Palm Coast, FL – During the June 1, 2021 evening business meeting of the Palm Coast City Council, council members unanimously agreed to appoint Denise Bevan, the current Palm Coast Chief of Staff over Infrastructure, as the interim City Manager following the resignation of current City Manager Matthew Morton on May 27th.
During the council meeting, members of council asked Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte for his input on the appointment of Denise Bevan to the interim position. Forte told council that “When you start looking at the chain of command and who is going to be the next in line, you want somebody that is going to be understanding and have a good ability to work with everybody in the organization and I think what we need now is some calm, some stability, and the ability to take what we’ve got and move forward.” He continued by saying, “When you start considering is Denise Bevan qualified, she is and she is a gap-bridger.”
Acting Mayor Eddie Branquinho then asked Bevan to speak directly on the matter of appointing her to interim City Manager. Bevan said, “I’m here to serve the City of Palm Coast in any capacity necessary. I would ask to better understand the terms and to work with each council member and our amazing team on what that looks like. With that, thank you and yes.”
The appointment of Bevan will waive current City Manager Morton’s 30-day contractually obligated resignation period. Morton will remain the City Manager until Bevan’s contract as interim City Manager is finalized, which could be completed as soon as the end of the week.
I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to Sally Buzbee, who will be joining The Washington Post as executive editor on June 1. Sally ushers in an important new era of leadership, growth, and innovation to our newsroom. A world-class journalist, she is steeped in the courageous work that is our hallmark and is committed to delivering the trusted, fact-based, inclusive news coverage you expect from The Washington Post. Most recently, as executive editor of the Associated Press, she led one of the world’s largest and most respected news organizations.
Sally is widely admired for her absolute integrity, boundless energy, and dedication to the essential role journalism plays in safeguarding our democracy. That dedication is matched only by her fierce commitment to bringing you, the reader, closer to the story, allowing you to take something meaningful away from it.
As you may have noticed, we have expanded to become a 24/7 global news operation. Sally’s experience in international newsgathering will be invaluable in bringing you news from around the globe, in real time.
Sally has a relentless focus on seeking out the stories that are relevant to our diverse lives and interests. She shares our commitment to holding the powerful to account, and to the rigorous, deeply sourced, in-depth investigative journalism for which The Washington Post is renowned.
In Sally, we have found an inspiring leader who embodies our values of diversity and inclusion, a thoughtful mentor, and an accomplished journalist in the finest traditions of The Washington Post.
We are thrilled to have Sally at the helm of our newsroom, and you’ll be hearing directly from her once she is on board.
Until then, thank you for subscribing and supporting our mission of independent journalism.
Palm Coast, FL – Fifteen Palm Coast residents graduated at the Palm Coast City Council meeting June 1. This marks the 49th session.
This year, to provide the utmost safe experience and still offer interaction among participants and local leaders, the City tested a new format and hosted this session via Zoom. The sessions began April 26 and continued for five consecutive Mondays.
Since these sessions were virtual, the team created some fun and engaging activities to provide the best possible experience for participants. There were nightly themes, trivia, virtual tours and the ability to talk one-on-one with city leaders. Students also saw a State of the City preview prior to its public release and got a first-hand look at the new City website launching in the next year.
This session’s graduates were Terri Belletto, Vincent Ciolino, James La Pierre Cutts, Felita Guy, Kelly Knott, Greg Lovekamp, Barb Lovekamp, Michael Martin, Devrie Paradowski, Nichol Sparrow, Michael West, Geraldine Wright, Andre Wright, Jim Wulff and Jan Wulff.
Certificates and commemorative T-shirts were provided to all graduates.
The Palm Coast Citizens Academy is a comprehensive program designed to educate interested residents about the operation and workings of their City government. Normally, this program is held in person at five city facility locations with fellow neighbors and instruction by department managers. It is one of the most impactful ways to connect, engage and inform residents about the inner workings of their local government.
Citizens Academy has a long-standing tradition of being one of the most treasured events for all departments to showcase the service they provide to citizens.
Those interested in a future in-person can register at palmcoastgov.com/palm-coasters/citizens-academy. The course is free and registration is limited to approximately 30 Palm Coast citizens per session.
For residents whose schedules don’t allow for the in-person Citizen’s Academy, the City also offers a Virtual Citizen’s Academy. Visit www.palmcoastgov.com/vca. The Virtual Citizen’s Academy includes an overview of the City government and separate modules on each of the City’s departments.
Statement from RPOF Executive Director Helen Aguirre Ferre on Nikki Fried’s Gubernatorial Announcement:
“Nikki Fried is conspiracy-spouting lockdown zealot who has accomplished absolutely nothing while in office. Instead of working for the people of Florida, Fried spends her time pushing partisan lies on social media. Her claim to fame is wasting tax dollars to plaster her face on gas pumps and cash registers across Florida. Rather than seek a promotion, she should refund her taxpayer-funded salary to atone for the complete waste her tenure in office has been.”
Palm Coast – The Palm Coast Fire Department hosted a Gold Star Dedication ceremony in which they dedicated a new Ladder Truck in memory of Marine Sergeant Zachary J. Walters on Memorial Day Weekend. The ceremony took place at Fire Station 25 with the family and friends of Sergeant Walters, Gold Star Families, and Fire Department personnel.
The Fire Department took delivery of a 2021- E-One Cyclone 100’ Ladder Truck earlier this year. The Ladder Truck will be placed into front line service offering additional fire protection for all of Flagler County.
Sgt. Zachary J. Walters was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force based out of Camp Lejeune. Sgt. Walters and a fellow marine were killed on June 8, 2010 while on patrol in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. He was a graduate of Flagler Palm Coast High School, Class of 2005.
Zachary got his start in the Junior ROTC Program while at Flagler Palm Coast High School. His instructors noted that he always took the uniform seriously, and that stuck with him when he passed up scholarships and job offers to instead join the military. The day after graduation, at age 19, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He was laid to rest with full military honors at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery.
The idea for dedicating a fire truck to the memory of a Fallen Solider was proposed by Firefighter-Paramedic Christopher Strozier, who is a Navy Veteran. Firefighter Strozier stated, “We often forget why we have the rights and freedoms we do. Dedicating the fire engine to the memory of a Gold Star Families is a small way to show our appreciation for what they have sacrificed.”
The Fire Department plans each Memorial Day to dedicate a Fire Engine to a Gold Star Recipient whose name is inscribed in the Veterans Memorial at Heroes Memorial Park. Sergeant Walters’ mother, Regina Walters, and grandmother, Lorie Minor, were on hand to unveil the Ladder Truck’s dedication.
“We’re not here to memorialize Sergeant Walters’ life, rather to celebrate his call to duty to preserve, protect and defend,” stated Fire Chief Jerry Forte. Chief Forte added, “As this ladder truck offers protection to our citizens during their calls for help, Sergeant Walters’ legacy of protecting our Nation is carried on.”
Photos courtesy Palm Coast Fire Department, Lieutenant Patrick Juliano, Fire Public Information Officer
Residents may submit up to 20 entries. It is free to enter. Entries must be submitted no later than midnight July 31, 2021.
The contest runs from June 1 through July 31 and the winning prize for each category is a $100 gift card. Winners will be selected in August and honored at a later City Council business meeting. All photographs submitted for the contest will be used by the City for marketing, promotional, and public relations purposes.
Until someone shares their story, we don’t know what the building blocks of their foundation are comprised of. As author and publisher of half a dozen books, Flagler County author Orjanette Bryant shares this week what it means to be part of a collection of 15 inspiring women discussing life lessons by being a Radical Woman.
Title: “Radical Woman: Resilience After Difficult Issues, Changes and Losses”
Publication Date: May 9, 2021
You have a powerful story to tell. Share a bit about what you do professionally today, and why you enjoy what you do.
I am a board-certified family nurse practitioner, a business owner, and a number one Best-Selling author in the United States and India. I published several self-help books, and work in the medical field. My mission is to inspire health, spread hope, and encourage others.
You are part of an incredible book. How did this come about and why were you willing to share vulnerable parts of your life story with the world?
Ayanna Mills- Ambrose, our publishing consultant, and visionary encouraged women leaders across the United States and International to share their stories to help others. Sharing my vulnerabilities regarding my experiences with poverty and childhood bullying is not easy, but Ayanna encourages us to write it, release the strongholds, and pray. Her strategic writing techniques support ongoing development. I used researched data to explore the need to improve positive human behaviors. Post- Covid pandemic projected trajectory related to poverty influenced me to support our youth to take on the leadership role.
What do you hope readers will take away from the Radical Woman?
Radical Woman: Resilience After Difficult Issues, Changes and Losses, a compilation by International Bestselling Author, Ayanna Mills Ambrose, the authors discuss their personal battles with abuse, betrayal, dyslexia, divorce, narcissism, poverty, and unfair discrimination. The authors did not focus on their painful realities and shattered dreams; They applied key tips and strategies to change the trajectory of their lives. WOMAN• Win, Outlast, Maximize, Achieve & Nurture
Could this also be an educational tool for men to help them understand women or for young girls to help them make better choices?
This book is an inspiring tool for both men and women. I encouraged men to use this book to support younger women and teens.
What has the response been since the book’s release?
The responses have been encouraging. Radical Woman was featured in NBC, FOX, and CBS, a few magazines, and on the radio. Our authors are world-changers who are seeking opportunities to support others who are ready to redefine their path and overcome their challenges.
U.S. Army (retired )Lieutenant General Dr. Mark Hertling keynotes the Flagler Beach Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 30, 2021 in Veteran's Park.
Flagler Beach, FL (May 30, 2021) When you’ve been in charge of the European theater for the United States Army with more than 60,000 troops under your command, it’s hard to fathom that those lost could be known by name, but there was nary a dry eye as U.S. Army (retired) Lieutenant General Dr. Mark Hertling recounted the names and stories of those who never made it home, during the City of Flagler Beach’s Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday morning.
With a biography that seemingly took Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston longer to read than Hertling’s speech, it wasn’t his list of titles that was the most impressive thing about his presence. It was his determination to remember and honor those he served with that were lost on his watch.
Less than a minute into his address Hertling choked up while sharing the dying words from Tom Hanks’ character in the World War II-based movie “Saving Private Ryan” urging the young man to ‘earn this’, before heart-wrenchingly repeating the words Private Ryan would ask his wife decades later as they stood in the military cemetery in Normandy.
‘Tell me I’m a good man.’
Adults in attendance could be seen openly wiping tears as Hertling called them by name. One by one. They weren’t just numbers or statistics, they were people. Each one with a family, a story, a purpose.
A moment of remembrance during the Flagler Beach Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 30, 2021 in Veteran’s Park.
“That line has struck me more as I get older”, shared Hertling of Private Ryan’s entreaty to his wife, while opening an old wooden cigar box that carries more than 250 cards with the faces and names of those who paid the ultimate price under his command.
“These are all soldiers who were lost on the battlefield,” Hertling said.
“They are America’s best and on today especially, I want to remember them, as I do every day, because I open this box every single day and pray for these young men and women, but I wanted to share some of them with you, because the pictures in this box I think represent America’s diversity, America’s strength.”
20 African American soldiers, 17 Hispanic soldiers, 5 women, he began as he shared the personal stories of each life lost.
“I could tell you the stories of all 253 of these individuals but I won’t. There are too many names, too many faces, to many dreams, hopes, lives and loves taken way too early from us. Too many spouses, family members, children and friends still missing them today.”
Reflect. Remember. Rededicate. Earn This. Make It Matter.
A small but solemn gathering marked the Flagler Beach Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 30, 2021 in Veteran’s Park.
While attendance was light, the impact of his words was heavy and Flagler Beach City Commissioner Jane Mealy struggled to read the chosen poem “Like Father, Like Son” and card sent on behalf of the Flagler Woman’s Club after Hertling’s keynote speech.
“This Memorial Day we pay tribute to the great men and women who sacrificed their lives in the name of our country. Each had their own story, no two alike, as we just heard, but they served as one to protect our great nation and our freedoms,” said Mealy, before Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson closed the ceremony with Taps.
A moving moment as Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson plays Taps to honor the fallen during the Flagler Beach Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 30, 2021 in Veteran’s Park.
“Like Father, Like Son” by Douglas McGuire
Tyler James was just a baby when his daddy died in Nam.
He was raised by a sister and a hard working mom.
He was raised to love his country, and every time he saw the flag.
He thought of his father, and how he gave all that he had.
When Tyler finished high school he found a good job.
He helped his mom and sister, because he knew that times were hard.
Little did they know the world was to change,
Yeah, buildings came down by men in hijacked planes.
Tyler hugged his mom and sister and headed out the door.
His country would respond, he knew there would be war.
He enlisted in the service, they made him a strong man, after basic training, he was sent to a foreign land.
Oh, he served with the bravest.
They were proud and they stood tall.
Some of them had fathers whose names are on the wall.
After many months of battle Tyler’s mother got the call,
Tyler James, her only son, took his final fall.
On a hillside in the country, now lies Tyler James.
And his mother spoke the words, engraved beneath his name.
HE WAS PROUD OF HIS COUNTRY HE WOULD FIGHT UNTIL WE WON.
HE WAS KILLED IN BATTLE, LIKE FATHER LIKE SON.
Tyler James was just a baby, when his daddy died in Nam.
A petting zoo offered up outdoor fun for families at the Flagler County Public Library's Summer Reading Program Kickoff "Tails and Tales" on Saturday.
Palm Coast, FL (May 29, 2021) – Kicking off summer with a bang, it was ‘Tails and Tales’ galore at the Flagler County Public Library on Saturday as families ready to shuck off the COVID malaise and enjoy time together, headed over the check it out.
It was full on fun for families at the Flagler County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program Kickoff “Tails and Tales” on Saturday.
Set up outdoors in the shade, families were greeted by youth services department staff, including Jessica Robayo, youth services librarian, who was overjoyed with the morning’s turnout.
“Ever since I became the youth services librarian last year I always wanted to do a big kickoff to set off the summer right and in theme with the summer reading theme, which is ‘Tails and Tales’ this year – animal tails and story tales, so I was like – why not being animals to the library?” she mused.
A petting zoo offered up outdoor fun for families at the Flagler County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program Kickoff “Tails and Tales” on Saturday.
A full on petting zoo with fluffy bunnies, a miniature horse, jumping goats and ducks with Mohawk haircuts kept the tiny tots in awe while the bigger kids tried their hands at tie dye t-shirts and other fun activities before grabbing Kona Ice.
Ready for some good, outdoor fun, mom Jacquie Blom led her family of five to each activity.
“We like everything – the petting zoo is awesome,” she said.
“This is the first big event besides the Touch-a-Truck event that we’ve been to, so it’s really good to see the community come out and see all the kids.”
Heading off around the library for a hopscotch adventure on the sidewalk obstacle course, mom Shantel Finn smiled as daughter Aubrey squealed with delight.
Shantel Finn and daughter Aubrey take off on the chalk obstacle course at the Flagler County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program Kickoff “Tails and Tales” on Saturday.
“We’re really excited. We’ve been here a few times to the events they’ve had but this is our first summer one,” said Finn. “We’ve been cooped up so we’re really enjoying this opportunity to get out and play and be around other kids. I know my daughter is really looking forward to being around other kids her age.”
The event kicked off the summer reading program and all of the free activities and programming is supported by the Friends of the Library group. Robayo has been a change agent for the youth program over the past year and a half, and helped breathe new life into the library’s youth department.
“I’m so happy we could do something for our families because it’s been so hard this year. This is more than I could ask for. My heart is full,” said Robayo, looking at all of the smiling faces.
Parents tried their hand at tye dye during the Flagler County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program Kickoff “Tails and Tales” on Saturday.
Other Summer Reading Program events include the following:
Magician Comedian Mark Alan, Tuesday, June 8 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.
Mosquito Control Nicole Graves “Fight the Bite” educational program, Tuesday, June 15 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.
Mad Science Interactive Assembly Program, Tuesday, June 22 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.
Didgeridoo Down Under high-energy Australia-themed that combines music, culture, and comedy, Tuesday, July 6 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.
Singer-songwriter “Mr. Richard” Peeples (pre-registration for this show is required), Tuesday, July 20 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens “Zoo to You” animals and artifacts that provide hands-on learning, Tuesday, August 3 at 9:30, 10:30, and 11:30 a.m. (note the change in show times)
Flagler Beach (Sunday, May 30th): Please join the City of Flagler Beach as we honor those that gave all protecting our great nation. This year’s Memorial Day remembrance ceremony will be held at Veterans Park on Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Veterans Park is located in downtown Flagler Beach, at the corner of SRA1A and SR100.
Palm Coast (Monday, May 31st): Join the City of Palm Coast for a Memorial Day Ceremony, “Remembering America’s Heroes,” on Monday, May 31 from 8 – 9 a.m. at Heroes Memorial Park, 2860 Palm Coast Parkway. Parking is available along Corporate Drive and at the Library. Special Guest: U.S. Congressman Michael Waltz.
Flagler County (Monday, May 31st): Join Flagler County at its Memorial Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, May 31, featuring Special Guest Speaker Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris, US Army (retired), Vietnam War Special Forces Veteran and Medal of Honor recipient. The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. in front of the Government Services Building, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell. Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will lead attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Flagler Beach (Monday, May 31st): “National Moment of Remembrance” at 3:00 p.m. The “Moment of Remembrance” was first proclaimed in May 2000 for Memorial Day that year, and was put in law by the United States Congress in December 2000. The Moment allows all Americans the opportunity to stop, remember and reflect in their own way on the sacrifices given by our brave Military members that lost their lives defending freedom.
