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Weather: Patchy fog in the morning. Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Northwest winds around 5 mph, becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers after midnight. Lows in the mid 50s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent. See the daily weather briefing from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville here.
Today at a Glance:
Free For All Fridays with Host David Ayres, an hour-long public affairs radio show featuring local newsmakers, personalities, public health updates and the occasional surprise guest, starts a little after 9 a.m. after FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam’s Reality Check. Today: Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, Flagler County Spelling Bee champion Giles Platt, and possibly Rep. Paul Renner. See previous podcasts here. On WNZF at 94.9 FM and 1550 AM.
Palm Coast Open: A USTA Pro Circuit Event: At the Palm Coast Tennis Center, 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast. Check daily schedules here. In its 13th year, the Palm Coast Open features elite men’s tennis played on our hometown stage. Competitors worldwide travel to Palm Coast for a chance at winning a total of $15,000 in prize money and points toward their ATP ranking, a merit-based method to determine tournament entry and seeding based on men’s tennis rankings.
The 14th Annual Health and Fitness Fair at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free donuts and coffee until it lasts.
The Blue 24 Forum, a discussion group organized by local Democrats, meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE. Come and add your voice to local, state and national political issues.
An Evening with Nashville’s Darryl Worley and Anthony Smith, at Flagler Auditorium, 7 p.m. Flagler Auditorium, 5500 State Road 100, Palm Coast. Tickets: $54. Book here. Darryl Worley is an American country music singer and songwriter. Worley gained popularity in the early 2000s with his debut album, “Hard Rain Don’t Last,” which produced several hit singles. Some of Darryl Worley’s notable songs include “Awful, Beautiful Life,” “Have You Forgotten?,” and “I Miss My Friend.” “Have You Forgotten?” became particularly significant as it was released in 2003 as a response to the September 11 attacks in the United States. The song reached the top of the country charts and became an anthem for many Americans. Anthony Smith is a country music singer and songwriter. Smith gained recognition in the early 2000s as a songwriter before pursuing a career as a recording artist. As a songwriter, Anthony Smith has penned several successful songs for other country artists, including George Strait’s “Run,” Trace Adkins’ “Chrome,” and Montgomery Gentry’s “What Do Ya Think About That.” These songs achieved commercial success and received critical acclaim. In addition to his songwriting success, Anthony Smith has released his music as a solo artist. Some of his notable songs include “If That Ain’t Country,” “John J. Blanchard,” and “Half a Man.” Smith’s music typically incorporates traditional country elements with heartfelt lyrics and emotional storytelling.
Woody Allen’s ‘Don’t Dring the Water,’ at Daytona Playhouse: Feb 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 at 7:30 p.m., Feb 18 and 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $20, $19 and $10. Book here. It’s the Cold War and an American tourist, his wife and daughter rush into the US embassy two steps ahead of the Vulgarian police who suspect them of spying. The ambassador is away and his hapless son frantically plots their escape with even a little time to fall in love. With Chris Sinnett, Suzanne Bonner, Sunnie Rice, Zachary Goodrich, Carrie Van Tol and Terrence Van Auken, among others.
‘Tuck Everlasting,’ at Limelight Theater, 11 Old Mission Avenue, St. Augustine. Tickets: $22.50. Book here. 7:30 p.m., except on Sundays, when the show is at 2 p.m. What would you do if you had all eternity? Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence, but not until she becomes unexpectedly entwined with the Tuck Family does she get more than she could have imagined. When Winnie learns of the magic behind the Tuck’s unending youth, she must fight to protect their secret from those who would do anything for a chance at eternal life. As her adventure unfolds, Winnie faces an extraordinary choice: return to her life, or continue with the Tucks on their infinite journey.
Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, at Jacksonville Symphony, 7:30 p.m. at Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, 300 Water Street, Suite 200, Jacksonville. Conductor Anna Rakitina makes her debut with the Symphony for one of the greatest of all late Romantic symphonies, Rachmaninoff’s Second. The second movement’s stunningly gorgeous string melodies are hallmark Rachmaninoff, and the final movement radiates triumphant resolution. Rakitina and the Symphony set the stage one of Rachmaninoff’s most tender and longing miniatures, his famous Vocalise, and Anna Clyne’s Restless Oceans, a piece that embraces unity and the power of women. Tickets $29 to $84. Book here.
Jefferson Starship, 7:30 p.m. at the Peabody Auditorium, 600 Auditorium Boulevard, Daytona Beach. Tickets here. Descended from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and 2016 GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients Jefferson Airplane, the members of Jefferson Starship past and present have been exploring the mysteries of music for more than 1000 collective years! The legend of Jefferson Starship begins in 1970 when Paul Kantner released an album entitled “Blows Against the Empire.” They first toured as Jefferson Starship in 1974 and released the album “Dragonfly” which was certified gold.
 Keep Their Lights On Over the Holidays: Flagler Cares, the social service non-profit celebrating its 10th anniversary, is marking the occasion with a fund-raiser to "Keep the Holiday Lights On" by encouraging people to sponsor one or more struggling household's electric bill for a month over the Christmas season. Each sponsorship amounts to $100 donation, with every cent going toward payment of a local power bill. See the donation page here. Every time another household is sponsored, a light goes on on top of a house at Flagler Cares' fundraising page. The goal of the fun-raiser, which Flagler Cares would happily exceed, is to support at least 100 families (10 households for each of the 10 years that Flagler Cares has been in existence). Flagler Cares will start taking applications for the utility fund later this month. Because of its existing programs, the organization already has procedures in place to vet people for this type of assistance, ensuring that only the needy qualify. |
Notably: Last week I scrolled through my PressReader app to see how the Nigerian press reported on Nigeria beating South Africa in the semifinal of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Daily Trust featured a picture of the victorious team on the front page, but above it was this headline: “Bandits threaten to marry bride, sell 62 wedding guests.” Had I fallen on Nigeria’s Examiner? Not really. It was a straight-faced story: “The bandits who abducted women accompanying a bride to her matrimonial home at Damari, Sabuwa LGA of Katsina State last Thursday have released a video showing the captives. In the video, which is currently trending on social media” [a line that never fails to shock me in straight news stories: which is trending on social media] “the bandits threatened to tie the wedding knot between the already married lady and one of them, unless relations of the captors paid a ransom of N100 million to them. [That’s the equivalent of around $70,000.] Similarly, the outlaws vowed to sell off the ’62 wedding guests that were kidnapped alongside the bride, if their demands were not met. During last Thursday’s attack on the wedding convoy, four members of a vigilante group were reportedly killed and no fewer than 55 wedding guests, including children, were snatched, and have since then been held hostage, according to villagers.” Barron’s version of the story had 35 wedding guests abducted. “Kidnapping for ransom is a major problem in Nigeria, with criminal gangs targeting highways, apartments and even snatching pupils from schools,” Barron’s reported. “Gangs known locally as bandits operate out of bases hidden in forests across the northwest and central states.” Googling this turns up a few too many incidents involving weddings and bandits.
—P.T.
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The Live Calendar is a compendium of local and regional political, civic and cultural events. You can input your own calendar events directly onto the site as you wish them to appear (pending approval of course). To include your event in the Live Calendar, please fill out this form.
Flagler Beach Farmers Market
Coffee With Flagler Beach Commission Chair Scott Spradley
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Gamble Jam at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area
ESL Bible Studies for Intermediate and Advanced Students
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village
Al-Anon Family Groups
For the full calendar, go here.
I have recently found myself reminiscing about an incident I witnessed on the New York subway in the summer of 2018. This reminiscence was triggered by a conversation with one of my doctoral professors about the crazy things he too had witnessed on the same subway while he lived and worked in the Big Apple. New York is crazy, but the drama on that subway is on a completely different level. So, what happened that day? Well, I was on the train. I don’t remember the specific route, but that detail is of no relevance to the story. I had been in meetings most of the day and felt like standing. There were other passengers on the train, and one of them was a young woman sitting and typing enthusiastically into her phone. She seemed to be smiling one moment and then, without warning or even a preamble, she started weeping, heaving with such heartfelt hurt. My natural inclination was to ask what happened, if she needed help. But I noticed that the other passengers in the train, mostly males, had pretended as if they hadn’t noticed. It was impossible to miss because this was no silent cry. They looked into their phones or at the walls of the train, or out the window into the dark and dank underbelly of this city. Anywhere but at this girl. Hesitation crept into my mind. If the locals are turning away, what am I, a stranger in this weird and bizarre city, supposed to do? Is there a cultural cue I am missing or misreading? Besides, it was the era of #MeToo, and I feared my good intentions could be misconstrued. When I reached my stop, I wondered if I should have said something to her, something to soothe or assure her, but I couldn’t. Long after the train zipped away, I wondered if I had just been foolish or overly cautious. I have never forgotten that non-encounter and the impressions it made on me. The realisation of how lonely people can feel in the midst of a crowd, in the heart of a bustling city like New York, struck me with unwavering clarity.
–From “How The Bystander Effect Is Killing Nigeria,” by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, in Nigeria’s Daily Trust, Feb. 8, 2024.
Laurel says
Are we numb enough yet for the NRA?