Dylan Long Lands Take Stock In Children Leaders 4 Life Fellowship
Nabbing one of six Take Stock In Children Leaders 4 Life Fellowships in the state of Florida, Flagler Palm Coast High School senior Dylan Long marked his Tuesday being recognized by friends and family in a ceremony at the Flagler Auditorium.
By the aspiring neuroscientist’s side was his mother Amy Long, Take Stock In Children mentor Peter Sutcliffe, and some of his biggest cheerleaders from the Flagler County Education Foundation including executive director Joe Rizzo, assistant director Becca Bower, Christy Butler and Shelley Wheeler.
“I’m still shaking. My heart is very full,” said mom Amy Long after the ceremony, noting how the Take Stock In Children program has impacted her son over the past three and a half years.
“It’s just been so fantastic, and great having a male role model in his life,” she said. “I really appreciated that aspect of it and the different kinds of field trips he’s gone on. And the volunteer hours they’ve helped him with have just been phenomenal.”
Dylan has been a member of the Take Stock In Children mentoring program since entering high school, paired with his mentor Peter Sutcliffe. It’s a first for both, and over the years they have grown close, discussing technology, planning and preparing Dylan for college, while encouraging him to aim for the stars.
“He’s always been a person I can turn to if I need anything, he’s always there for me,” shared Dylan of his mentor.
The connectivity between the two grew even closer during the pandemic where they met more frequently virtually, and even Peter’s wife Priscilla found her attachment to the young scholar growing.
On Tuesday she spilled the two’s biggest secret: Peter and Dylan share the same birthday – November 20th.
“It’s interesting because I don’t think I would have been a part of this except because of COVID they went virtual and as we all know when someone’s on the computer, it resonates through the area. I heard a lot of discussions and I think what I could add is, Peter wanted to him to stretch. He wanted him to rub elbows with some of the smartest people in the country because he recognized how bright he was and how motivated he was,” she said.
Standing close by, Peter beamed as his mentee soaked up the moment.
“This is fabulous, and he’s earned it,” he said proudly. “He’s been a focused student since middle school. He wanted to be a computer engineer from the first time I met him, the first day.”
As a member of the Take Stock In Children program, all four years of Dylan’s college at a Florida state school are paid for, and as a Leaders 4 Life Fellow, he receives $40,000 to help with needs while in school to ensure he can devote his full attention to his studies in addition to receiving leadership training.
On Dylan’s wish list is Georgia Tech, University of Florida, M.I.T. and Carnegie Mellon University.
“I expect to major in computer science because I have a handful of interests with that. I feel like pretty much any subfield you want to get into, computer science can apply, even right now, but especially in the future. Right now I’m interested in brain-machine interfaces so very advanced stuff that’s not really a thing right now but will be in the future,” he said.
His fascination with computer and neuro science has earned Dylan a myriad of fans, among them Palm Coast City Councilman Nick Klufas and Flagler County Education Foundation student services coordinator Christy Butler.
“Quite simply, Dylan is impressive,” said Klufas. “Dylan and I share a common bond through the electrification of vehicles. The amount of knowledge and the depth of understanding that Dylan has for technology is outrageous. His ability to educate others in a succinct manner that allows knowledge to transcend without friction is why I’m confident Dylan will emerge amongst his peers, as a leader.”
“I have watched him grow up the last four years in this program, and I knew he was something special, as with all of our kids,” said Butler. “Everything he’s involved in, he’s involved 110% to the end, and he is really incredible.”
Donors Peter and Sue Freytag have taken a special interest in the Take Stock In Children program, helping grow the number of children impacted by the opportunity to excel personally and educationally over the past decade.
“The Take Stock In Children program is very important to my wife since she was a former teacher back in Illinois. She taught 5th grade for many years and we think it’s a great opportunity for children who have lots of success but don’t have enough money to go to college that this program is adapted perfectly for them,” said Peter Freytag.
Flagler County Education Foundation Director Joe Rizzo helps connect donors like the Freytags to two or three students each year.
“It started with them buying one scholarship,” said Rizzo. “We sat down with Peter and Sue three years ago and we said we’d like to get to 100 students in four years. At the time we were right around 30.”
Working collaboratively the Flagler County Education Foundation exceeded their goal, and have sights set on helping even more children achieve their dreams.
“We were able to do it a year earlier than we planned and now we’re trying to get to 200,” said Rizzo. “It’s pretty phenomenal the support that we get and the impact that it has on these students.”
To find out more about the Flagler County Education Foundation, visit here.
Palm Coast Welcomes Ground Up, Inc. with Business-Friendly Service
In a cordial meeting on Tuesday evening, members of the Palm Coast City Council extended their appreciation to Ground Up, Inc. an automotive business dedicated to muscle cars for their relocation to Palm Coast and were on the receiving end of a thank you, as well.
Adding a feather to the city’s cap, Palm Coast Business Development Director Jason DeLorenzo presented the details of the Recapture Enhanced Value or REV Grant agreement to council members. Benchmarks set with the company include a minimum of 25 jobs and an annual report of grant related activities, with the city providing a grant equal to 75% of the amount of the city portion of ad-valorem property taxes paid by the company for 5 years starting in 2022.
During the remarks, Joe Santoro and his family offered up something city leaders have long been working towards – a positive review of their experience relocating and working with city staff.
“It’s been a huge gamble and we’re looking forward to it,” said Joe Santoro, relocating the family’s business from the northeastern United States.
“I have to thank Jason. He really sealed the deal. Personally I looked at over 100 properties and buildings to look at anywhere from Jacksonville to Palatka, down to Stuart. Really no matter what or where we looked, Palm Coast just came back and floated to the top.”
“I want to extend my thanks again now to the city and the staffing at Palm Coast because I’ve never experienced such an easy transaction,” he said.
“From the building department to the fire marshal, everybody was there to help. It was a phone call away. It’s such a difference from what I’m used to coming from New York where you would go into a meeting like this and you would be clenched fists and clenched teeth. So, again I wholeheartedly thank everybody in Palm Coast, and we’re so proud and happy to call it home.”
The company’s commitment to the community includes facility reinvestment, an annual regionally advertised car show, support for Flagler Schools as a sponsor of the STEM programs and investment in the Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs, in addition to helping promote traffic safety programs and supporting city events.
Find out more about Ground Up, Inc.
https://flaglernewsweekly.com/ground-up-palm-coast-city-welcomes-restoration-supply-company/
Bunnell Swears In Brannon Snead As Interim Police Chief On Tuesday
Bunnell, FL (December 7, 2021) It was a quick ceremony held in the meeting room for the Bunnell City Commission on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. that officially added one more to the roster of Bunnell’s Police Department.
With Flagler County Judge Andrea Totten presiding over the swearing in, Brannon Snead took the oath to protect and serve an agency and the citizens of Bunnell.
“I’m very glad to see that the City of Bunnell was able to quickly bring in a very high quality candidate to take the reins upon Chief Foster resigning,” said Totten. “It’s a fairly small department and I think that makes strong leadership all the more important. As a resident of Bunnell myself, I’m glad to see this kind of leadership in the police department.”
Bringing a steady hand and stability to the agency, Snead is looking forward to tapping his 20 years of experience as a Florida Highway Patrol officer and years of law enforcement consultancy to the job after the accelerated retirement of beloved Police Chief Tom Foster.
“As of right now it’s strictly interim, and what we’re just doing is coming down to help facilitate the process to move the police department forward. I have a background as a consultant and reserve law enforcement commander, as well as I spent 20 years with the highway patrol as a major. I do have a huge law enforcement supervisory management background,” said Snead, who was currently engaged in emergency management and law enforcement consulting.
Having applied for the Chief of Police position in 2012 and coming in second, the Bunnell Police Department has held a place in his heart since.
“I’m just trying to stabilize the department,” he said. “Law enforcement is one of those professions where to me there’s nothing more honorable than that and if you needed help I wanted to come down.”
Bunnell city manager Dr. Alvin Jackson was also pleased to welcome Snead with a history of experience and excellence, to the team.
“Basically he has a track record of accreditation. He has a long history of being in law enforcement and most importantly I want him to really encourage our team that we want them to be the very best they can,” said Jackson.
“It provides immediate leadership. We want the team to know we’re providing leadership and they’re important to the city. It’s a department that we’re very proud of and (we’ll) continue to strengthen it.”
Sons of the American Revolution Presents Fire Service Medal to Palm Coast Firefighter
Palm Coast – Palm Coast Fire Driver Engineer Jeffrey Nunziato been awarded the 2021 Fire Service Medal & Certificate by the Flagler Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution for his coordination and leadership of the Driver Engineer Field Training program for the Palm Coast Fire Department.
SAR President Charles Hayes and Awards Chairmen David Kelsey and Randall Morris presented the award to Nunziato, a career Palm Coast Firefighter since 2006. Nunziato’s wife, children and several colleagues, including Fire Chief Jerry Forte and Captain James Neuenfeldt, attended the awards presentation at Fire Station 24.
Kelsey said the Sons of the American Revolution were pleased that this year’s award recipient is a leader for training. “We realize that fire safety and service as a firefighter has become a very skilled profession – it’s very technical, and it requires a lot of training,” Kelsey said. “You need to have a plan.”
“It’s always a privilege for our Chapter to recognize a distinguished firefighter from the City of Palm Coast,” added SAR President Hayes.
Nunziato expressed his appreciation for this recognition. “I am deeply honored to be considered for this recognition,” Nunziato said. “It’s truly an honor every day to educate our future Driver Engineers and be a part of a great organization”.
The Sons of the American Revolution conducts its awards program annually. The organization is a historical, educational, and patriotic non-profit organization. The Flagler Chapter was organized in 1984 and the members are descendants of those early Americans who served in the Revolutionary War and established the United States. Its main goals are to maintain and preserve the institutions of American freedom, to promote patriotism and to provide recognition for outstanding public service.
Forte said the City of Palm Coast is fortunate to have Nunziato with his experience. He describes Nunziato as a role model to many of the Driver Engineers, by providing them strong mentorship in developing the future drivers of the department. “Driver Engineer Nunziato has made significant contributions to developing our Driver Engineer Field Training Program,” Forte said. “As someone who is consistently steady in all that he does, he has been an instrumental part in developing future generations of Driver Engineers.”
Nunziato joined the Palm Coast Fire Department in 1992 as a volunteer firefighter. He completed his Fire Training for Firefighting and EMT at Daytona State College. He transitioned to being a career firefighter in Palm Coast in 2006. He was promoted to Driver Engineer in 2017; most recently he successfully passed the Lieutenant promotional assessment. He is scheduled to be formally promoted to Lieutenant in January 2022. He and his wife Julie have three children.
You can obtain more photos from the Palm Coast Fire Department Facebook Page. For more updates, follow @PalmCoastFire Twitter.
NEWS RELEASE – City of Palm Coast
Written by: Patrick J. Juliano, Fire Public Information Officer
PHOTO: Flagler Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution President Charles Hayes presents the 2021 Fire Service Medal & Certificate to Palm Coast Fire Driver Engineer Jeffrey Nunziato. Included in the photo is Captain James Neuenfeldt and Fire Chief Jerry Forte
Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) Confirms Estimated 87M Americans In Crosshairs with IRS Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) has confirmed that an average of 87 million Americans earning less than $400,000 would have their account information reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under President Biden’s IRS targeting proposal.JCT’s response follows a request last month from House Budget Committee Republican Leader Jason Smith (MO-08), calling for an official assessment of how the Biden Administration’s proposal to empower the IRS to spy on the financial activity of American citizens – including working families, farmers, small businesses, and gig economy workers – would impact middle- to low-income Americans.“The analysis we have received from Congress’ official Tax scorekeeper shows that President Biden and Congressional Democrats have been grossly dishonest about the focus and impact of their IRS targeting scheme. Under this proposal, the IRS would be given the authority to essentially check under the couch cushions of every living room in America. It would set up millions of middle class families, farmers, small businesses, and gig economy workers for potential audits and legal battles against a powerful federal agency with a troubling history of abusing that power,” said House Budget Committee Republican Leader Jason Smith.“Given the terms of the proposal and the uncertainty with respect to the efficacy of the exclusion, we estimate the number of taxpayers reporting less than $400,000 who would have their account information reported to be greater than 40 million (27 percent) and less than 134 million (90 percent). The average of this estimated range is 87 million (59 percent) and represents a reasonable point estimate,” wrote JCT.
Read the full JCT response HERE.
Media Release: House Budget Committee Republicans, December 7, 2021
Featured Image: UNITED STATES – APRIL 18: Thomas Barthold, chief of staff of Joint Committee on Taxation, testifies during a Joint Select Committee on the Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans hearing on the pension system in Dirksen Building on April 18, 2018. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Superintendent Makes Decisions on Media Center Materials
Flagler Schools Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt has taken action on four books that were requested to be reviewed by a member of the Flagler County School Board. The books were All Boys Aren’t Blue, The Hate U Give, Speak, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.
In accordance with School Board Policy 414, the District Media Review Committee for secondary schools was convened to review objectively un-emotionally and in a business-like manner the content and subject matter of the aforementioned books.
Superintendent Mittelstadt sends her gratitude to those on that committee. “I thank LaShakia Moore, our Director of Teaching and Learning, the parents who volunteered to be a part of this process, and our district staff. I reviewed their recommendation and used that in my final decision.”
The Hate U Give, Speak, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You will return to media center shelves. However, Superintendent Mittelsdtadt has informed the complainant and the School Board All Boys Aren’t Blue will not be returned, pending the establishment of a clear process for approving media of a sensitive nature.
In making this decision, Superintendent Mittlestadt says, “Director Moore and her team is prepared and is developing procedures that we want to communicate to our Board, to our staff, and our community, parents, and students so that they know how to appropriately go through and have an opportunity to access materials that may be sensitive in nature, with the parents having a part in the decision-making process. In Flagler Schools, that does not exist right now, as a district, systematically throughout all of our schools. I think it’s critically important until we have the procedure in place, that particular book should be pulled from the availability of our students to access it.”
Moving forward, Superintendent Mittelstadt adds, “I believe in a procedure to give our parents the opportunity to participate in that process. It is important that we look at how the author has described his book in the prologue, in addition, he has made public comments as to the age-appropriateness of this book, is 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. Our high schools are 9th through 12th grade. So we would need to create a procedure within our school media centers that have age-appropriate locations for sensitive matters within our school buildings. We can achieve that and we will.”
The complainant has the option to challenge the Superintendent’s decision. Should that happen, the appeal would go to the Flagler County School Board.
The letter to the complainant as well as the interoffice memos from the review committee are attached below.
Review Committee Interoffice Memos
Media Release: Flagler Schools. Jason Wheeler, Community Information Specialist
Off the Couch: Registration Opens for Mayor’s 30/30 Fitness Challenge
Palm Coast – With the beginning of a new year just on the horizon, the City of Palm Coast is inviting residents to participate in the 2022 Mayor’s 30/30 Fitness Challenge.
Similar to the City’s fitness challenges of the past, the goal of the Mayor’s 30/30 Fitness Challenge is to promote healthy lifestyles for residents by encouraging them to be active for at least one mile each day for thirty days. Unlike past challenges, the Mayor’s 30/30 is not exclusive to Palm Coast residents and welcomes participation from anyone who lives, works, plays, or exercises in Flagler County.
Palm Coast residents wishing to participate in the Mayor’s 30/30 Fitness Challenge can register starting now by visiting palmcoast.gov/mayors-challenge and using their City of Palm Coast account login information. Residents without an account can easily create one at the sign-in screen.
Not a City resident? Not a problem! As previously stated, this year’s challenge is open to ALL! The all-new ‘Guest Login’ feature will allow anyone interested in participating the opportunity to log their miles each day and compete in the challenge no matter their physical address.
Don’t go it alone! The Mayor’s 30/30 Fitness Challenge encourages teamwork and creating and building your team is easier than ever with our all-new online interface.
Looking for fun activities to help you complete your miles? The City of Palm Coast will be posting a full list of activities including the much anticipated Mayor’s 30/30 Pickleball Tournament, Workout with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Heart Health Walk with AdventHealth, and much more!
So, are you ready for the challenge? Register today!
For more information, contact the Public Information and Engagement Department by emailing Communications@palmcoastgov.com
Media Release: City of Palm Coast. Shannon Martin, Public Information Supervisor
From The Teacher: Lessons for Leaders in the Life of Bob Dole
Lessons for Leaders in the Life of Bob Dole
He was a WW II hero, United States Senator, nominee for President and Vice President, Majority Leader in the United States Senate, author, attorney, husband, and father. Americans now say goodbye and express our gratitude for Bob Dole’s lifetime of public service on the battlefields of WW II to the United States Senate.
What timeless principles can we learn from his seven decades of dedication to serving America?
Perseverance – One of his mother’s favorite phrases was “can’t never could do nothing.” He was grievously wounded in battle in WW II. He was not expected to survive. His recovery would take three years. A strong athlete, he would lose use of his right arm. He decided this would never stop him from attaining his dreams. He would rely on tapes of class lectures to excel in law school unable to write with his right hand. Politics is a business of shaking hands, so he learned to greet others with his left hand.
It’s OK to Ask for Help – His small hometown in rural Kansas would raise the money to pay for his hospital bills. He never forgot their love and generosity. He kept one of the empty cigar boxes in his office his entire life which was used to received donations from his neighbors.
Teamwork – As a Senator and Majority Leader, he would ensure the passage of important legislation time and time again by working with everyone willing to work with him. He could be faithful to his values but find ways to work with others. When the work was accomplished, he focused the spotlight on others
Sacrifice – He almost lost his life serving his country. He faced close elections due to taking unpopular stands. Leaders take risks. Leaders will experience setbacks and defeats. Leaders learn and move forward.
Service Never Ends – After leaving office, he never stopped serving. He continued to raise and provide millions to aid disabled Americans through the Dole Foundation. Having survived prostate cancer, he served as an advocate to encourage Americans to be tested and to support treatment research. He helped raise the $100 million to create the National World War II Memorial now in Washington DC. for future generations to learn from and experience.
Stay Humble and Dream Big – He never forgot his roots in small town rural Kansas and how many people helped him in life. He also knew that in America, he could achieve anything he dreamed he could, and he did.
The life and public service career of Bob Dole is a positive and inspiring example for us all.
Dr. Joe Saviak is a leadership and management consultant, author, college professor, and researcher.
Citation: All of these impressive details of his life and career came from this excellent and extensive article published Sunday in The Kansas City Star: https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article256353882.html (Thompson, J., Kraske, S., Lowry, B. and Shorman, J., 2021).
Featured Image: U.S. Congress
2022 St. Johns County Beach Driving Passes On Sale Now
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County Beach Driving Passes are now on sale and make great stocking stuffers for the holiday season. St. Johns County resident passes are $50, non-resident passes are $100, and handicap passes are $40. Passes will be available during normal business hours at the following locations through March 1, 2022:
· Tax Collector’s Main Office – 4030 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine
· Tax Collector’s DuPont Center – 6658 US1 South, St. Augustine
· Tax Collector’s Julington Creek Office – 725 Flora Branch Blvd, St. Johns
· Tax Collector’s Ponte Vedra Office – 151 Sawgrass Corners Dr., Ponte Vedra Beach
· St. Johns County Beach Services Office – 901 Pope Rd., St. Augustine
· St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Gift Shop – 350 A1A Blvd., St. Augustine
Residents must present a valid I.D. with a St. Johns County address or present proof of property tax payments in St. Johns County to purchase a resident pass. A handicap hangtag or proof of qualification must be presented when requesting a handicap pass. Disabled military members are eligible for a free annual pass by showing their military I.D. or a letter from Veterans Affairs verifying disabled status. Resident, non-resident, and handicap passes are also available for purchase through CivicRec. Delivery for passes purchased online may take up to two weeks. Vehicles accessing the beach do not need a beach pass until March 1, 2022. After March 1, beach passes will be available for purchase (at the same rate) at tollbooth locations and online.
For more information about annual beach driving passes, please call the St. Johns County Beach Services Office at 904-209-0331.
Featured Image: St. Augustine Record
