Weekend Briefing: Women Rising, ‘Playing Our Song,’ Book Sale and Cars, Tech Beach Hackathon, MLK, Ecumenical Celebration

Today: Cooler, in the 70s through Sunday, the 60s Monday, with showers Sunday, lows in the 50s Friday and Saturday night, the 40s Sunday night, the 30s Monday night. We can use a bit of winter bite. See the latest National Weather Service-Jacksonville Briefing here.
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: 142
Global Warming: The daily carbon count.
A.Word.A.Day from Wordsmith.org. Today’s word: certes.
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
• In State Government
• Statista’s Chart of the Day
• Announcements
• In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
• Fact-Checking the Knaves
• Palm Coast Construction and Development

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.

Note: The Daily Briefing will not publish on Monday, as schools, courts and most government offices are closed in observance of Martin Luther King Day. 

Free For All Fridays on WNZF: Host David Ayres welcomes County Commissioner Don O’Brien, who led the disbanding of the county’s economic development department and the advisory council he sits on, along with Amy Stafford, the new president of the chamber of commerce, starting a little after 9 a.m. with a commentary by FlaglerLive Editor on the broken death penalty.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Palm Coast hosts its inaugural Tech Beach Hackathon  at the Palm Coast City Hall, 160 Lake Ave. The event brings close to 100 participants from around the country dedicated to solving a healthcare-related challenge utilizing the best technology the market has to offer. Tech Beach brings together both innovators and idea generators–developers, software engineers, mobile developers, designers, AI and ML devs, IoT experts, and especially members of the professional healthcare community who think they can be a force of change for better health. The winning app will solve one (or more) of the following challenges: Create solutions that help patients better understand their care, disrupt with new ideas that connect the health data on patients’ smart devices in an effective and valuable way for the patient and clinician, build proactive systems that focus on whole-person care and create solutions that address the need to keep costs down for patients. The grand prize is $6,000, with $6,000 in prizes for 1st, second and third runners up.

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 Marinelad’s parking area near the marina, on the West side of A1a.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: “They’re Playing Our Song,” directed by John Sbordone, at City Repertory Theatre, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11, 7:30 p.m. Jan 17-18, and 3 p.m. Jan. 12 and 19. Both Jan. 11 performances are sold out. “They’re Playing Our Song tells the musical story of the real-life relationship of Marvin Hamlisch and Carol Bayer Sager, as a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist while Broadway history is made.” Angela Marie Young and Beau Wade bring a vibrant charm to this song-filled love story. Performances are at CRT’s venue in City Market Place, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast. Tickets are $30 for adults, $15 for students. For more information or tickets, call the CRT box office at 386-585-9415 or easily book online here. See the preview story here.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: “Fireflies,” at the Daytona Playhouse, 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach. All performances at 7:30 p.m. except for Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Retired schoolteacher Eleanor lives a quiet life alone as the most respected woman in a tiny town in Texas. A hole in her roof draws the attention of Abel, a smooth-talking drifter intent on renovating her house and her life. Can the sparks of late-life romance be trusted, or is the gossip true that Abel isn’t all he seems to be? The whole town is talking. Adults $20, Seniors 55 and up, $18, Youths 18 and under $8. Address: 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach, or see directions here. Buy tickets online here. Box office: 386-255-2431.

Saturday: Guided Beach Exploration at the GTM Reserve, 9 to 11 a.m., GTM Reserve Visitor Center, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach. Join GTM Research Reserve docents for a beach walk. You will learn about the animals that call the beach their home, about seashells and other interesting facts. This is a “Beaches 101” experience that the entire family will enjoy. The hike will begin at the Visitor Center, where you will learn about the different habitats on our beautiful seashore. The group will then walk across the street to the beach for this salty adventure. Free parking in front of the visitor center. The walk is free, but online registration here is required. After the walk, you can come back to the GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center, enjoy our many miles of trails, or spend the day on the beach.

Saturday: Book Sale And Classic Cars at Flagler County Library: An outdoor book sale offering great bargains on everything from books to puzzles and great cars on display is planned from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Palm Coast. The Friends of the Flagler County Library and the Wheels In Motion car club are joining forces to offer an interesting Saturday event with a bake sale. The public is invited to the book sale and car show on the west end of the Library parking lot at 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW in Palm Coast. “We will have a wide variety of material from hardcover books, trade paperbacks, mass market paperbacks, CD’s, DVD’s, audio books, book sets, children’s books, puzzles and activity books and more,” Friends president elect Peggy Mattingly said. “All items will be priced well below retail value. We have a back log of material and everything must go.” Checks with valid Identification and larger denominations of cash will be accepted. Since it is an outdoor sale a rain date of Jan. 25 is scheduled. For more information call 386-446-6763.

Saturday: Family Fun Saturday at the Museum of Art DeLand, 600 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free. Are you looking for an entertaining family activity that will bring out everyone’s artistic side? Family Fun Saturday offers free, hands-on art activities that highlight the Museum’s exhibitions. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and admission to both Museum locations is free all day. Family Fun Saturdays are sponsored in part by the Rotary Club of DeLand and the Orange City Blue Springs Manatee Festival.

Saturday: Living with Wildlife Series, 10-11 a.m. at Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy. NE. Want to learn more about the local wildlife and how to make living with them easier? Join us for our family-friendly Living with Wildlife Series with each month featuring a different topic and expert in the field. This month’s topic: “Black Bears with FWC”. Free but please register at www.parksandrec.fun/adults. More info: 386-986-2323.

Saturday: Women Rising March in Flagler Beach: Assembly begins at 11 a.m. at Wadsworth Park, 2200 Moody Blvd, (Route 100) Flagler Beach. (Those not wishing to walk across the bridge may go directly to the park, bring lawn chairs and enjoy the ocean breezes.) March will begin at noon and proceed from Wadsworth Park, eastward over the bridge to Veteran’s Park. Speakers begin at 1:15 p.m. Keynote speaker is Ambassador Nancy Soderberg. She has been a Foreign Policy Strategist, Member of the National Security Council, Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and additionally, she has served as an UN Ambassador before running for Congress in 2018. Scheduled Speakers include Barbara Goss, 1st Vice President, Flagler County NAACP, Carla Christianson, Voter Service Chair, League of Women Voters Volusia County. Event will conclude no later than 3 p.m.

Saturday: 11th Annual Flagler Ecumenical Celebration of Unity in Prayer and Song, noon to 2 p.m., St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 5400 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast. The Christian Unity Ministry invites the community to attend the 11th Annual Flagler Ecumenical Celebration of Unity in Prayer and Song featuring The choirs and clergy from the participating churches: The choirs and clergy from First Church of Palm Coast, Flagler Beach United Methodist Church. Hammock Community Church. Palm Coast, Mount Calvary Baptist Church of Palm Coast. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Palm Coast, Saint Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church, Palm Coast, Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, Palm Coast and Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, Flagler Beach will be participating along with the Matanzas HS Steel Drum Band. The event is free but donations will be accepted for the Family Life Center, Bunnell, Florida.

Saturday: Stetson Faculty Recital: Lynn Musco, clarinet, Sean Kennard, piano, 7:30 p.m. Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. All concerts are free and open to the public. Call 386/822-8950.

Sunday: The community is invited to First Church to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at First Church of Palm Coast, 91 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast, with two services–at 8 or 10:45 a.m. The services will honor King’s mission and commitment to human rights and equality. Special music has been arranged for the occasion. The Rev. Gillard S. Glover serves as the pastor. First Church can be reached at 386-446-5759.

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: 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 ♡ !

Navy Bombing in the Ocala National Forest: Navy training schedules indicate that inert and live bombing will take place at the Pinecastle Range Complex located in the Ocala National Forest this week. Bombings at times can be heard in Flagler-Palm Coast. The bombings are scheduled as follows:

Friday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. – LIVE/Inert
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. – LIVE/Inert
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. – LIVE/Inert

During bombing periods wildlife may be temporarily displaced. Use extra caution when driving through the Ocala National forest and surrounding areas. Secure any items around your residence that could attract wildlife. Always be mindful of larger animals including black bears and practice bearwise measures. The telephone number for noise complaints is 1-800-874-5059, Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility, Jacksonville, Fla. For additional information, call (904) 542-5588.

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus will be at the following locations this week (schedule your donation by