Weekend Briefing: Starlight Parade, ‘Actually’ and Weird ‘X-mas Carol’ on Stage, Coffee With Cops, LGBT Gathering

Weekend: Friday: Cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. South winds 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent. Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows around 60. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Saturday: Partly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of showers in the morning. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Saturday Night: Cooler, clear. Lows in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 5 mph. Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Sunday Night: Clear. Lows in the lower 50s.
Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Today’s National Commemorations.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Drought Index: 198
Global Warming: The daily carbon count.
A.Word.A.Day from Wordsmith.org. Today’s word: magdalene or magdalen.
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
• Statista’s Chart of the Day
• Flagler Beach A1A 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

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.

Take the 2019 Palm Coast Community Survey.

In Court Friday: Johnnie Thomas Spydale, who pleaded guilty to murdering Robert Emanuel, 60, in Bunnell in 2017, is sentenced by Circuit Judge Terence Perkins at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County courthouse. Spydale pleaded to second-degree murder in the bludgeoning-death of Thomas. He faces up to 25 years in prison. See the background here.

In Court Friday: A status hearing is scheduled in the ongoing case of convicted murderer David Snelgrove. The Supreme Court has ordered a new sentencing hearing for Snelgrove, who was on death row. He was sentenced to death for the murders of Glyn Fowler, 84, and his wife, Vivian, 79, on Bannbury Lane in Palm Coast in late June 2000. The hearing is at9:30 a.m. before Circuit Judge Katherine Weston in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County Courthouse.

Free For All Fridays on WNZF: Host David Ayres welcomes Flagler County Commissioner Donald O’Brien to and Toby Tobin to talk about the census, and will discuss the good and bad of 2019 with Palm Coast Observer Editor Brian McMillan, starting a little after 9 a.m. with a commentary by FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam on the legal fate of an ex-FPC student recently tried for threatening her teacher.

Friday and Sunday: Three farmers’ markets operate over the weekend in Flagler County. The Flagler Beach farmers’ market is on Friday from 8 a.m. to early afternoon, downtown at 111 South Central Ave. Contact the market by email here. The European Village Farmers’ Market at 101 Palm Harbor Parkway is Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., featuring music jams as well. The Salt Air Farmers’ Market is on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Marineland’s parking area near the marina, on the West side of A1a.

Friday: Palm Coast, City of the Future is this month’s Common Ground Breakfast theme, with Palm Coast City Council member Nick Klufas and the city’s chief innovation officer, Don Kewley. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., breakfast at 8, the event lasts through about 9:15 a.m. Grand Haven Golf Club 500 Riverfront Dr., Palm Coast. Members can preregister for $25, non-members for $35. Contact Melinda Rivera, 386-206-0952 or by Email, [email protected]

Friday: Coffee with a Cop: Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies will be at the McDonald’s at 2 Old Kings Road, Palm Coast, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Come enjoy a cup of joe with them and get to know your local deputies.

Friday: Intermediate Saltwater Fishing at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 6400 North Oceanshore Blvd., Palm Coast, 8:30 a.m. Join a ranger for a hands-on demonstration for fishing, cast-netting, knot tying and knife skills. Equipment and bait will be provided. Meet at the Picnic Area. Reservation Required: Ages 13+, unless participants have taken our Beginner Saltwater Fishing clinic. Limited to the first ten participants. Reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis. $15 due at time of reservation. Please visit www.washingtonoaks.org/saltwater-fishing.html to register for this event.

Friday and Saturday: Matanzas High School’s Madrigal Dinner and Show, Friday and Saturday, doors open at 6, dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the MHS courtyard, tickets $20 per person Matanzas High School, 3535 Pirate Nation Way, Palm Coast.

Friday: Christmas in Bunnell: The city hosts its annual Christmas festival from 5 to 8:30 p.m., with snow, Santa, live music, food vendors and more, near the old Coquina City Hall, 200 South Church Street.

Friday through Sunday: “Actually,” by Anna Ziegler, at City Repertory Theatre, Palm Coast.  Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., CRT, 160 Cypress Point Pkwy B-207 (City Marketplace), Palm Coast. Tickets are $15 to $25. Book here. Amber and Tom, finding their way as freshmen at Princeton, spend a night together that alters the course of their lives. They agree on the drinking, they agree on the attraction, but consent is foggy, and if unspoken, can it be called consent? With lyricism and wit, ACTUALLY investigates gender and race politics, our crippling desire to fit in, and the three sides to every story. See FlalerLive’s preview, “​City Rep’s ‘Actually,’ a #MeToo Whodunit Treading the Blurry Lines of Consent, Assault and Guilt.”

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: “A Christmas Carol… More Or Less” at the Flagler Playhouse, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., tickets $25 for adults, book here. It’s not quite Dickensian: Sarah and Charlie, a married couple, run a small theatre that’s presenting A Christmas Carol – until Charlie shows up backstage to say the cast and crew are snowed out. Charlie is planning to split up with Sarah tonight, but he’s snowed in. Sarah, furious, capitalizes on Charlie’s remarkable memory, and blackmails him into doing the play with her as a duo, relying on scripts when they need to. He plays Scrooge; she plays everyone else. As the performance proceeds, Charlie gets drawn back into his relationship with Sarah. They actually manage to perform much of the play with their personal story invading the Dickens tale, informing it with dual levels of meaning.

Saturday: Flagler College’s commencement begins at 9 a.m. on Dec. 14 and is not open to the public. The procession will begin around 8:50 a.m. from the statue of Henry Flagler, located at 74 King Street. Traffic will be temporarily held for no more than 10 minutes. The college’s Public Administration program will graduate 30 seniors in a second ceremony later that day at 4 p.m. in the Flagler College Lewis Auditorium. Approximately 136 students will receive diplomas at the Flagler College Gymnasium. The commencement speaker will be 2008 alumnus Viv Helwig, founder and president of Vested Metals International, LLC, a specialty metals and steel distribution company headquartered in St. Augustine, Fla.

Saturday: Palm Coast Historical Society Lecture Series: Zach Zacharias on the Early History of Tourism in Northeast Florida., 9:30 a.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE. When did all of these people start coming to our quiet community? Zacharias will help us learn how it all started. This is a free event. Light refreshments will be available. Zacharias is a Florida Native born and raised in Miami, and holds degrees from Florida State University in Communications, University of Central Florida in American History and a Masters in Education from Nova South Eastern University. Zach has been with the Museum of Arts and Sciences for 26 years and is the current Senior Curator of Education and Curator of History with a specialty in Florida history, art and paleontology.

Saturday: Chef Warren and Stress-Free Cooking for the Holidays: Want a few tips on how to be stress free while cooking for the holidays? Chef Warren will be at the Flagler County Library at 10 a.m. giving a free demonstration on how to beat the stress of holiday cooking. This will be the sixth of a series of cooking demonstrations that Chef Warren has performed at the Flagler County Library, 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW. He cooks the meal while he is discussing the process and best of all, those in attendance get to taste the results. Warren Caterson is a chef and full-time writer who studied at the Southeast Institute of Culinary Arts. He is the award-winning author of “Table for Two – The Cookbook for Couples”, “Table for Two – Back for Seconds”, and “Cooking Outside the Lines – Musings of an Extemporaneous Chef ” (Winfield & Scott Press). The program is one of many conducted at the library and sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Saturday: Free Flag Football and Cheer Clinics, 10 a.m. to noon, Belle Terre Park, 339 Parkview Drive, Palm Coast. Flagler Bull Sharks is a nonprofit 501c3 organized and run by local moms. We are proud to be a part of such a great and growing community of children. Our events will consist of: Flag Football Drills and Fundamentals. All of the coaches participating in this event are certified through USA Football and have completed background checks. Sideline cheer clinic which includes some tumbling and stunts. Fun games for the whole family! Potato sack races. Tug of War. Relay races and much more. Ages 5-17 are welcome. There is also an area for the little ones so that they are kept entertained while their siblings participate. Bubbles, Chalk, Hula Hoops, Jump ropes, etc.. Come on out and join us! 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, join the Friends of Washington Oaks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Greenhouse area. With Master Gardeners on hand, you are sure to get the personal attention and advice you are looking for. Specializing in Florida friendly and natives, with some unique and hard to find plants for your home and yard. Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 6400 North Oceanshore Blvd.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Flagler welcomes the Flagler Youth Orchestra and its Sounds of the Season to its monthly General Meeting on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 11:00 am, in the main dining room of Pine Lakes Golf Club. The association will also announce the Mary Ann Clark Scholarship. The late Clark, a founding member of the chapter, started its first scholarship by crocheting an afghan and then held a raffle. It was for $500. As for the FYO: Since 2005, Cheryl Tristam and the FYO staff have welcomed Flagler students, of all skill levels and, have provided basic and essential instruction for violin, viola, cello, bass, and orchestral performance opportunities. The Flagler Youth Orchestra hosts numerous concerts throughout the community. Simply stated, FYO gives students the gift of music, one they will keep with them for the rest of their lives. AAUW Flagler continues to support efforts to grow and sustain this program through contributions for instrument scholarships and through our own Arts Grants Scholarship. For more information about AAUW Flagler Branch Arts Grant, please visit: https://flaglercounty-fl.aauw.net/scholarships/arts-grants/ Lunch is available for $18.00 per person. For reservations and menu options, please contact Sally Smeaton by email: [email protected] by December 11, 2019.

Saturday: Going Green and Annual High School Student Exhibit Opening Reception, 6 p.m., Flagler County Art League, 160 Cypress Point ParkwayPalm Coast. The shows run through Jan. 7.

Palm Coast’s Starlight Parade, 7 p.m. start time at Central Park at Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast. The Starlight Parade features colorful lighted floats, talented marching bands, and prizes for the top entries. The parade route will begin near the Round-About on Central Avenue (near entrance to the Landings Apartments) and head east; turning north onto Park Street, east onto Lake Avenue, and south on City Place; then continuing south of Bulldog Drive. Free and no registration required. More info: www.palmcoastgov.com/events or 386-986-2323.

Sunday: The Colored Pencil Society of America DC 117 St. Augustine meets at 1 p.m. at the Flagler County Art League, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite A-208, Palm Coast. The public is welcome.

Sunday: Family Holiday Bazaar at Peace by Pieces, 300 Palm Coast Parkway Units 9 and 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. It’s a free event, with a raffle, bring your family to celebrate the holidays with us. Santa, face painting, vendors, raffles.

Sunday: Navy Band Southeast Holiday Concert, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Flagler Auditorium, 5500 East Hwy 100, Palm Coast, call 386-437-7547. Established in 1995, Navy Band Southeast is one of 11 official U.S. Navy Bands. Proudly representing the Commander, Navy Region Southeast, the band consists of thoroughly trained professional musicians dedicated to the highest levels of musical performance. Excelling in versatility, the band or any of its various sub-groups are perfect for a wide variety of musical settings including military ceremonies, public concerts, parades and much more. Inspiring pride and patriotism through music, this incredibly popular unit performs more than 500 engagements annually throughout the Southeastern United States. Free.

Sunday: A monthly gathering for the LGBT youth group, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Find Your Peace by Pieces, 300 Palm Coast Pkwy S.W. Unit 9 and 11. Middle and highschoolers welcome in a place created for community and togetherness. This group is organized by Shoshanah Mercado, a licensed school psychologist at Buddy Taylor Middle School who volunteers her time at Peace by Pieces: Making friends, joining together, getting to know one another, talking about topics, or talking about life. Find Your Peace by Pieces creates a support system in Flagler County. Any donations go to help support the space and keep it available for all the donation based offerings and other affordable pieces of wellness we offer ♡ !

 

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus Evenings at Whitney, the monthly lecture series: 7 to 8 p.m., 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Marineland. Monthly presentations include current science topics and subjects from ongoing research programs at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience.will be at the following locations this week (schedule your donation by