Tuesday Briefing: Bill Baxley at 80, Palm Coast Investments, Plastic Straws, Amendment 4, Red-Light Cameras

Bunnell City Commissioner Bill Baxley is 80 years old today. He was sworn-in to his third term as a commissioner Monday evening. Born in 1939--five months before the outbreak of World War II--he is not the senior-most elected official in Flagler County. That honor goes to East Mosquito Control District Commission Chairman Julius Kwiatkowski, who turned 84 in January. (© FlaglerLive) — Bunnell City Commissioner Bill Baxley is 80 years old today. He was sworn-in to his third term as a commissioner Monday evening. Born in 1939–five months before the outbreak of World War II–he is not the senior-most elected official in Flagler County. That honor goes to East Mosquito Control District Commission Chairman Julius Kwiatkowski, who turned 84 in January. (© FlaglerLive)

Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent. Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Drought Index: 178
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: cerebral.
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

First Light
In Flagler and Palm Coast
Flagler Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours of Incident Reports
Flagler Beach A1A Construction Updates
US 1-Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates
Announcements
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Cultural Coda

“Ah, God, it was too sad and awful, the endless hide-and-go-seek game one played with the middle class.
If one could only be sure that one did not belong to it, that one was finer, nobler, more aristocratic. The truth was, she hated it shakily from above, not solidly from below, and her proletarian sympathies constituted a sort of snub that she ad- ministered to the middle class, just as a really smart woman will outdress her friends by relentlessly underdressing them. Scratch a socialist and you find a snob. The semantic test confirmed this. In the Marxist language, your opponent was always a ”parvenu,” an “upstart,” an “adventurer,” a politician was al- ways “cheap,” and an opportunist “vulgar.” But the proletariat did not talk in such terms; this was the tone of the F.F.V. What the socialist movement did for a man was to allow him- self the airs of a marquis without having either his title or his  sanity questioned.”

–From Mary McCarthy’s “Ghostly Father, I Confess,” in “The Company She Keeps” (1939).

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.

The Sheriff’s daily incident reports and jail bookings are posted here.

The Palm Coast City Council meets in workshop at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Town Center. This is the first meeting on the watch of newly appointed City Manager Matt Morton, who replaces Jim Landon after a tenure as interim by Beau Falgout. The council will hear a presentation on its annual investment report.

The Flagler County Affordable Housing Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. in the Financial Services Conference Room, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bldg. 2, Third Floor, Bunnell.

The Flagler County Planning and Development Board meets at 6 p.m. in Board Chambers at the Government Services Building, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bldg. 2, first floor, Bunnell.

The Matanzas High School Advisory Council meets at 5 p.m. at the school.

Bill Baxley, the third-term Bunnell city commissioner and the second-seniormost member of Flagler County’s elected class, turns 80.

The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board will meet after holding committee meetings. Committees start at 10 a.m., with full board estimated at 11 a.m., district headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka.

Stetson Men, Sandra Peter, conductor, Women’s Chorale, Andrew Larson, conductor. Stetson Men performs works by Palestrina, Schubert, Sy Miller, Jill Jackson, Galt MacDermot and Andre Thomas, a barbershop-style spiritual arrangement by James Christiansen and an exciting arrangement by James Stevens of the hymn, “Nearer my God to Thee.” For that selection, the group is joined by the tenors and basses of Stetson’s Concert Choir. The Women’s Chorale journey around the world and across time with a brand new piece by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo for women’s choir and string quartet and two pieces by the Singapore composer Darius Lim, which reflects a futuristic society when people live on the moon. The group continues with a raucous African greeting called “Hloholonofatsa” and returns home with a selection of gospel music. 7:30 p.m. Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. Admission: $10 adults, $5 youth and students and free for ages 12 and under. Tickets are available at the door or at www.stetson.edu/music-tickets.

The Daytona State College Foundation’s Wisdom in Senior Education (WISE) program: Advanced Technology College (ATC), 1770 Technology Blvd, Daytona Beach,Multipurpose Room (Rm. 109), Genetic Genealogy: How your DNA is Analyzed to Determine Ancestry. Dr. Squires, assistant professor in DSC’s School of Biological and Physical Sciences, will focus on the biological principles of heredity and how a person’s DNA is sampled and analyzed to determine genetic traits and ancestry. The talk will cover basic genetics and the technologies used to analyze your genetic makeup. The Foundation created the WISE program to provide continuing education and cultural enrichment activities to senior members of the community. WISE is open to anyone age 50 or older, for $30 for an individual or $50 per couple per year. Find a complete list of spring presenters at DaytonaState.edu/wise. For more information, contact Suzette Cameron (386) 506-4506, or [email protected].

Trans Talks, 4 p.m. at UNF’s LGBT Resource Center Building, 1 UNF Drive, 58 East, Room 1111. Trans Talks is a peer led discussion group that allows transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals to meet and discuss a wide range of topics associated with being transgender. This group is open to all individuals under the Transgender Spectrum including but not limited to: Transgender, Genderqueer, Genderfluid, and Agender. Please note that Trans Talks is a peer discussion group and that there is no mental health counselor or other accredited professional available at these events.

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus will be at the following locations this week (schedule your donation by going to the website and entering a Palm Coast zip code, then locating one of the venues below):

Tuesday: Winn-Dixie, 111 Flagler Plaza Drive, Palm Coast, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tuesday: Winn-Dixie, 1260 Palm Coast Parkway, 2 to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: Bunnell City government, 201 West Moody Boulevard, Bunnell, 9 a.m. to noon.
Wednesday: Bealls, 9 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast, 1 to 4 p.m.
Wednesday: Flagler Technical Institute, 5400 State Road 100, Palm Coast, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday: Publix, 4950 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday: Publix, Palm Harbor, 250 Pam Coast Parkway, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: Publix Town Center, 800 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, 2 to 6 p.m.
Saturday: Publix in the Hammock, 5415 North Oceanshore Boulevard, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: Aaron’s, 229 St. Joe Plaza, Palm Coast, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours' Incidents in Flagler, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell


Jail Bookings, June 19-22 Sheriff's night shift incident reports, June 21 Sheriff's day shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's night shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's day shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's night shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's day shift incident reports, June 21
Previous and archived reports

Sources: Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Flagler Beach Police Department, Bunnell Police Department. This is Flagler County's only comprehensive, one-stop compilation of all local law enforcement's daily day and night shift commanders' reports.

Flagler Beach Is Open For Business: A1A Construction Update:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to year-long construction on and near State Road A1A in Flagler Beach as the Florida Department of Transportation rebuilds a 1.5-mile segment from South 9th Street to South 22nd Street, and builds a sea wall at the north end of town. These updates are provided through DOT or local officials. If you have any relevant information or images, you’re welcome to email them to the editor here.

Last Updated: April 1

Segment 2 (South 22nd Street to South 9th Street):

The contractor continues installing a new water main along the west side of S.R. A1A. The contractor is moving north through the project clearing the area and removing existing sidewalk in preparation for the pipe installation. In the coming week, the contractor also will begin taking up the existing roadway to begin installation of the French drains.

Pedestrians are asked to stay within the temporary pedestrian walkways for safety. Residents and visitors also are reminded that all of the dune walkovers are closed, and removing any signage or barricades to access a walkover is unsafe and unlawful.

Segment 3 (North 18th Street to Osprey Drive) Project Update:

The contractor has completed more than 200 of the approximately 1,800 piles that need to be drilled to create the secant wall.

Construction activities will continue during daylight hours Monday through Saturday. The contractor is requesting that spectators stay off the shoulders and out of the work zone for safety. Drivers need to obey the 25-mph speed limit and remember that parking is not allowed on the shoulder.

Recently, DOT received a few questions from residents that DOT wants to answer:

1. Why do some properties have the black silt fencing and others do not?

The silt fencing is an erosion control requirement to prevent dirt and debris from leaving our work area and being deposited into waterways or onto private property. In some areas, the property to the west of our work area slopes up away from the work area, so erosion control is not required.

2. Will the contractor repair areas on my side of the sidewalk that have been disturbed?

Residents and property owners can get a general idea of where the department’s right of way ends by looking at the placement of the power poles, as well as stakes that have been placed along the project. In some areas, the back edge of the new sidewalk will be slightly farther to the west. For the most part, the back of the new sidewalk will be very close to, or right at, the right of way line.

This project calls for all of the work to be performed within the Florida Department of Transportation right of way. If, however, the work disturbs or damages private property outside of the right of way, the contractor is responsible to make repairs once the work is finished.

Please note that all restoration of conditions within the department’s right of way, including landscaping, hardscaping and driveways, is dictated by the construction plans and existing permits.

3. When will the sidewalk be replaced?

The contractor has begun installing the new sidewalk to the south of 19th Street. As the new water main is installed, there are several types of testing that need to be performed on the new line, and the work needs to be accepted by the City of Flagler Beach before the new sidewalk can be placed. The water main installation is expected to continue for the next several months.

Caution! Flagler Beach police and and Sherriff’s deputies are actively monitoring speed and writing tickets. “I got a warning on north section of A1A before construction actually began so I keep to the 25 limit, but still getting tailgated by cars wanting to go faster,” a reader tells us.

See Also:

The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county's most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view. (DOT) — The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county’s most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view.
(DOT)

U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to the planned 15-month, $4.1 million construction of a roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway. The project started in late January and is scheduled for completion by spring 2020.

The Florida Department of Transportation will be closing Old Dixie Highway and C.R. 325 at U.S. 1 on Monday night, March 4, from about 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The closure is needed to allow the contractor to make improvements to the crossover at the temporary intersection. U.S. 1 will remain open in both directions.

More details here.

See Also:

I-95 Construction, Repaving: Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., single lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line. Monday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 7 a.m., double lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line.

See this week’s full Interstate Construction Report for Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns here.

Announcements/Press Releases:

Flagler County Art League’s 8th Annual Poetry Competition: All poets are invited to participate in the 2019 Flagler County Art League National Poetry Month Competition, to run concurrently with our April Art Show. The competition will have an open theme. There will be a $25 prize for the first -place poem, a $15 prize for second place, and a $10 prize for third place. Entry fee is $3 for one poem, $5 for two. Winners are announced and can read their entries during our show opening, April 13, 6-8 p.m. Register here. The judge is Benjamin K. Atkinson, PhD, prestigious poet active in Ancient City Poets of St. Augustine and other northeastern Florida venues.

In Florida and in State Government:

Note: Some proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel. Most legislative proceedings can be followed through the Senate or House websites.

NICOTINE DEBATE AIRED: The House Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal (HB 1125), filed by Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, that would expand the legal definition of “tobacco products” to include nicotine products used in such things as electronic cigarettes. (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

PLASTIC STRAWS WEIGHED: The Senate Community Affairs Committee will consider a proposal (SB 588), filed by Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, that would prevent cities and counties from regulating how restaurants and other establishments distribute plastic straws to customers. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

RED LIGHT CAMERAS TARGETED: The Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee will consider a proposal (SB 622), filed by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, that would repeal laws allowing the use of red-light cameras. Critics contend the cameras have become an excessive source of revenue for local governments, while supporters say they help improve traffic safety. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

MARIJUANA REGULATIONS ON TABLE: The House Appropriations Committee will consider a proposal (HB 7117), sponsored by Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, that would make a series of regulatory changes involving medical marijuana, including placing a cap on THC levels in smokable pot. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the intoxicating ingredient in marijuana that produces a euphoric effect. (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., 212 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT EYED: The Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a bill (SB 1502), filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, that would transfer environmental law-enforcement duties from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to the Department of Environmental Protection. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

NEW JUDGES PROPOSED: The Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal (SB 7072), filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, that deals with a series of issues in the justice system, including creating new judgeships in the 9th Judicial Circuit and the 12th Judicial Circuit. The 9th Circuit is made up of Orange and Osceola counties; the 12th Circuit is made up of DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS PROPOSED: The House Health & Human Services Committee will consider a proposal (HB 955), filed by Rep. Daniel Perez, R-Miami, that would seek to place work requirements on able-bodied adults in the Medicaid program. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

AMENDMENT 4 AT ISSUE: The House Judiciary Committee will take up a bill (HB 7089), filed by Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, that would carry out Amendment 4, a November ballot measure designed to restore the voting rights of felons who have fulfilled their sentences. Critics of the bill say it includes provisions that would effectively disenfranchise felons. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., 404 House Office Building, the Capitol.)

CANADIAN DRUG IMPORTS CONSIDERED: The Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a bill (SB 1528), filed by Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, that would seek to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada for state programs such as Medicaid. The issue has support from Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

BALLOT INITIATIVES TARGETED: The Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal (SB 7096), filed by Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, that would make it harder for citizens and groups to put proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. The bill, for example, would require that petition gatherers be Florida residents and would prevent them from being paid based on the number of petitions they collect. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS ‘HOLIDAY’ PITCHED: The Senate Finance and Tax Committee will take up a bill (SB 1412), filed by Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, that would create a disaster-preparedness tax “holiday” for a two-week period at the beginning of June. Shoppers would be able to buy a variety of hurricane supplies during the period without paying sales taxes. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

GOP PRIMARY HELD IN HD 7: Four Republicans will battle in a primary election in House District 7, which opened when former Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, was named secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The winner of the GOP primary between Lynda Bell, Virginia Fuller, Jason Shoaf and Mike Watkins will face Democrat Ryan Terrell in the June 18 special general election. District 7 is made up of Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla and part of Leon counties. (Tuesday, polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

REPUBLICANS VIE IN HD 38: Republicans Randy Maggard and David “Mac” McCallister will square off in a primary election in Pasco County’s House District 38, which opened when former Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, was named executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Kelly Smith in the June 18 special general election. (Tuesday, polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

SCHOOL SAFETY DISCUSSED: The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created by the Legislature last year after the mass shooting at the Parkland school, will start a two-day meeting in Broward County. (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., BB&T Center, Chairman’s Club, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise.)

THRASHER AT FSU PEP RALLY: Florida State University President John Thrasher is expected to speak during a pep rally that will be part of FSU Day at the Capitol. (Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., Capitol courtyard.)

CITRUS FORECAST ISSUED: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is scheduled to release an updated forecast for Florida’s citrus-growing season. (Tuesday, noon.)

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast, Flagler and the Occasional Beyond:

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A Twitter List by PierreTristam

Keep Up with Donald Trump’s attacks on the press through the ACLU’s running tab here.

Keep Up with mass shootings in a running database here.

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Here’s a summary of the latest city developments as of March 29, 2019, with a link to the full week in review here.

Click to access week-in-review-march-29-2019-developments.pdf

Cultural Coda

Maria-Magdalena Kaczor plays J.S.Bach, Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C major BWV 564