Palm Coast, FL- Golden Magnolia, recent winner of the 2021 Best Builder/Grand Award for the company’s ‘Boliviana’ home model, is excited to celebrate with an open house on Friday, April 23rd from 3:00PM until 6:00PM. Golden Magnolia has won Best Builder for the fourth year in a row. The event is open to the public and includes live music, giveaways, food and drinks and a tour of the winning home, located at 54 Freemont Turn, Palm Coast, Fl.
“We are honored to have been awarded Best Builder again from the Flagler Home Builder’s Association,” said Marianna Gorshelev, President of Golden Magnolia. “This year’s Parade of Homes started on March 20th, and we have had hundreds of people tour our model homes already,” added Marianna.
The ‘Boliviana’ model is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home with 2,198 sq feet of living area, a spacious great room design, and a welcoming Classic Mediterranean elevation. The open floor plan and well-planned kitchen make the home perfect for entertaining. The model at 54 Freemont Turn includes a pool, cabana and fire pit, where there will be live entertainment during the open house.
Golden Magnolia offers expertise in residential construction and home additions, and is committed to superior quality, value and complete customer satisfaction. They offer total personalization so there are never any change fees to make changes or upgrades to a home. The company also offers financing. To see more information on Golden Magnolia, as well as the company’s gallery of homes that are available, and home warranty and energy efficiency standards, visit http://www.goldenmagnoliainc.com/. They can be reached at 386-864-2199, goldenmagnoliainc@gmail.com, or https://www.facebook.com/AAAbuilderspalmcoast.
Open air and plenty of space gave hungry diners a chance to enjoy Food Truck Tuesday in Palm Coast on April 20, 2021.
Palm Coast, FL (April 20, 2021) – Offering up a cultural trip around the world with food as the main attraction, Food Truck Tuesday retuned to Palm Coast under fair skies and wide open spaces.
A beautiful evening drew families to Town Center for Food Truck Tuesday in Palm Coast, on April 20, 2021.
From Irie Cuisine’s jerk chicken and African Love Kitchen’s lamb curry to Monsta Lobsta’s famous lobster rolls and local go-to Cool Beans Barbeque, there was a dish to appease every palate.
Patrick Delsordo puts Cool Beans Barbeque on his list of favorites during Food Truck Tuesday in Palm Coast, on April 20, 2021.
The once-a-month food truck gathering takes place in Town Center and shines a spotlight on a local charity or nonprofit organization.
Enjoying a picnic from Irie Cuisine of jerk chicken, Denise and Ron Zacharias attend the April Food Truck Tuesday in Palm Coast on April 20, 2021.
Representing the Family Life Center, Flagler County’s only domestic violence and rape crisis shelter, Candice Wilkie talked with those out for dinner around Central Park about the facility’s 24-hour free and confidential services.
“Tonight we’re here to promote our services because it’s sexual assault awareness month and we’re hoping we’ll be able to reach the community and let them know that we’re here,” said Wilkie. “These events help us let people know that they’re not alone, that there is help out there.”
It was also a chance for Wilkie and the Family Life Center team to promote this weekend’s annual event to benefit the shelter.
Representing the evening’s spotlight charity, members of the Family Life Center team share information on the center and about the upcoming Walk a Mile In Her Shoes event on Saturday, during Food Truck Tuesday on April 20, 2021. From left, Shikeeta Giles, Erica Rivera and Gary Perkins.
“We have ‘Walk a Mile In Her Shoes’ on Saturday, 10 am at Heroes Park, which is right behind the Flagler County Library. We hope that people will come out and help show awareness for sexual assault awareness month,” she said.
“Typically it’s a pretty big event where men wear red, four inch stilettos but due to COVID that’s changed things a little bit, so it’s going to be wear your sneakers, come out and walk to raise awareness in the community.” For more information, visit www.familylifecenterflagler.org.
Palm Coast, FL (April 20, 2021) – The Palm Coast City Council approved a resolution today with the Florida Department of Transportation for a Local Agency Program Agreement regarding the construction of the Lehigh Trailhead Project off of Belle Terre Parkway. The project enhances the popular path by providing ADA compliant paved parking with more than 60 parking spaces, a restroom and water fountain.
The vote green lights an FDOT LAP Agreement of $1,583,738 in grant funding for the construction phase of this project. This amount covers the FDOT eligible items (trailhead) based off of the engineers cost estimate. The City will provide the required 10 percent match by funding the construction engineering and inspection services (CEI). The bid package includes alternates for the community gardens and dog park which can be included as part of the construction contract if city funding is available and if approved by city council.
This project is consistent and in line with City Council’s goal to evaluate the evolution of City of Palm Coast Recreation and Parks Facilities Master Plan.
It also a direct result of great partnerships and inter-agency collaboration by the City of Palm Coast, the Florida Department of Transportation and the River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization. City planners worked with staff from both organizations to amend FDOT’s 5-year Work Program and the River to Sea TPO’s 5-year Transportation Improvement Plan to be able to get working on the project earlier this year.
Residents and visitors to Palm Coast also help contribute to improvements at city amenities through spending locally, which is highlighted in the city’s Be Local Buy Local campaign. A portion generated through the small county surtax and the local government half-cent sales tax comes back to the community to pay for capital improvement projects. In general, having these funds available also keeps the city project-ready to be able to match for grant funding. This is another example of how shopping local helps not just the businesses, but also the community you live in.
In addition to sales tax, recreation impact fees are also utilized; this means every new dwelling unit constructed pays this impact fee that is used to pay a portion of recreation capacity improvement projects.
The City is expected to put the project out for bid and begin construction this year.
Media Release: Kimberly Norman
Public Relations Associate
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) is proud to announce that Flagler County Dispatcher
McKenzie Davis has been selected as the 2020 Florida State Elks Associations Law Enforcement Support Employee of the Year!
Davis began her career at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 at only 19 years old. She was nominated for the award by her supervisor and Sheriff Staly for the incredible work she did as a dispatcher in 2020, including saving the lives of four Flagler County residents, two in the same day.
“In Mackenzie’s short time in the communication center, she has made an incredible impact on the community and within our agency,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “She excels at being able to take control while remaining calm during high stress situations. She consistently performs to exemplary standards and is a great example of the dedicated team and training it requires to work as a Telecommunicator. Congratulations McKenzie and keep up the great work!”
McKenzie will be recognized during the Florida State Elks Association annual conference in Orlando on May 29th. She previously received the Florida Sheriff’s Association’s 9-1-1 Communications Operator of the Year award.
Since 2014, the Florida State Elks Association have recognized and honored first responders. The Florida State Elks Association First Responder of the Year award began with just one category, law enforcement officer. Today, four categories are considered for nomination — law enforcement officer, firefighter, EMT and support services (such as dispatchers and corrections officers).
For more information on the Florida State Elks Association visit: www.floridaelks.org
Date: April 20, 2021
Prepared by: Shannon Martin
Phone and Email: 386-281-9733; martin@flaglersheriff.comRelease #: 2021-79
Flagler County, FL (April 20, 2021) The anticipated length of the wait list for a T-hangar at the Flagler Executive Airport just got shorter.
The Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting on Monday approved a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Public Transportation Grant Agreement for $117,000 that will completely fund the design costs for three new T-hangar buildings of 14 units each – a total of 42 new hangars.
“The airport currently has 56 T-hangars, which are all occupied,” Airport Director Roy Sieger said. “The T-hangar waiting list has 79 individuals on it, with an average waiting period of approximately two years to get a hangar.”
The last time additional T-hangars were added to the airports assets was in 2011. Two buildings housing 10 hangars each were built.
Construction costs for this new project will be about $2.8 million – $560,000 to the Flagler Executive Airport – but T-hangar leases will offset the costs and then some.
“These T-hangars provide a nice revenue stream, which is important for us because we operate as an enterprise fund,” Sieger said. “None of our operating funds – or capital project funds – come from property tax. Everything is paid for through revenues from grants, or earned through ground and building leases and fuel sales.”
Sieger made a presentation to commissioners during an April 5 workshop that proposed that would delay a long anticipated new general aviation terminal by one year to build the 42 new hangars with the goal of increasing airport revenues.
The additional monies will be used in part to help repay the loan needed for the terminal, which will be about $1.3 million to be paid by the Flagler Executive Airport. The Florida Department of Transportation has committed to paying 80% of the $6.5 million project total.
County Administrator Jerry Cameron praised Sieger at the workshop for his financial management.
“This creates an income stream that will support the debt service for a future terminal building,” County Administrator Jerry Cameron told commissioners. “It’s fiduciary responsibility.”
Media Release: Flagler County, Julie Murphy MPIO
Featured Photo: Flagler Executive Airport, Courtesy Visit Florida
Flagler County, FL – (April 20, 2021) As the 2020-21 school year comes to a close, Flagler Schools Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt has recommended to the School Board the following learning options for our 2021-22 school year.
“Our teachers, staff, and administrators worked tirelessly to stand up three district learning options for our families this past year. However, we know the majority of our students perform best when they are physically in our classrooms. Therefore, we feel it best to offer two options for the next school year. Option one is in-person, face-to-face at the student’s home zoned school or school of choice. Option two is for those students who would rather learn virtually through our iFlagler program,” says Superintendent Mittelstadt. “We still have the fourth quarter to complete for this school year, but I wanted to give our parents this information as soon as possible so they may begin planning for the next school year.”
The RemoteLive option will be discontinued at the end of the 2020-21 school year.
For those interested in iFlagler, you can find additional information at www.iflagler.org. Registration is open through July 10, 2021.
Media Release: Flagler County School District, Jason Wheeler
Flagler County, FL – If you’re penciling in activities for this weekend, you might want to put the Linda Cole & Friends Alumni Show at the Flagler Auditorium on your calendar.
Closing out the 2021 Community Celebration Series, not only does Friday night’s show in Palm Coast feature the legendary jazz songstress Linda Cole accompanied by the sexy, smooth sounds of the Abe Alam Trio, it’s bringing back to the stage some of the Flagler County’s alumni stars.
Meet the Cast of Characters
Missing the high voltage entertainment of being on a cruise ship?
Then you won’t want to miss the performances by global entertainers Jill Vanderoef and husband Sasha Kachanouski as they take the stage alongside Flagler graduates Kristen Blanton, Niki Gross and Jamie Lowe for an evening of solos, duets and trios in cabaret fashion.
Four of the five performers received their start on the stage at the Flagler Auditorium, and credit the performing arts center’s director Amelia Fulmer with helping shape their love of music and the performing arts, from a young age.
A 2003 graduate, Kristen Blanton now teaches music to elementary school students at Champion Elementary School in Volusia County. She says it was the early influences of Fulmer and now retired instructor Alana Fitzgerald, who set her on the path of music education.
“When I was growing up in Flagler County, Ms. Fulmer was my music teacher at Wadsworth Elementary,” said Blanton.
“Music was the thing that I could excel at and it was really fun. What she showed me was it didn’t just have to be fun, you could also skill build, learn new things and teach other people. And then it became my thing.”
“I didn’t know until I left and went away to college how lucky we were to have something like the auditorium to practice and perform in,” she said.
“The venue was a big thing, and then having Ms. Fulmer and Ms. Fitzgerald show me in terms of being part of the performing arts how to choose a track to make it into a career, that was the big thing for me,” said Blanton.
Younger children often look up to their older siblings, and Jill Vanderoef was no different. Following in Blanton’s footsteps with the music program, she says she found her tribe among fellow performers, including classmate and longtime cast mate Jamie Lowe, a trumpet player and vocalist.
“I wouldn’t sing if she didn’t. I just wanted to do what she did,” shared Vanderoef, who joined The Formality Singers at Flagler Palm Coast High School to model her sister.
Choir and theater helped build valuable skills like reading music that became assets on her resume.
“Most people are solo singers and learn it by ear, but the chorus foundation has helped me get the higher paying jobs,” she said.
Graduating in 2007, Vanderoef and Lowe were both accepted to Elon University in North Carolina where they studied musical theater after leaving Flagler Schools.
“The music was huge. When we went to college and got into the music theater programs, we were probably the best site readers there,” said Lowe, who taught theater and dance for a few years in Ormond after returning from New York City.
While embarking on different careers – Vanderoef was a regular performer on worldwide cruise ships for Holland America serving as the vocal captain before the pandemic, and Lowe works with athletic giant Lululemon, the two have remained close over the years.
“These two were like the dynamic duo all through high school,” said Fulmer.
Reminiscing about their younger years on stage, from shows like “It’s A Small World” and “Nickelodeon”, to the talents shows and a jazz ensemble, 2004 graduate and pianist Niki Gross said that after receiving her MBA from Stetson University, it was her dedication to her music background that helped land a job with a national hotelier as an asset manager and developer.
“It starts back with Ms. Fulmer and this path that everybody nurtured here,” said Gross.
Niki Gross, Jamie Lowe, Amelia Fulmer, Sasha Kachanouski, Jill Vanderoef and Kristen Blanton.
With the addition of Sasha Kachanouski, a Belarus native with a Master’s Degree in dance education who currently teaches dance at Dance Amadis in Palm Coast, the crew was bubbly and excited walking into the Flagler Auditorium on Saturday for rehearsals.
“We spent every day of every semester in the choir room,” said Blanton. “It gave us our families that we still have, that most people don’t continue to have if you don’t have that kind of connection.”
Fulmer, who’s watched them all grow up, smiled like a proud parent, listening to their recollections and stories of success today.
“It’s because of the opportunities they were given. We would bring 200 kids over here to perform on this stage, and most kids don’t have a place like this,” said Fulmer, sharing that the Flagler Auditorium has given 128 scholarship to students since opening in 1991.
“What I’m really trying to preach is regardless of what your jobs are, it’s about the things you did here and how they shape you as a human being,” she said. “We want to try to get people to understand that when they come here to see a show, that support the students.”
Tickets are on sale now for the Linda Cole & Friends Alumni Show this Friday evening at the Flagler Auditorium.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (April 18, 2021) – Florida crime survivors joined thousands of others across the country to mark the beginning of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The 5,400-member Florida chapter of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) hosted a healing vigil where local victims, and their loved ones, joined each other in a healing community, honored those lost to violence, and called on policymakers to implement new safety solutions that stop the cycle of crime and make communities safer.
The event is part of a national Survivors Speak virtual gathering that brings together crime survivors to advocate for policies that prevent crime, better support survivors, families and communities, and reduce wasteful incarceration. This week, the Florida chapter will also join in support as CSSJ releases its National Victims’ Agenda.
“For too long, the voices and experiences of diverse crime survivors have been ignored in public safety policymaking,” said Aswad Thomas, National Director for CSSJ. “It’s past time to listen to our stories and invite us into the policymaking process and to ensure that our experiences and needs shape public safety and justice policies.”
Despite tremendous increases in spending, most justice systems have failed to adequately meet the needs of survivors and stop the cycle of crime. Instead of putting the needs of survivors first, billions of dollars have been wasted on ineffective policies. Meanwhile, survivors of crime experience significant challenges to recovering and healing, with at least 8 in 10 reporting that they experienced at least one symptom of trauma following an incident. Two out of every three crime victims report receiving no help following the incident. Crime survivors who are young, low income, or from communities of color are often those most harmed by crime and violence but receive the least help.
Earlier this month, over 200 Florida crime survivors came together to urge the state legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis to prioritize the needs of crime victims. The request focused on three key bills in the state legislature. In recent weeks, lawmakers have introduced HB 1467 and companion bill SB 1838, which extend critical workplace protections to victims and witnesses in the wake of violent crimes. The third bill, HB 799, builds on previous reforms of the probation system by expanding the Alternative Sanctions programs to improve community safety while wasting fewer prison resources. Altogether, these bills adopt proven solutions that focus on rehabilitation tackling the root causes of crime – an approach strongly supported by crime victims as they seek to create safer communities and prevent people from ever being victimized again.
Featured Photo: 2020 Crime Survivors Speak Gathering in Tallahassee, FL
The White Eagle Hotel was erected by the late Barney Trojanowski. He had quarters for his family and rooms for tourists on the upper floor. On the ground floor was a grocery, feed store and a real estate office. Later the entire first floor was turned into a beer garden with a large dance floor.
Here, for many years, dances were held Wednesdays and Saturdays. Polish people from all over Florida gathered here to celebrate all the major holidays. Church suppers, club dances made this the gathering center of the area.
This building was torn down in 1959 to make room for four-laning U.S. 1.
The present White Eagle Bar in Korona is very near where the original White Eagle was located.
From the “THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLAGLER COUNTY”
By Sisco Deen
Flagler County Historical Society
A Look Back is provided courtesy of the Flagler County Historical Society and compiled by James Fiske. Photo Credit – Ed Siarkowicz
Creating a sustainable and engaged workforce is a two-way street, and as employers look for talent to fill open positions, job seekers are also evaluating their options while they’re in the driver’s seat.
Dr. Joe Saviak is an experienced senior executive, leadership and management consultant, author, researcher, and college professor. As this week’s The Big Five guest, he shares insight both employers and potential employees should be considering.
How did you become involved in leadership development?
As an employee and an executive, I saw both effective and poor leaders. It determines an organization’s destiny. As a professor, I focused on teaching the proven strategies and skills needed for successful leadership. We know what works and what does not. Today, as a consultant, I aid leaders and organizations in being their best.
Businesses are scrambling to find workforce talent and willing to hire just about anyone to fill the open positions. How can this mentality be detrimental in the long run?
Identify who you need and how to best recruit and retain them. Study where and how you got your best employees. Hire who you need not who you like or who is like you. We hire who we are so you have to be who you say you are or you won’t get the winners or they won’t stay long. Hire slow and fire fast. Hiring is one of the big 3 that decide how successful you’ll be or won’t be. Invest in recruitment and retention. Don’t train quality employees for your competitors. Make them want to stay.
Are there any qualities or characteristics employers should look for that may indicate a diamond in the rough from a stack of applications or rounds of interviews?
Yes. The movie “Moneyball” is correct. Subjective biases often cause employers to overlook real talent because it does not look like their incorrect expectations. Hire character, strengthen skills, and teach subjects. Yes, you may need to invest in skills and knowledge but if the right personal qualities are there, be willing to do it. Grow your employees. Have you seen them perform in another setting before the interview? Give them real world problems to solve during the interview so you can see how they perform.
During the workforce shortage, is this a good time to promote or train up long-term employees? Why or why not?
It’s always the right time to invest in the right employees. This is seen by high performers as a major on the job benefit aiding in retention. Cross-train. Mentor. Provide in house training or send them to cost-effective local/regional training available through professional associations. Share quick videos from YouTube or articles on leadership or other important organizational issues with them. Give them some freedom and flexibility so they have to make decisions and own them as this grows them. We need to be free to fail so we fail forward and fail up. As they grow, reward and recognize them and give them a clear career path with you so they stay.
What advice would you give to out-of-work professionals holding out for “the perfect job” and passing over a step down option? Can these options lead to greater opportunity?
Consider all options. We reinvent ourselves all the time today. We do several careers not one. First, ask and answer the Drucker question: who am I? What are my values, strengths, and skills and I perform best in what kind of organization with what team doing what work to help whom? Who I am is what I should do. Secondly, obtain the credentials, experience, references, and contacts needed for entry and success in that career. All work is inherently honorable so we should never look down on any job. However, it is all about match and fit. Florida’s economy will boom again and it’s on its way now. There will be opportunities. Prepare for them now. Utilize all tools and resources in a successful job search. Practice for interviews. Interviewing is a skill.
Anything else we should know?
Final advice: Be the employer for whom everyone wants to work. Have the right leadership, culture, and hiring to make that possible.
