Eggs & Issues: FDOT: The Growth and Future of Volusia’s Transportation
Eggs & Issues is the premier event venue for discussion of public and legislative affairs in the Daytona Beach region.
Join us to gather strategic information for your business and be part of important conversations that work to better our community.
The Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to host Florida Department of Transportation District Five Secretary Jared Perdue. Join us at our Eggs & Issues event to hear from Secretary Perdue about Volusia County’s current and future plans for transportation needs in our region.
Daytona Regional Chamber member admission is $17 in-person at Halifax River Yacht Club. Future member’s admission is $35. Advanced registration is required. Please make sure you are logged into your member portal to receive your member rate when registering for this event. This Eggs & Issues program is made possible in part by Halifax Health and the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
We know safety is important to everyone. With the increasing number of COVID cases in our County, we continue to encourage you to safely participate at a level that is comfortable to you. We ask that you wear a mask while attending our programs and meetings indoors or are unable to social distance inside or out. We will respectfully abide by any requirements that are stipulated by our venue hosts and ask that you respect this decision and continue supporting our local business community.
If you need assistance or have questions about registering for this event please contact Shanna Coley Hughes, Program Manager, 386.523.3672 or shanna@daytonachamber.com
Tomahawk Tavern: Axe Me The Meat & Potatoes
What goes great with a 32 ounce steak? How about an axe.
Tomahawk Tavern is already the talk of the town starting with their soft opening on Friday night, and the social media buzz has guests ready to try a steak and toss a tomahawk at this urban steakhouse.
Axe Throwing Entertainment
For adventure seekers it’s located in the perfect place.
Right next door to Pax Track, the sounds of dirt bikes add to the adrenaline rush as guests head into what was formerly known as the Black Cloud Saloon at Thunder Gulch for many years, followed by the Moose Lodge, on US 1. With a long history in Flagler County, it’s a local’s favorite location, and now being discovered by new residents to the area.
With six separate berths, axe throwers can choose between moving targets, zombie heads, Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect Four and a giant bullseye for their targets, throwing to their heart’s content for just $15 an hour or $10 for half an hour. Players must be 14 years of age to participate and have an adult with them.
A full bar and dedicated axe throwing room makes it an ideal place for an afterhours networking meetup, birthday party, bridal shower or bachelor party.
Meat and Potatoes
But axe throwing isn’t all executive chef Kevin Chaviano and assistant manager Shanna Cowan want to the location to be known for.
“I have an axe in the kitchen I use for tons of things,” joked Chaviano, shortly after the lunch rush on Saturday.
On serious note, in addition to a decade of back of the house hospitality experience, the Philly native brings to the table three years of intense culinary training under internationally renowned Top Chef Hung Huynh at Mamaling’s in Palm Coast.
That dedication to excellence is now reflected as the executive chef at Tomahawk Tavern.
1855 Angus blend Florida cattle make up the menu Chaviano designed from scratch, using local ingredients when possible and placing a focus on complex flavors in the background, while using fresh, quality ingredients in the restaurant’s classic Americana recipes.
“I wanted something that was affordable but really high quality,” he said.
“Hand cut fries, fresh to order, a chuck brisket short rib burger – it’s a steak burger. Our prize to the menu is our 32 ounce Tomahawk Titan ribeye. It’s a 10 inch bone hooked up to 32 ounces of meat about two inches think. It’s a Goliath piece of meat.”
Nothing is left to chance and he’s even built a signature dessert, a fried cheesecake that is unforgettable.
“It’s not fried cheesecake bites, it’s a slice of fried cheesecake and it is amazing,” gushed Conway.
“It’s a slice of banana foster cheesecake wrapped into a rice paper tortilla and then fried, cut up and made pretty on the plate with a nice scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and some beautiful caramel sauce on top,” described Chaviano in detail.
Serving 80-100 people for their soft opening on Friday evening, Kerri Henderson was among guests ready to try out the dining and entertainment at Tomahawk Tavern.
“Honestly, the food was amazing. The steak mac and cheese was so creamy and made with love. The owner Tony was very friendly and is looking forward to the official opening,” said Henderson. “This family-friendly restaurant will be a great addition to Palm Coast.”
Quality First
Since the new owners took possession of the location, staff has worked steadily to buildout the dining room and the axe room, with future plans to refurbish the stage outdoors for live entertainment on the spacious covered porch and patio area.
Chaviano said owners Jeremy Pombier, Tony Russo and David Kimble are excited to let the Tomahawk Tavern build a reputation for quality and family-friendliness as a great place to go and to work.
Creating about 35 jobs with the opening of the new restaurant this month, Chaviano says they’re still hiring staff, and offering top dollar for good employees, with dishwashers starting at $13, chefs $15/$16, and axe attendants $15/hour.
“We are looking for more staff. I’d rather keep the quality up with the food, and want to bring in good staff, by raising the bar on hourly pay,” he said.
“We thought in Flagler County, what is there to do,” asked Chaviano. “We’re looking to start a theme here and turn it into other things as well. We really want to bring together the community and have fun things, affordable things, for the community to do.”
Tomahawk Tavern
2535 N. State Street (US 1), Bunnell, FL 32110
Hours: Tues, Wed, Thurs & Sun/11:30 am to 9:00 pm
Fri & Sat/11:30 am to 12:00 am
www.tomahawktavernaxethrowing.com
AAUW Flagler Recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month With Speaker From Family Life Center
Palm Coast, FL – American Association of University Women (AAUW) Flagler hosted its monthly General Meeting on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at Cypress Knoll Golf and Country Club. In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, October’s featured speaker was Candice Wilkie, Outreach Coordinator for the Family Life Center – the only state certified Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency in Flagler County. Ms Wilke presented an overview of the center’s operation and told heart touching personal stories that provided insight into the complex issues for which services are sought by many in our county. In addition, she spoke about volunteer opportunities within the agency, the importance of fundraising and how the community can help through always needed donations.
The Family Life Center began in 1987 as the Flagler Ecumenical Social Service Center, Inc. For centuries, women and children endured the cruelty of domestic violence without legal protections, services, or recourse. Today, domestic violence is not exclusive to women. Services, once non-existent and denied, now embody the mission of the Family Life Center. Since its founding, the center continues to provide temporary refuge to any adult and accompanying minor, educate the public on the issues of violence within our community, publicize services available to the public, remove barriers to securing legal protection, accompaniment to medical, court, law enforcement, and other services. For more than 30 years, the Family Life Center has been vigilant in its quest to break the cycle of violence perpetuated from generation to generation through its Outreach Program for Children.
AAUW Flagler meets monthly September through May on the second Saturday of the month. The branch actively works to fulfill its mission of advancing the education of women and girls in Flagler County and elsewhere. New members are welcome. For more information visit the AAUW Flagler website flaglercounty-fl.aauw.net or e-mail AAUWFlagler1984@gmail.com
Family Life Center 24-Hour Crisis Helpline
386-437-3505 or 1-800-500-1119
Media Release: AAUW Flagler Branch
Featured Image: AAUW Flagler Co-Presidents Patti Paukovich (left) and Marty Butler (right) flank Candice Wilkie, Outreach Coordinator for the Family Life Center
Old Kings Road Widening Project Nightly Lane Closures Oct. 12-22
Palm Coast – The Old Kings Road Widening Project will cause lane closures with possible detours beginning on Wednesday, October 12th through October 22nd between 9:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m.
The contractor on the project will be performing a milling and paving operation on Old King’s Rd. They will also be making traffic signal adjustments to both Palm Coast Pkwy and King’s Way intersections. The lane closures and detours will change nightly depending on the paving area. Drivers should use caution in this area and expect delays. Drivers may also encounter the traffic signals to be in flash mode and traffic being directed by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The City of Palm Coast appreciates the patience and cooperation of residents and motorists during this time.
For more information, contact customer service at customer-service@palmoastgov.com or 386-986-2360. A request can also be submitted through palmcoastconnect.com.
Written By: Brittany Kershaw, Director of Public Information and Engagement
NFRA Expands St. Augustine Route to Greater NY Area with Elite Airways
St. Johns County, FL (October 12, 2021) Just in time for the holidays, the Northeast Florida Regional Airport is making trips from New England even easier with direct flights from Newark Liberty International Airport directly to St. Johns County and the greater Jacksonville area, thanks to a new relationship formed with Elite Airways.
John Pearsall, president of the Portland, Maine-based Elite Airways made the announcement on Tuesday, with regional business and tourism leaders on hand to celebrate the return of commercial flights on November 19th, just one day before the official start of the holiday season in St. Augustine.
As one of the nation’s top rated holiday destinations featuring the City of St. Augustine’s signature Nights of Lights display starting on November 20th and culminating in the new year, it’s a world class welcome for guests to Florida’s Historic Coast.
With visitors already traveling to the area from the southeastern United States, Richard Goldman, President & CEO of St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitor and Convention Bureau welcomes the opportunity to dazzle visitors from destinations in the north.
“The return of scheduled service is wonderful, and the schedule they have planned is perfect for our destination, connecting us to the New York metro area. It’s another way that our destination can become even more sophisticated, even more sustainable as a destination, so we’re excited,” he said.
Touring the 90 seat plane, St. Johns County administrator Hunter Conrad was proud of the collaboration between community partners facilitating a new opportunity to provide economic development within the county and additional transportation resources for residents and visitors.
“Our primary goal was to partner with the Visitors and Convention Bureau and Airport Authority to make sure we were available in any capacity, with any assistance they would need in the future, as they go through all the processes,” said Conrad.
“It provides a quicker means of transportation to get to the community for tourists or for those who are wanting to travel and stay somewhere else. It (also) provides a quick opportunity to hop on a flight, close in town, so they don’t have to travel to Jacksonville or Orlando.”
Offering luxurious travel accommodations at a competitive price point, travelers can easily head out for a weekend getaway or business trip with fewer complications, making regional travel options even more attractive, according to Ed Wuellner, executive director of the St. Johns Airport Authority.
“The larger hubs are increasingly complicated, increasingly busy. The experience is getting worse for most people and the time required is increasing, so when you look at these smaller airports it’s a no-brainer for most people,” he said.
Wuellner was quick to share credit for the success of the new relationship with Elite Airways.
“It’s a couple of years since we had service, that’s for sure. We’re super excited. It was really a community effort in this case. We worked directly with TDC and VCB and others in the community to make sure we presented the best foot forward we could possibly do for the carrier,” said Wuellner.
“I think we’ve distinguished ourselves as one of the better regional airports in the country, very thriving, growing general aviation at our core, nothing changes in that respect, but the ability to add commercial service and serve the general population to a higher level is something we’ve been trying to do for years,” said Wuellner.
“One of the big attractants was second home ownership, believe it or not. It’s people who own homes in both those general areas, our county as well as the New York area, so that’s a highly popular demographic to look at because it has a built-in market. It’s by far the largest market in northeast Florida.”
As more Americans discovered northeast Florida during the pandemic, St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Isabelle Renault says they have helped pave the way for the influx of businesses looking to relocate or expand to the area, with the new scheduled route increasing opportunities for connectivity.
“This is a big deal to St. Johns County to have this commercial airline directly into St. Augustine from New Jersey. It’s a big deal for tourism development and economic development in our community,” she said.
“It makes it much easier to come and look at St. Johns County directly and St. Augustine, and start their search from New Jersey to our area, and also to have our local businesses who may have ties to New Jersey to be able to go back and forth as needed. We look at it as infrastructure support for our local businesses as well (as the ability) to be able to access those markets.”
Thanking community leaders for their support of the new route, Pearsall’s optimism laid the groundwork for Elite Airways’ bright future in St. Johns County.
“The timing is right,” said Pearsall. “We feel a very warm commitment from everybody. We look forward to being a long-term partner here at St. Augustine, and we look forward to opening other cities, to be announced at a later time.”
To read the official press release, click here.
Previous NFRA News: NFRA Awarded $700K Air Service Grant – July 2021
Featured Photo: An exciting moment for northeast Florida as Elite Airways makes the official announcement of service between the greater New York area and St. Augustine at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.
FSHP Roadside Chat to Feature Central Florida Railway Historical Society Expert October 13th
DeLand, FL (FDOT FSHP, District Five) To draw the byway community closer together, FDOT District Five is offering a series of virtual “roadside chats” that offer valuable information to our byway organizations.
These monthly chats touch upon topics and issues of importance to everyday byway organization. We invite you to participate in this month’s chat to be held October 13, 2021 between noon and 1:00 PM as a Microsoft Teams Meeting.
There is no charge to participate in these chats and each includes a 20-25-minute prestation with 10-15-minute question and answer period. The goal of these chats is to encourage byway interactions and partnership. We invite you to bring along some lunch and dial in to what has become an excellent, well attended series of chats over the last few months. Feel free to share this invitation far and wide.
Claudia Calzaretta will serve as our host and this month’s chat will present Phil Cross, Board Member and Newsletter Editor for Central Florida Railway Historical Society and Central Florida Railroad Museum to discuss the history of Florida’s railroads.
Cross’s wealth of knowledge began at an early age where his interest in local history and specifically the railroad system blossomed. Over the years he’s researched and collected photos, maps, and passed down tales belonging to West Orange County and the Central Florida Railroad. As a seventh generation native Floridian residing in Winter Garden, Florida he’s collected a well-rounded story to share. Now as an Executive Board Member and Facilities Committee Chair for the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Cross has become a local expert in Florida’s history.
Foundation Mission
The mission of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation is to preserve the heritage and architecture of West Orange County, while creating new cultural experiences.
Click here to join the meeting
(844) 603-6058,268202303# United States (Toll-free)
Phone Conference ID: 268 202 303#
For more information on this chat or future topics, please contact Claudia Calzaretta at Claudia.Calzaretta@dot.state.fl.us
FCSO Upgrades Body and Fleet Cameras to New and Improved Technology
In the next few weeks, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) will be upgrading to new Axon body and fleet cameras.
The new body cameras replace the Axon2 currently being used by FCSO deputies and include new technology and features such as: Embedded GPS Location Video Tagged, Activation upon Sensing Gunshots, Livestreaming upon Activation, improved Encrypted Storage, footage stored in 1080P, 24Hour Video Recall, and improved Atomic Time Sync for proper playback. The new body cameras also include a more secure uniform attachment, making it less likely the camera will be knocked off during an arrest.
The new Axon patrol car upgrade replaces the Axon Fleet2and now include: Livestreaming upon
Activation, Auto-Activation at High Speed or Crash, License Plate Reader Integrated, Dual-View Front
Camera, Panoramic and Standard Images, Color Infrared Rear Cameras, 24-hour Video Recall, Emergency light Activation automatically activates all of the Cameras, Wireless Microphones and improved Atomic Time Sync for Playback.
The Axon Software has also been upgraded allowing: Axon Citizen Submission, Unlimited Data Storage, Sharing Data Directly to the State Attorney’s Office, and Multi-Camera Playback.
“We started implementing the Axon Fleet in 2018 and over the years we have upgraded the Axon Body Camera systems,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This upgrade now takes us to the next level of transparency and provides a safety net for deputies in critical situations. The Axon Fleet3 enhances our existing LPR technology making every marked patrol car a moving LPR system enhancing our ability to fight and reduce crime and apprehend offenders before they can prey on our community using today’s cuttingedge technology.”
The total cost of all of the upgrades was $469,164.41.
You can learn more about Axon Fleet-3 here: https://www.axon.com/products/axon–fleet–3
You can learn more about Axon Body-3 here: https://www.axon.com/products/axon–body–3
Media Release: Date: October 12, 2021
Prepared by: Aviva Edrich
Phone and Email: 386-281-9880; aedrich@flaglersheriff.com Release #: 2021-233
Making History: Sheriff Staly Elected as Chair for the Florida Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation
On October 7, 2021, Sheriff Rick Staly was elected by his peers to serve as the Chair for the Florida Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation (FCLEA). He has served as a Commissioner since 2018 when he was appointed by the Florida Sheriff’s Association and has served as the Vice-Chair since 2020. FCLEA is an independent 15-member commission established by Florida law whose members are appointed by the Florida Sheriff’s Association, Florida Police Chief’s Association, and City/County Government Organizations.
“This statewide leadership position allows me to ensure that our citizens know that law enforcement in Florida adheres to the highest standards of integrity and professional excellence,” Sheriff Staly said. “I am honored to be elected by my peers on the Commission to serve as the Chair for the Florida Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation. Being elected to serve as Chair of the Commission allows me the opportunity to ensure Florida law enforcement agencies deliver law enforcement services at the highest standards in professional policing.”
Accreditation is the certification by an independent Commission that an agency has met specific requirements and standards. The Commission meets three times per year to oversee the accreditation program and to officially accredit or re-accredit agencies that have passed the rigorous review process to ensure accredited agencies remain in full compliance. Agencies can also have their accreditation revoke for non-compliance. An accreditation program is recognized as a means of maintaining the highest standards of professional law enforcement service. Sheriff Staly has been involved in accreditation since 1996 at the state and international levels and this is the first time in FCSO’s history that a Flagler Sheriff has been elected Chair of the Commission.
Currently, there are 177 Law Enforcement Agencies and 38 Inspector General Offices accredited in Florida. Two additional agencies have recently applied for accreditation. Accreditation has been at the forefront of police reform measures across the country and Florida has been a leader in police accreditation.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) is a 4-Diamond accredited Agency maintaining accreditation in 9-1-1 Communications, Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Ethics.
Learn more at: http://www.flaccreditation.org/
Date: October 11, 2021
Prepared by: Melissa Morreale
Phone and Email: (386) 529-4086; mmorreale@flaglersheriff.com Release #: 2021-232
More Than A Stop On Tour, The Future Is Local
Flagler Beach, FL – Ready to bring home the hardware, Flagler Beach surfers were out in full force representing the Flagler Board Riders Club on Saturday, October 9th.
As the first stop on the Florida Cup Series, North Division for the Florida Board Riders, it was an auspicious occasion with picture perfect weather, moderate wave action and plenty of good-hearted camaraderie among the clubs out to compete.
Watching from the boardwalk, Chris and Colleen Conklin were out to cheer on the home team. As a board member of the newly founded Flagler Board Riders Club and mom to two surfers, she was excited to see a competition finally making its way to Flagler Beach.
“One of the things I love the most as a mom of boys who grew up surfing and competing, we had to travel to St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Cocoa to compete. And all of the groms, young surfers, from here, had to go elsewhere to compete. This is an exciting time because we, in Flagler Beach, now have our own board riders club and we can host competitions here in the city. The city has become very friendly to surf competitions, and so we hope this is just the beginning of a large number of events that we would like to host here,” she said.
As part of the close-knit surfing community she, along with many other parents, have had an opportunity to watch the local surfers share their talent and technique with the next generation, helping to produce national and world champion surfers and more importantly, good human beings.
Among those home grown champions, Haley Watson Stephens headed out to compete, representing the Daytona Beach chapter, where she now lives. As a three-time national champion and founder of the annual MayDay Memorial Surf Classic, she’s had the benefit of surfing some in some of the greatest locales on the planet, but still pays homage to her East Coast roots.
“I’m actually kind of conflicted because since I live in Ponce Inlet I’m surfing for the Daytona Board Riders, I’m from Flagler Beach and that will always be my hometown, and then I even have sponsors out of St. Augustine, so that kind of all just sums up the camaraderie of surfing that sometimes gets forgotten in a traditional surfing competition format. I think that’s why we have such a great turnout, because it is so much fun.”
She was excited by the team mentality for what is usually regarded as an individual sport.
“The setup is extremely unique. It’s kind of a new, innovative format with the board riders clubs. Here with the board riders it makes it a team effort. I think one of the reasons Flagler is so strong is because it has always been such a tight knit community both in and out of the water and reflects their performance when it comes time to compete,” she said.
The Florida Cup Series drew solid attendance from both surfers and spectators, something that bodes well for the next big surfing event in Flagler Beach, with the upcoming 20th Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic set for November 14-16th.
On hand to represent his hometown as a member of the growing Flagler Board Riders Club, surfer Will Tant credits the local community for supporting the ambitions and dreams of their kids who take to the waves on a near daily basis to enjoy the sport they love, while making events like the Tommy Tant and FLBR cup series stop possible.
“I think this surf town needed a spark to get us to start a surf club, and now there’s such momentum because it is a surf town, where we all really enjoy surfing, we invest our lives in it, so it’s fun,” shared Tant. “I always think Flagler’s a powerhouse of surfing. It’s a great place to start because more than anything else I think Flagler Beach is a surf community. You really get that community spirit here.”
“For us, for me personally, I’ve run a local contest here with the help of the entire community and so the Flagler Board Riders is really tapping into that sense of community that we’ve had here for so long.”
Looking to November anniversary event, it’s full circle for the Tant family as they watch the next crop of young groms hit the waves together.
“The special thing about the Tommy Tant is that it’s more than a surf contest,” he said. “It’s about spending a day, a weekend at the beach with your family and friends, and that’s actually what we try to tap into. We all take for granted each other’s lives and it only takes a second to lose one person. Every single person here makes a difference, so we’re just looking forward to gathering everyone together, celebrating 20 years of community.”
Florida Board Riders North Division Cup Series Stop 1 Results (By Points):
- Jacksonville
- Flagler Beach
- Daytona
- Augustine
- Fernandina Beach
- Ponte Vedra
Featured Photo: Pro surfers Haley Watson (Daytona Beach) and Will Tant (Flagler Beach) take part in the Florida Board Riders Florida Cup Series on Saturday, October 9, 2021 in Flagler Beach. Photo: Danielle Anderson/FNW
