick. Dancing encouraged. Cake will be served. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Any questions, call 386-446-6763.
  • Jan. 9: Palm Coast’s Christmas Tree Recycling Event.
  • Jan. 13: Mayor Jon Netts will be the featured speaker at the Indian Trails II Neighborhood Watch meeting at the Flagler County Public Library, 6 p.m.
  • Jan. 30: The City of Palm Coast’s Town Center Park will host the Color Vibe 5K – the first-ever “colorful” walk-run in Palm Coast. The Palm Coast Color Vibe 5K will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, at Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave.

PR Releases:

Click on the link for more details.

In the Press, In the News:

 

 

Fact-Checking the Knaves:

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

The following is an update of ongoing construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through Dec. 15:

Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, 1 percent done: Located at 5625 North US Highway 1, the school received a Development Order for a new 13,794 sq. ft. early learning center to be located on the south side of their 8.6-acre site. The architecture of the new one-story building will be very similar to the existing church and school facilities that are located just north of the proposed new building.

Holland Park, 48 percent done: Grading and installation of perimeter sidewalk continues. Electrical conduits being installed to new restroom. Restroom plot has been cleared and graded. Water service has been installed at restroom site. Surveying for basketball court and roadway has begun..

County’s I-95 Interchange Matanzas Woods Reclaim Water, 76 percent done: Retention ponds are being excavated and fill continues for the ramps. (Not in the Dec. 15 update.)

Palm Harbor Parkway Roadway Extension, 38 percent done: The headwall for the double barrel stormwater pipe has been installed and tied in. The water main and reuse main have been extended towards Forest Grove Drive waiting on the
closure of the road next week to make the road crossing.

Colechester Bridge, 93 percent done: Seawall has been completed on the east side, slope pavement has begun.

North Old Kings Road Extension to Matanzas Woods Parkway, 19 percent done: Asphalt was installed on the new section of roadway adjacent to the old roadway at the intersection of Old Kings Road and Forest Grove. (Not in the Dec. 4 update.)

Old Kings Road Force Main 83 percent done:: Contractor has completed the Force main up to the pig launch points and restored the site and trail. The area for the pig flush was completed and flushing has started. (Not in the Dec. 15 update.)

Road and Interstate Construction:

Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway to be closed starting Dec. 18: Effective Friday, Dec. 18, the City of Palm Coast will be closing the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway. This road closure is required as part of construction operations for the Palm Harbor Parkway extension, which is currently under construction. Palm Harbor is being realigned and extended to connect directly with Matanzas Woods Parkway where it intersects with Old Kings Road. Message boards will be placed to advise motorists and other travelers of the upcoming change, and a public meeting has already been held for residents living in that area. Both the Palm Harbor extension and a separate extension of Old Kings Road are being built in preparation for the new Interstate 95 interchange to open next June at Matanzas Woods Parkway. As part of the projects, traffic patterns around Matanzas High School will be changing. One goal is to turn Forest Grove Drive back into a residential street as it was originally intended to be. The upcoming road closure of the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway is part of that project. Forest Grove will be turned into a cul de sac on that end. Once the separate Old Kings Road extension is completed, in June 2016, the Forest Grove Drive access to the high school will be closed because it will no longer be needed. Instead, motorists and other travelers will get to Matanzas High School via the new signalized intersection at Matanzas Woods, Palm Harbor and Old Kings. For more information, please contact Palm Coast Communications Manager Cindi Lane at 386-986-3708 or [email protected].

Cultural Coda:

Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, performed by Martha Argerich at the piano, under the direction of Riccardo Chailly

See Also:

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sherry says

    Thanks Pierre. . .For those of you who continue to insist that there is no racism or racial profiling in our community, take a read:

    http://www.palmcoastobserver.com/article/black-male-happens-be-my-son-racial-profiling-targets-son-former-miss-america

    For those who believe Trump’s ridiculous LIES about illegal immigrants swarming over our border, take a read:
    http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/04/donald-trump/donald-trumps-first-tv-ad-shows-migrants-southern-/

    Reply

  2. Outsider says

    Now, I certainly can’t guarantee that the reporting individual did not profile this kid, but how can everyone be so certain he/she did? Are we not told daily by the law enforcement community that if you “see something, say something?” Many neighborhoods have neighborhood watches where the folks get to know the residents and if they see someone they don’t know they “do something” by calling the police to check it out. Last week I saw a vehicle filled with white people driving back and forth in front of our house so I called the police as a precaution. It turns out they were bird watchers watching a bird in a tree in my yard. No harm, no foul, but we did have some (white) meth head come into our yard when I wasn’t home and asked my daughter to “borrow” some gas. She took the gas and the gas can and drove off. I called the cops and reported it. When I was a teen I would go shopping and invariably I would be tailed by the store security guard; I am white. So now, if we see a stranger milling about or acting suspiciously are we only allowed to call the police if they are not black??? Have there been any instances where someone called the cops about a suspicious person who was white? I bet there are plenty, as I did the same when I lived in Palm Coast and a white man on bike was looking into my open garage for more than a minute, not realizing I was watching him. Did anyone write an article about these incidents claiming I was profiling white people? No, they did not. The writer of the article said her son had not been to her house in months, so can we consider the possibility that maybe the reporter saw him as a stranger milling about and she was suspicious for that reason? No, now anytime a black person is checked out by the cops it’s going to be racial profiling that could have ended up being the shooting of an unarmed black kid who’s only crime was being black and wearing a hoodie.

    Reply

  3. KB63 says

    I can see why the mother thinks this way but I’m not quite sure why everyone is jumping on the racism bandwagon here. I’m wondering if the caller wouldn’t have done the same thing had it been a white kid in a hoodie – thinking he was wondering around the neighborhood up to no good. Just because he is black doesn’t mean the caller called in because of it. He probably would have called in regardless seeing a strange young person hanging around the neighborhood. The police once stopped my son because of “gang suspicion” – one pant leg was rolled up. The “gang” was BMX bicyclists that kept one pant leg rolled up so it didn’t get caught in the chain of the bike. My son is white. Race may not have anything to do with it, just plain being a young person makes you a suspect!

    Reply

  4. social justice media says

    Is it really suspicious to be walking in a neighborhood you don’t live in? I don’t think so, I go for walks all the time in all kinds of neighborhoods, I love looking at other houses,landscapes, and such. Seriously Outsider? You called cops cause someone looked at your house for a minute? It seems we have some very overly paranoid people calling cops when no crimes are being committed. Clearly this person was deemed suspicious for a false reason considering they weren’t doing anything suspicious. Was it race? Age? Style of dress? No matter which one, it is allowing personal fear and paranoia to fuel bad decision making.

    Reply
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