Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the newsmakers of the day – the winners and losers – who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life, or detracted from it, in some significant way.

Let’s look at who tried to screw us – and who tried to save us – during the week that was:

Angel               Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure

In many ways, the City of Daytona Beach has become a paradox – with contradictions and differences between existing neighborhoods, our core tourist area of the beachside, long-neglected Midtown, and the burgeoning “New Daytona” along Boomtown Boulevard east and west of I-95. 

For many who live and work on the beachside, hope continues to dwindle as our ‘powers that be’ seem content to take a piecemeal approach – throwing Chanel No. 5 on the tired old hog with a taxpayer supported restaurant here, the purchase of private property with public funds there, and still unrealized assurances of a Main Street renaissance – rather than present a comprehensive plan for revitalization and renewal.

For instance, we were promised the long-awaited $22 million East ISB overhaul would be underway this year – transforming our dilapidated gateway to The World’s Most Famous Beach – a goal that has been the fervent promise of every incoming chairperson of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce for decades.

Now, here it is August – and the only visible movement on the project is some unfinished utilities work that has destroyed the expensive landscaping at the intersection of ISB and Atlantic Avenue during the summer tourist season…  

Whatever.

In my view, this unfulfilled potential and chronic stagnation have left many feeling disheartened – reluctant to enter the byzantine maze of permits, hoops, and hurdles required for entrepreneurial investment in the Halifax area. 

Afterall, who wants to invest in infill and renovation, when it is so much easier to rezone and clearcut a piece of undeveloped pine scrub near shiny new “theme” communities and those massive sticks-and-glue apartment complexes on LPGA Boulevard?

Last week, in an excellent article by Charles Guarria writing in Hometown News Volusia, we learned that two bold investors – Andrew Podray and Cliff Grosvenor – are working to transform the former Daytona Mall property into something refreshingly unique at the challenged intersection of International Speedway Boulevard and Nova Road.

According to the report, “What became apparent at a recent neighborhood meeting inside one of Daytona Mall’s vacant stores is there are two businessmen who are maneuvering to upgrade the mall. One is Andrew Podray, the owner of Daytona Center LLC, who recently purchased the rest of the mall he did not own, and the other is Cliff Grosvenor.

Mr. Grosvenor doesn’t own any of the mall property, but he is leasing a large section of it to construct an aquarium. The Ponce Inlet resident is turning nearly all of the former Burlington store into the Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure.”

The desperately needed attraction will include interactive exhibits, educational programs, a café, arcade, and space for birthday parties.

According to Hometown News, Mr. Podray is seeking to have the remainder of the mall property rezoned by the City of Daytona Beach to allow for possible multi-family housing and a variety of commercial enterprises.

That sounds like a good plan – and a great start.  

Kudos to these two intrepid investors for taking a chance at the very heart of Daytona Beach!

We need more like them…

Asshole           Volusia County Council

Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower and Councilman Danny Robins have one thing in common:

They both think I don’t like them… 

The fact is, I don’t really know them. 

I had lunch once with Mr. Robins after he announced his candidacy, we’ve spoken on the phone a time or two, and exchanged texts on various issues.  Likewise, I enjoyed a lunch with Chairman Brower and one of his sons, we talk issues on occasion, and I spoke on his behalf at a campaign rally when he ran against former Council member Deb Denys in 2020. 

The fact is, I don’t know Robins or Brower well enough to dislike them. 

You may find this odd, but I still believe in the quaint and fading notion that well-intentioned people – including those elected to serve the public interest and blowhard critics like me – can disagree politically without hating one another.  

At least I hope we can…

As I get older (unbelievably, I’ll turn 63 on Monday) I don’t waste a lot of time worrying about whether people “like” me or not (only in retirement can one say that with complete authenticity) – and a friend of mine recently summed it up when they said, “Mark, Barker’s View is like the Walmart of blogs – everyone hates it, but they know they need it…” 

One thing I understand all too well is the political tactic of using contrived drama and interpersonal conflict as an effective means of derailing your opponent’s agenda…

Trust me.  You don’t need a Political Science degree from Georgetown – or a Ph.D. in Psychoanalytic Studies (although that would help) – to discern the level of dysfunction and internecine horseshit that continues to hamper the “people’s business” on the dais of power in DeLand – or the cheap political posturing and puffery designed to frustrate substantive change and ensure the status quo.

While I appreciate the fact that Mr. Robins frequently brings new ideas to the table (which range from the reasonable to the ridiculous) in a place not known for embracing innovative change – I happen to disagree with his infuriating political obstructionism, opportunistic self-promotion, and near-constant grandstanding (for the uninitiated, that’s kind of a theme around this blogsite…) 

In turn, Chairman Brower’s recurring Caspar Milquetoast impression has helped his “colleagues” on the dais paint him as horribly weak and ineffectual.

That political pushing and shoving goes with the territory, I suppose.

But it is divisive and unnecessary shit like Mr. Robins’ recent grammatical nightmare of a manifesto on drowning deaths that tells us all we need to know about why nothing of substance happens on the Volusia County Council…

Last Sunday morning, Chairman Brower, a former ocean lifeguard, posted a News-Journal article to his Facebook page detailing the fifth drowning death on Volusia County beaches this year under the apt caption, “Enough.” 

Brower’s post stirred a spirited debate amongst us Facebookians on how beach safety can be improved in an era when attracting and retaining qualified lifeguards is a difficult undertaking – especially when the starting pay for a part-time guard, who is expected to risk their lives recuing others from dangerous surf conditions, is just $15 an hour… 

According to a report on this most recent tempest in a teapot by The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“Robins took issue with Brower’s approach to the topic, writing that lifeguards have kept “drownings down” despite the shortage. He wrote that there have been five drownings so far this year, and 8 in 2022. Based on his numbers, which haven’t been independently verified, the county is averaging about 6 drownings a year since 2013.

“Although terrible and tremendously unfortunate, drownings have occurred. Your Volusia County Council has continued to provide record funding for our first responders overall and are ALWAYS striving to do better.

For an elected official to exploit and paint a false picture to the public, our businesses and local economy that our beach is inherently unsafe is simply LOW and UNTRUE.

Quite frankely, (sic) this is a pattern coming from the CENTER OF THE DIAS (sic) and is a SLAP IN FACE to the hard working men and women of Beach Safety and the lifeguards.”

(WTF?  Don’t council members have high-paid scribes on the county payroll to write this shit for them?)

Of course, Robins’ screed caused Mr. Brower to go on the defensive (anyone see a pattern there?), claiming that he was only attempting to bring attention to the chronic lifeguard shortage:

“Brower said he’s spoken with county leadership and plans to seek council support for a workshop on addressing issues such as lifeguard pay.

“It doesn’t need to be ugly, but I’m afraid somebody’s going to try and make it that way just for political purposes, but that’s on them if they do that,” Brower said.”

Look, social media spit-spats are one thing, but during the Volusia County Council meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Robins upped the ante by strategically shutting down Chairman Brower’s call for a public workshop to explore the serious issues plaguing Emergency Medical Services – to include recruitment and retention, response times, working conditions, and the horribly flawed deployment strategy that leaves overworked paramedics and EMT’s nowhere to recuperate, decontaminate, and resupply between calls for service.

Unfortunately, once again, the Council put politics over people when Mr. Robins made a motion to table the issue in favor of allowing County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald – on whose watch we got into this intractable mess – to “handle employee issues without interference from the council.”

Great… Once again, public safety falls to the sword of political posturing.

Unfortunately, this will get worse as we enter the silly season when three seats – including Chairman Brower, District 2 Councilman Matt Reinhart, and District 4 Councilman Troy Kent are up for grabs. 

In Volusia County – the more things change, the more they stay the same – because the puppeteers who manipulate the rods and strings on these malleable marionettes remain the same…  

I hope you will remember that at the ballot box in 2024 – and 2026…

Angel               Bethune-Cookman Alumnus Percy Williamson

I recently watched the moving documentary “Mary McLeod Bethune Goes to Washington” on an installment of the PBS series Florida Frontiers, a production of the Florida Historical Society.

The episode explored the fascinating history of the Mary McLeod Bethune statute – which now represents Florida in the United States Capitol – and memorialized Dr. Bethune’s enduring legacy to our nation and the world.   

The oral histories – told by those in the community who remember Dr. Bethune during her lifetime – and others who were instrumental in seeing the statute become a reality – including Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry and Ormond Beach philanthropist Nancy Lohman, resulted in an inspirational story that reminded me of the importance of Bethune-Cookman University to the life of our community.

Please find the episode here: https://tinyurl.com/5yvvszm8  

For a variety of reasons (not the least of which was gross mismanagement and personal greed by those with a fiduciary responsibility to students, alumni, faculty, and staff), B-CU has fallen on tough times – resulting in real threats to its accreditation, allegations of fiscal misconduct, massive debt, declining student enrollment, and a lack of stakeholder confidence, all resulting in dwindling fundraising.

Then came the highly publicized split between B-CU’s tumultuous “leadership” and the Mary McLeod Bethune National Alumni Association.  Following the long brewing separation last year, a News-Journal op/ed authored by Kevin L. Davis, a 1974 graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, heartbreakingly noted, “The state of the union of Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) is in tragic disarray…”

To their credit, the alumni association has long demanded an end to the malfeasance that has blemished the Board of Trustees resulting in a revolving door of presidents and senior officials.

Unfortunately, at a time when these mounting internal and external issues require an “all hands-on deck” approach – B-CU’s wayward Board of Trustees opted to file an incredibly expensive federal trademark infringement suit, essentially excommunicating the alumni association.

How petty.  And shortsighted…

According to a January 2022 report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “B-CU is demanding the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune National Alumni Association stop using the university’s name, logos and trademarks — as well as its founder’s name. The suit alleges the alumni group has nonetheless infringed on those trademarks and “falsely represents that it is associated with the university.”

In keeping with their mission, the alumni association remains committed to defending Dr. Bethune’s legacy – as legal fees continue to mount on both sides of the divide…  

This week, it was reported that Daytona Beach native Percy Williamson, an honors graduate of Bethune-Cookman University with a distinguished history of service in both the public and private sector, has formed Sustaining the Legacy Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit separate from the Mary McLeod Bethune National Alumni Association, dedicated to raising funds for the organizations legal bills so other donations can be used to support students.

To read more about the legal defense fund – or make a donation to this most worthwhile effort – please go to https://www.stl-legaldefense.com/ or contact Mr. Williamson at stldefensefund@gmail.com . 

Quote of the Week

“A business owner who transformed a historic building in a South Carolina redevelopment area into a brewery, taproom and restaurant is interested in taking over the Corbin building on Main Street.

Andrew Baumgartner, owner of Savage Craft Ale Works in West Columbia, S.C., was the lone responder to a Daytona Beach city government request for proposals for the large, city-owned structure.

Only city officials and Baumgartner know what’s proposed in a plan he sent on July 25. The documents won’t be available to the public until late August. The proposal could be unveiled sooner if the city decides before Aug. 25 that it wants to lock in an agreement with Baumgartner.”

–Reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Beachside could get new beer garden,” Tuesday, August 1, 2023

It appears the City of Daytona Beach’s growing business empire may be expanding with the addition of a brewpub in the taxpayer owned Corbin building on Main Street. 

According to reports, Savage Craft Ale Works was the sole respondent to a request for proposals to partner with the City of Daytona Beach to repurpose the property…  

The owner of the popular taproom and eatery located in West Columbia, South Carolina, will now negotiate terms with city officials to bring a craft brewery, restaurant, and live music venue to the 39,300-square-foot building at 777 Main Street that Daytona Beach residents purchased in March for $3.1 million. 

At that time, city officials envisioned a food pavilion housing a variety of dining and entertainment establishments all under one roof. 

Last week, I took a drive down Main Street and was shocked (not really) by the condition of some properties, many of which appeared dank, vacant, and uninviting. 

That includes a storefront in the 700 block, just southwest of the Corbin property, that has a series of tattered flags attached to the front (including the sad remains of a now desecrated American flag) that are so torn, frayed, and weather-beaten they add to the bleak appearance of blight and dilapidation the City of Daytona Beach has spent millions in Community Redevelopment Area funds to eliminate.  

Where did all that money go?

Never mind all that.  Now is the time for hope and happy talk – and the notion of CRA accountability and transparency just opens another ugly can of worms – and begs more questions, right?   

Right…

While it appears city officials are not interested in improving the appearance of Main Street to make it more attractive to entrepreneurial investment – they appear open to collaborating with Savage Craft Ale Works to see the popular establishment become a reality – including the option of selling the property, if necessary. 

Because everything remains hush-hush, there is no word yet on what, if any, “public incentives” are being considered to sweeten the pot…   

Stay tuned.

Given the fact several businesses, including the World’s Most Famous Brewery, the beachside’s first microbrewery owned and operated by the enterprising Tom Caffrey and Krista Goodrich, have enjoyed hard-earned success on Main Street – they were forced to do it the old-fashioned way: Through personal investment, navigating the bureaucratic steeplechase, and sweat equity. 

My hope is that the City of Daytona Beach will remember the pride and perseverance of those locally owned businesses who planted their flag on Main Street and stood firm – waiting patiently for the change we were all promised was coming – before skewing the playing field in favor of the newcomer on the block…

And Another Thing!

Wow.  What a difference a year makes, eh?   

One year ago – August 2, 2022 – during the heat and clamor of an election year, the majority of the Volusia County Council publicly humiliated Chairman Jeff Brower on contrived charges he “politicized” a planned public workshop to discuss the Florida Wildlife Corridor. 

(Sound familiar?)

The forum was designed to educate citizens by bringing together “…non-governmental organizations, members of the public, agencies, policy makers and local stakeholders to share information on the value of the corridor to people, wildlife and the economy.” 

For those joining us late, the Florida Wildlife Corridor carves out approximately 18-million acres of connected conservation lands and waters to allow displaced wildlife a means of traversing the sprawl of zero lot line cracker boxes and half-empty strip centers that continue to encroach on their shrinking habitat.

At that time, former Councilman Ben Johnson – in a choreographed political skit for the ages – bitterly fumed from the dais, accusing Brower of lying about the true nature of the workshop – portraying the educational forum as “a cheap political stunt” designed to promote a slate of candidates supported by Chairman Brower.

Of course, Mr. Johnson’s broadside was quickly supported on all flanks by Councilman Danny Robins, along with former Council member’s Billie Wheeler and Fred Lowry, who took turns cutting into Brower (and former Council Member Heather Post) with a ferocity and faux indignation that demonstrated to their political overseers they were earning their keep during an important election season.

West Volusia Beacon reporter Al Everson later described the orchestrated political hitjob as a “…fierce, raucous, verbal brawl.”

In his usual tepid defense, Brower said, “It was not a political move to hurt anybody on this council. It’s what I wrote in that sentence: I want the public to know where we stand. The public deserves to know where we stand on preserving land or not, and you can try every single meeting to squash this. It doesn’t need to be squashed.”

Yet, squashed it was…

In my view, that entire ugly chapter in an even uglier period of foot-dragging on environmental and development issues was just as Mr. Johnson said – a cheap political stunt – but one perpetrated by Volusia’s Old Guard, carefully designed to further the evisceration of Chairman Brower.

Along with the marginalization of any candidate who supported tightening the reins on the malignant overdevelopment that has now metastasized across the width and breadth of Volusia County… 

At the end of the day, the entrenched insiders got what they wanted all along – a perennially ill-informed electorate – as the wildlife corridor workshop, with some two hundred people already registered to attend, was “postponed” indefinitely.

As history now reflects, the 2022 election fell just as the Big Money players ensured it would…

Remember?  I do.

On Tuesday, the bulk of our “new” Volusia County Council (who I’m sure, will now nominate themselves for the John Muir Award for Political Douchebaggery) did the very least they could in voting to allow staff to seek a federal grant opportunity to purchase lands that would bridge gaps in the wildlife corridor.

In a report by Sierra Williams writing in the Ormond Beach Observer we learned, “The County Council voted 5-0 to partner with the Alachua Conservation Trust as the trust applies for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.”

Apparently, Councilmen Jake Johansson and Don Dempsey had better things to do…

It was explained by our new Community Services Director Brad Burbaugh, that the program is “…essentially a co-investment of federal dollars in our local program.”

According to the Observer:

“The trust worked with Volusia Forever staff to develop the “Lake to Lagoon” partnership proposal for the RCPP grant. Tom Kay, an executive director with the trust, said the trust can apply for a grant of up to $25 million.

If awarded, the funding can be used to buy conservation land and conservation easements from landowners, he said.

The county would need to commit to a local match of $25 million, spread over the next five years, for the $25 million grant.

Kay said the county has lined up $5 million of the match from smaller, local conservation organizations.

The $20 million the county would commit as a match would stay in the county and would come from Volusia Forever’s dedicated ad valorem revenue and reserves.”

Regardless of your thoughts on the merits of Volusia Forever – we live in an age where paving over a threatened species, or cutting them in half with heavy equipment, has become the cost of doing business. 

Now, gopher tortoises, black bears, whitetail deer, and other species have lost out to the voracious greed of speculative developers who hold the political paper on the souls of the craven politicians who facilitate it.

To ameliorate their guilt and mitigate any political damage – the same elected officials who rubberstamp land use changes and literally pave the way for more “planned unit developments” and industrial warehouses that interface with residential neighborhoods, pouring traffic onto already congested roadways – beat their chest and crow about these “wildlife corridors,” narrow patches of contiguous natural space that allow wild animals a chance to run, fly, or swim from the vice-like growth that is rapidly destroying their last remaining habitat in the perverse name of “progress.”

Sad.

In my view, the real credit in this ongoing fight goes to those committed local environmentalists, people like Suzanne Schrieber and Dream Green Volusia – who, despite watching more of our greenspace sacrificed each day on the altar of greed – keep the faith and hold firm to the belief that our quality of life depends upon the visionary conservation of our natural places for future generations. 

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

_________________________________

I’m taking a short pause of the cause next week.

In the interim, please feel free to peruse the voluminous archives at the bottom of this page.  As I like to say, it is amazing how the more things change, the more they remain the same here on Florida’s fabled “Fun Coast.” 

As always, whether we agree or disagree on the issues we collectively face, thanks so much for reading. 

See you soon!

MDB