Thursday Briefing: GOP Candidates’ Debutant Gig, Torch Run, Tubman’s $20, Into the Woods at Playhouse

Today: Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 80s inland…in the upper 70s coast. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 256.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: rodomontade, n. and adj..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

• In Flagler and Palm Coast
• Local News Recap
• Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime Reports
• In State Government
• In Coming Days in Flagler and Palm Coast
• The Day’s Best Reads
• Fact-Checking the Knaves
• Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports
• Local Road and Interstate Construction
• Cultural Coda

 

 

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.

In Court: Circuit Judge Matthew Foxman hears two dozen cases in Drug Court starting at 10 a.m. in Courtroom 401.

Flagler County Schools’ Senior Scholarship ceremony at the Flagler Auditorium, 5:30 p.m.

Annual Torch Run: Join law enforcement officers participating in the statewide Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Florida. Locally, the 2.8-mile run is scheduled for this evening in front of Town Center’s Publix, 800 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, with a $13 registration starting at 5 p.m. Runners of all ages are encouraged to run. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is escorting the run. Runners will carry the torch, known as the
“Flame of Hope,’’ turning right onto Central Avenue (south), right on Market Avenue (west), left on Belle Terre Parkway (south), and left into the Palm Coast Landing plaza (east). Runners receive a Law Enforcement Torch Run T-shirt.

Elections 2016: The Flagler Federated Republican Women group hosts a meet-your-candidate evening “open to our entire community,” giving all Republican candidates in federal, state, county and municipal races their first big chance to introduce themselves to voters as a group in this election cycle. guests can visit the candidates at their tables, ask questions about the candidates’ platforms and discuss issues of interest to Flagler County residents. Columbia Club of Flagler County (Knights of Columbus) 51 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast, starting at 6 p.m.

“Into the Woods” at the Flagler Playhouse: The musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the book by James Lapine, is featured nightly at 7:30 Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Flagler Playhouse and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 24. The musical is based on Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students. Book here.

Help Flagler Schools’ Future Problem Solvers Get to International Competition in June: Fifty-nine students from four schools–FPC, Bunnell Elementary, Rymfire Elementary and Indian Trails Middle–have won invitations to international competition in lansing, Michigan, June 1-5. But they’re raising money to get there, and they need your help. It’s about $1,000 a student, though most students will be chipping in around $400 each, reducing the needed match. FlaglerLive is proud to be a sponsor. Now go help them out.

Local News Recap:

Updated jail bookings and day and night shift incident summary reports are available here.

Ethics Commission Tosses 5 More Complaints Against County Officials, from Weeks Era: The ethics commission tossed out the latest and largest batch, clearing county commissioners Charlie Ericksen, George Hanns, Nate McLaughlin and Frank Meeker and also clearing county attorney Al Hadeed.

Median Price of Homes in Flagler Cross Back Over $200,000 For 1st Time Since Housing Boom: The average price was $238,394, a figure last seen more than eight years ago, in January 2008, when prices were on the way down, Matthew Wilson, a past president of the association and a Realtor in Flagler Beach, said. A year ago, the average was $191,000. The median price in March was $204,000, up from $160,000 a year ago. In March, 367 properties went on the market, the highest number since June 2015.

County Approves Big Spending on Tourism Office Staff and Rigs and Hints at Raising Tax: In one of those now-routine, quick-action special meetings immediately following a workshop on the subject (thus depriving the public any chance to mull over proposals or mobilize an opposition at a meeting scheduled with more notice, and shading the meeting from television viewers but not live audio) the commission voted to expand the staff of the tourism office from five to six full-timers, buy nearly $300,000 worth of stadium-like equipment such as floodlights, a stage and bleachers that have little to do with promoting the county, and suggested that they may want to raise the local tourism sales tax from 4 to 5 percent to generate more money for more spending.

In Florida and in State Government:

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

Sen. Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is slated to become Senate president in November, is slated to finish a tour of the state’s universities. (9 a.m., Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers. Also, 1 p.m., Florida International University, Miami. Also, 4 p.m., Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton.)

The Florida Supreme Court is expected to release its weekly opinions at 11 a.m.

Gov. Rick Scott will be honored as the “2016 Statesman of the Year” during a Sarasota County Republican Party dinner. (6:30 p.m., Hyatt Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, 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:

♦ April 25: It’s the next edition of “Doughnuts with Doughney,” that is, coffey and doughnuts with Flagler Beach Police Captain Matthew Doughney, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Flagler Beach 7-ELEVEN convenience store, 408 South Oceanshore Boulevard. Questions, please contact Captain Doughney at (386) 517-2024.
♦ April 26: Sentencing of Waldemar Rivera at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 401, Flagler County Courthouse, before Judge Matthew Foxman. Rivera was found guilty on March 23 after a two-day trial of raping his then-13-year-old step-daughter two years ago. He faces up to 30 years in prison. He had declined a plea that would have netted him 10 years, and declined a judge’s advice, after the first day of trial, to consider taking a plea.
♦ April 26: ElderSource is holding a public hearing at 10 a.m. at the Flagler County Public Library. The goal is to provide a listening session for anyone interested to share opinions about aging needs that impact you personally as well as your neighbors. Elder Source is a private, not for profit agency designated by the state as the Area Agency on Aging and Aging & Disability Resource Center for Northeast Florida. See the event flier here.
♦ April 26: Palm Coast government holds a groundbreaking for its new $25 million Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 at 8 a.m. on Peavy Grade (west side of U.S. 1, about 2.9 miles north of Palm Coast Parkway). A sign will be posted on U.S. 1. The plant will add 2 million gallons per day of additional sewer capacity that will be needed to accommodate anticipated growth. The city got a low-interest loan from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the funding, so the new facility is being built without the need for an additional increase in rates to Palm Coast Utility customers.
♦ April 26: The Flagler Beach City Commission holds an informal workshop from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. enabling the public to attend any time during that time span and fill out comment forms regarding the Scenic A1A organization’s plan to put directional signs along the road, including several in Flagler Beach. The commission and most residents oppose the plan. All comments will be submitted to the City Commission for their consideration on April 28, 2016. (For background, see the story: “Flagler Beach Commission Denounces A1A Committee’s Plan for Signs on Scenic Road.”)
♦ April 29-May 1 “Into the Woods,” the musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the book by James Lapine, is featured nightly at 7:30 at the Flagler Playhouse and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 1. The musical is based on Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students. Book here.

♦ April 30: Prescription Drug Take Back Day: The front lobby of the Flagler Beach Police Department will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 204 South Flagler Avenue, one block south of SR100 on the east side of the Moody/SR100 Bridge. This one day event will provide residents and visitors with a no cost, anonymous collection of unwanted or expired medicines.
♦ April 30: Fort Matanzas National Monument hosts a special free day event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reenactors dressed as Spanish colonial women will describe the life of a typical woman in Saint Augustine during the Spanish colonial era. Reenactors will also be demonstrating how foods from three different cultures combined and created some of the best dishes available in 1740’s colonial Spanish Florida. Produce from three very different cultures – Native American, African, and Spanish – will be on display, with conversations about how each of these influenced the Spanish kitchen. The authenticity of the reenactment will be limited of course: there will be no reenacted massacres, exterminations or enslavement of Native Americans, nor will the Catholic Church’s role in the obliteration of native cultures be part of the celebration. Children welcome. For additional information, call 904-41-0116 or visit www.nps.gov/foma.
♦ May 3 and 4: Open auditions for the 2016 Spotlight on Flagler County Youth Talent Show from 5 to 7 p.m. for students in grades K-12, at the Flagler County Youth Center, on the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School. If you can sing, dance, play an instrument, or have any special talent, plan to audition. For information, email Cheryl Massaro or contact her by phone at 386/437-7540×5101. The talent show is on June 7 at the Flagler Auditorium.
♦ May 5: The Palm Coast utility and public works union meets with Palm Coast’s management team in another bargaining session over a contract. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the community wing at City Hall. It is open to the public.
♦ May 7: Arbor Day in Palm Coast’s Central Park. The Arbor Day 5K Root Run/Walk, begins at 8 a.m. Register here. At the main event, themed “Feed a Mouth, Get a Tree, Grow a Community,” attendees can exchange canned food or pet food items for a free three-gallon native hardwood tree (one tree per household, while quantities last). The Native Butterfly Release will be at 11 a.m. at center stage. Other fun activities are planned for all ages. A free paper-shredding service, so bring your old documents for professional shredding! Plan to take advantage of this hands-free, uncomplicated process as totes will be wheeled to your car to help unload your paper and bring it to a chute that dumps all of it into a shredder. Free admission and parking. Contact Palm Coast Urban Forester Carol Mini at 386/986-3722 for more information.
♦ May 10: Pegine Echevarria, a motivational speaker, headlines the Flagler Chamber of Commerce’s “Fearless and Focused Women in Business” lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn, 55 Town Center Parkway in Palm Coast. Echevarria, according to a chamber release, “is CEO of Team Pegine, a think tank, training and consulting, event management firm that specializes in leadership, team building, inclusion engagement and situational training.” The chamber took over the lunch series that was previously hosted by Palm Coast’s Business Assistance Center. Registration 11:30 to 11:45 a.m., $35 for chamber members with advance registration and payment, $40 the day of the event. Guests: $40 with advance registration and payment, $45 the day of the event. Reservations are due by May 5 by 5 p.m. Please call to reserve your seat or with questions, 386/437.0106.
♦ June 7: A 1:30 p.m. hearing is scheduled in the case of Anna Pehota, accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband on Sept. 23, 2015, in the Hammock. Her trial was scheduled for April 18, but her attorney, Ray Warren, was granted a delay so he could explore Pehota’s memory issues, which could play a deciding role in the handling of her case. The results of that inquiry are to be the subject of this hearing.

Survey Request: The River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), which includes Palm Coast, is seeking input from residents of Palm Coast as it plans transportation improvements for the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) that includes Volusia County and portions of Flagler County. The TPO has launched a “Tell the TPO” campaign to survey people who live or work in Volusia and/or Flagler counties, as well as visitors. The 11-question survey can be accessed here. All responses received by May 31, 2016, will be placed in a drawing for a chance to win a free iPad Mini.

The Day’s Best Reads:

 

My column on Saudi Arabia: Its bigotry fuels our own https://t.co/IC9ZruDpWf Read and share your thoughts! pic.twitter.com/Vcq27uuoDz

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) April 20, 2016

Experts say listing marijuana among the world’s deadliest drugs ignores scientific data https://t.co/dlm96JDTav pic.twitter.com/d4Br76vHJt

— Scientific American (@sciam) April 20, 2016

Hamilton to stay on front of $10, sources say, and Harriet Tubman gets the $20https://t.co/0ummpwJZwR

— Kathleen West 🏡🌴🏖️ (@PalmCoastHomes) April 20, 2016

The story behind that Elvis & Nixon picture https://t.co/3tbfUcXlCH pic.twitter.com/BbKkBLKwWO

— Roll Call (@rollcall) April 20, 2016

Universal Orlando Resort raises prices for Florida residents https://t.co/CT1UdO1aXf pic.twitter.com/pI24vk28VD

— WESH 2 News (@WESH) April 20, 2016

 

 

Fact-Checking the Knaves:

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

The following is an update of ongoing permitting, construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through April 13:

Click to access palm-coast-development-april-15-2016.pdf

Road and Interstate Construction:

Moody Boat Launch to close April 6 through May 20 for improvements: Flagler County’s Moody Boat Launch will be closed April 6 through May 20 for improvements. “The scheduled upgrade will enhance the launch’s usability in a number of ways,” said Heidi Petito, Director of General Services. “The new system provides for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance, minimizes docking difficulties caused by fluctuating tides, and new lighting will promote boater safety and security.” The closure includes the Moody Boat Launch– located at 825 Moody Lane in Flagler Beach– the parking area, restroom, and dockage on the Matanzas River. It does not affect Betty Steflik Preserve and boardwalk. The scope of work includes dredging 1,650 yards of silt from the launch basin, thus improving navigability. The adjacent wooden docks will be replaced with an aluminum floating dock and gangway system. Additionally, the existing restroom will be replaced with an ADA compliant facility. Moody Boat Launch provides public access to the Intracoastal on the east shore, just south of SR100. The closest alternative boat launches are located at Herschel King Park on the west side of the river at 1000 Grady Prather Jr. Cove, Palm Coast, and Bing’s Landing on the east shore at 5862 N. Oceanshore Blvd. in Palm Coast.

• Florida Department of Transportation Road Project List

Cultural Coda:

Beethoven String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131, Afiara Quartet

Previous Codas:

• Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (1976)
• Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745): Missa Votiva in E minor, Václav Luks, cond.
• Zez Confrey’s Kitten on the Keys
• Adam Jackson, Age 11, Performs Theodor Leschetizky Toccata Op.46 No.5
• Anne Sophie-Mutter Performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64, Kurt Masur, cond.
• Granados: Poetic Waltzes
• Reicha: Woodwind Quintet in Eb major op.88 no.2
• Mozart Concerto No 7 F major K 242 for 3 Pianos, Performed by Solti, Schiff and Barenboim
• Sergey Taneyev: Piano Concerto in E flat major, Mikhail Voskresensky piano
• Beethoven’s Symphony No 1 in C major, Op 21, Christian Thielemann, Cond.
• Tartini’s Trumpet Concerto in D, Markus Wursch, Trumpet
• Handel: Then Entrance of the Queen of Sheba (From Solomon)
• An Excerpt from The End of Joyce’s Ulysses
• Pavel Kolesnikov Performs the Magnificent Scarlatti Sonata in B Minor, L. 447, and the D Major, L. 465
• Alvin Ailey Dance: Wade in the Water from Revelations
• Leonard Bernstein Conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Mozart’s Symphony Nr. 40 in G Minor, K550
• Sheng Cai Performs Triana by Albeniz
• Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, “Emperor,” Performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet
• Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, “New World,” Performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, Conducted by Sergiu Celibidache (1991)
• The Great Jacques Brel Sings “Amsterdam,” Live, With Subtitles
• Emmanuel Pahud Performs Mozart Flute Concerto No 1 in G Major, K 313
• Wynton Marsalis Performs Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto
• Evgeny Kissin Performs Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, from Paris