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:

Asshole           Volusia County Council

I’m often asked what device I use to winnow the angels from assholes each week – who makes the cut and why. 

Let’s just say, here on Florida’s fabled “Fun Coast,” one needn’t look too deep into the fetid slit-trench that passes for “politics” to find either – especially when it comes to the decades-long struggle to preserve (and return) our century-old tradition of beach access and driving.

On Tuesday evening, Volusia County residents got another shocking look at the depths to which some mealy-mouthed political tools will go to serve their unseen masters – while marginalizing a “colleague” who brought forth serious citizen concerns – seeking nothing more than to further the discussion of a horribly failed “economic development” policy that has hamstrung businesses in our core tourist area for decades. 

Recently, the beleaguered Main Street Merchants Association – who, along with what remains of Boardwalk businesses, have suffered mightily from the devastating economic impacts of removing beach driving between East International Speedway Boulevard and Auditorium Boulevard – approached Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower for help.   

According to estimates, Main Street businesses suffered a 50% decrease in revenue the first summer cars were taken off the beach. 

In turn, Chairman Brower asked County Attorney Michael Dyer for direction on how to open a dialog that could result in a plan for resolving the myriad federal, state, and local roadblocks to restoring vehicular access to the area.

According to Chairman Brower, Mr. Dyer explained that the item should be put on the Council agenda. 

So, he did. 

In a report last week by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned:

“The County Council voted in 1996 to take away beach driving when a certain amount of parking became available. Beach driving ended in this stretch in March 2000 when 1,500 parking spaces opened at the Ocean Center.

“When we closed that down, it just killed the beachside businesses there because the people stopped coming. That was a very popular beach with locals and also tourists,” said Council Chairman Jeff Brower, who is proposing the reopening of the beach.

The area begins just south of the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and includes the boardwalk and pier.”

Accompanying the agenda item was a lengthy staff report explaining the various hoops Volusia County will be required to clear – along with a rehash of the 1996 ordinance that removed vehicles from that section of the strand:

“The current state law allows removal of beach driving from sections where it was previously authorized but does not provide authority to restore beach driving. At a minimum, the action would require enactment of a special law allowing the Council to restore beach driving to that section of the beach. In addition to seeking a change to state law, the decision to convert a non-driving section of the beach to a driving section of the beach involves other legal issues, such as any needed amendment to the federal permit, customary use, and any outstanding contractual commitments. Each section of the beach is unique as to those issues and requires review.”

Almost immediately, Volusia’s “Old Guard” – those ossified dinosaurs who have successfully maintained the stagnant status quo for decades – circled the wagons and began huffing and puffing about the potential loss of what is in practicality an inaccessible private beach for a few Daytona Beach Resort Area hotels. 

Leading the charge to keep cars off the beach was Bob Davis, the fossilized president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County, who rallied a few of his members to write emails to council members crowing the same tired arguments they used to remove beach driving in the first place – heavy on fear mongering and completely devoid of solutions or suggestions for saving their struggling neighbors.      

With Councilman David “No Show” Santiago conspicuously absent for the umpteenth time since taking office – the even number remaining on the dais set the stage for some classic political theatrics – complete with the usual disingenuous exasperation of Councilman Jake Johansson and the hyper-dramatic histrionics of Danny Robins. 

It also included a surprising – and incredibly smart – chess move played to perfection by Councilman Troy Kent, a parliamentary strategy that may see the all-but-dead issue brought back for another vote… 

During what passed for “discussion,” Councilman Jake Johansson feigning confusion of the central economic issues surrounding the “third rail of Volusia County politics,” claimed Brower’s simple request to discuss this age-old debate required more “homework.”

According to a News-Journal report:

“Johansson said he didn’t have much time to talk to people about the issue after it was placed on the agenda. He said he received many emails from hoteliers in opposition. He also questioned the timing of the decision. Restoring beach driving in that area would require action from the state.

“Maybe it isn’t the right time to talk to the state about getting driving back on the beach when we have other things that are important that we need to discuss with the state and resolve,” Johansson said. “I’ve seen that asking the state for too many things at once means you get none, so I’m a little conflicted right now on the timing of this.”

Inexplicably, Johansson questioned why Brower would place the item on the agenda in the first place, lecturing that retuning beach driving didn’t fit within the narrow confines of some obscure “council goals” – arrogantly dismissing the cries for help from Main Street merchants hanging on by their fingernails with classic political procrastination, asserting he still needs to hear from the irrelevant Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce who has sat quiet for years, before deciding whether or not to allow county staff to merely research the requirements.

Yet, Mr. Johansson “needs more time…”?

Bizarre. 

In turn, the other two stooges that comprise the Council’s East Volusia Confederacy of Dunces – Councilmen Danny Robins and Matt Reinhart – worked in concert to block the discussion of the issue – with Robins’ employing his patented “gaslighting” technique – a political modus operandi that includes lobbing allegations and accusations at Chairman Brower, questioning the motivations of anyone who disagrees with him, engaging in political theater while accusing Brower of the same, then swelling up like a poison toad and arguing the minutia of “process.”   

During his rambling diatribe, Councilman Robins saw fit to denigrate the City of Daytona Beach, just to prove the Main Street Merchants Association wrong… 

Not surprisingly, Councilman Reinhart – whose district covers the area of the beach in question – “echoed” the detached sentiments of Johansson, claiming he “…didn’t have a lot of time to look into it.” 

Say what? 

Like the rest of us, Mr. Reinhart has had nearly thirty-years to form an opinion…

I find it disturbingly coincidental how Robins, Reinhart, and Johansson are in lockstep agreement – completely sympatico when defecating on every issue that Chairman Brower (and his longsuffering constituents) find important to the future of Volusia County.

Why is that?

To their immense credit, Council members Troy Kent and Don Dempsey both agreed to support moving the discussion forward – each recalling times when they enjoyed the beach with family, commiserating with struggling beachside businessowners, keeping an open mind, and recognizing the give-and-take that comes with political compromise – and the importance of honest negotiation to the effectiveness of an elected body.

Unfortunately, it was painfully clear how the vote would progress – a 3-3 tie – that would effectively kill any further discussion of this important economic development issue – or potentially reverse a decades-old mistake that has contributed to the economic decline of our core tourist area while benefitting a few hoteliers and beachfront developers.

To his credit, Councilman Troy Kent employed a parliamentary strategy that will allow the matter to be revisited when/if Mr. Santiago finds his way back to the council chamber… 

As I understand it (and I’m not sure I do) by voting “No” to deny the measure – Mr. Kent landed on the prevailing side of the issue – which, pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order, will allow him to later make a motion to reconsider the vote when the full council is seated. 

Smart move.  

Watch for yourself here: https://tinyurl.com/3z9k7hu4  (The item begins at 1:42:18)

In my view, it was (once again) Volusia County politics at its worst – an issue of great civic importance, advanced by taxpayers and businessowners trying desperately to seek help from those they elected to represent their interests – only to be caught up the internecine political shitshow that demands certain sitting politicians block, marginalize, and vilify anything Chairman Brower tries to accomplish.

Even an exploratory discussion of a long-standing civic divide. 

Unfortunately, the Main Street Merchant’s Association learned a disturbing lesson this week – when it comes to Volusia County politics, you’re either on the inside, or you are shit out of luck… 

Vote like your quality of life and livelihood depends upon it.

Angel               Ormond Beach and Flagler County

Professional actors and attorneys have a lot in common.     

Just like show business, good lawyers – those at the top of their game, the most dramaturgic – will plumb the depts of their artistic talents to give you both the performance and the legal satisfaction you demand.

In either case, from A-list actors to top-shelf legal talent, it’s going to cost you… 

The explosive feud between the City of Ormond Beach and Flagler County that popped quite suddenly last fall was preliminarily settled last week following an unprecedented – and by all accounts highly theatrical – confab between the City Commission and Flagler County Council over a disputed portion of a rutted dirt road that traverses both jurisdictions known as “40 Grade.” 

According to an excellent report in FlaglerLive! we learned that the exaggerated melodramatics performed by the attorneys representing the city and county didn’t disappoint:

“The two attorneys started off an unprecedented meeting of the two government boards Thursday evening at Ormond Beach City Hall with what Shepard would later describe as a round of “chest-beating” in the legal dispute about a county easement over a 1,750-foot portion of dirt road that crosses into Ormond Beach, and to which the county had no right. The language was sharp, accusatory, and legally threatening on both sides. Yet by the end of the meeting, the two sides were lobbing so much gallantry at each other, it was probably wise that an eight-foot gutter divided the two sets of mutually-smitten officials.”

In my view, the real fear was that Flagler County would eventually improve the road and connect to the already congested State Road 40, something of grave concern to existing Ormond Beach residents, considering the specter of the 10,000 home Avalon Park in Daytona Beach and Palm Coast Realtor/Mayor David Alfin’s aggressive growth at all cost strategy to the north. 

Others believe the issue remains water.

Access to drinking water in this age of greed-fueled overdevelopment is becoming the gravest issue of our time, and Ormond Beach had previously sought a special use easement from Flagler County to place wells near 40 Grade. 

There was also the unresolved issue of U.S. Capital Alliance, the developer of Hunter’s Ridge, a “Development of Regional Impact,” who Ormond Beach officials claimed have failed to grant some 300 acres of conservation lands to the city since 1991, and in 2017, issued an easement to Flagler County for 40 Grade.

So, last year, the City of Ormond Beach – seemingly out of the blue – slapped Flagler County and Hunter’s Ridge with a noncompliance ruling and lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. 

At the time, Flagler County believed the issue could be resolved at the negotiating table – while Ormond Beach dug in its heels and prepared for a protracted (and expensive) legal fight – which brings us to last week’s unusual tête-à-tête…

According to FlaglerLive!, when the peacocking, posturing, a face-saving was complete, all sides found a way to play nice going forward, hopefully avoiding further intergovernmental animosity:

“County Commissioner Leann Pennington got assurances that the emergency use of the road by local residents would be preserved. Commissioner Donald O’Brien assured Ormond Beach that all matters of sovereignty “resonates with me as as a commissioner on our side.” Ormond Beach commissioners suggested the use of surveillance cameras to cut down on illegal hunters’ use of the road, or other illegal uses of the road. The city was all for granting the 60-foot easement and allowing the shelling–of the road, not of each other–to continue. A lawyer representing Alliance was, once one got past the contorted legalese, similarly agreeable. At Commissioner Andy Dance’s suggestion, the two governments also agreed to split survey costs.”

Oh, well.

As that great thespian William Shakespeare said, “All’s well that ends well…”

I suppose.

Unfortunately, the fate of other rapidly diminishing undeveloped areas that buffer the interface between area municipalities, and cushion the massive sprawl that threatens the quality of life of existing residents, remains to be seen… 

Angel               News-Journal Reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean

From the ‘painfully obvious’ column – I’m not a journalist. 

On good days, a dilettante editorialist – at my worst, a blowhard with internet access – just another hapless rube wandering the wilderness of what passes for “Fun Coast” politics, spewing my jaundiced views on the news and newsmakers of the day…

During my productive life in public service, I had the opportunity to work with many outstanding professional journalists in the print and electronic media who – with time and trust – became important partners in pushing quality information to the public. 

As good watchdogs should, those same reporters took me to task when I made a mistake… 

That comes with the territory, and in retrospect, most of the public drubbings I took in the press were well deserved…     

Now, as a voracious consumer of the news – and a long-suffering taxpayer – I understand the importance of local journalism to the external oversight of government, especially in an age when much of what oozes out of the cloistered halls of power is carefully crafted and canned by public mouthpieces.

For the past 22-years, through thick and thin, Eileen Zaffiro-Kean has brought the stories that matter to Volusia County residents with her clear, concise, and insightful reportage – and this week her significant contributions were highlighted by the newspaper she has served so well. 

As one of the last remaining old-school investigative journalists writing for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Eileen’s unique coverage has shined a bright light on some of the most pressing stories of our time – digging deep and going over, under, around, and through the bureaucratic barriers that government officials erect to avoid pointed questions – to expose the uncomfortable truths that impact our lives and livelihoods.

Trust me.  We need more of that dying art around these parts…

In 2017, Eileen published her extraordinary exposé – “Tarnished Jewel – Daytona’s Troubled Beachside” – the News-Journal’s autopsy of the festering remains of the Halifax area’s troubled core tourist area – the chronic homelessness, blight, dilapidation, commercial and residential vacancies, crumbling façades, abject greed, and the mismanagement of critical redevelopment funds, a story that shocked the conscience of residents and civic leaders alike. 

Now, those who control the smart money have turned their backs to the east in favor of the blank canvas to the west – developing thousands of new homes, up-scale shopping areas, and amenities along Boomtown Boulevard – neglecting the challenges (and potential) of the beleaguered beachside.

In my view, the quality of that extraordinary examination of the multifaceted issues facing our “Tarnished Jewel” was worthy of the Pulitzer Prize – a tragic and infinitely fascinating story that desperately needed to be told.

In the aftermath, the News-Journal hosted a town hall attended by over 200 concerned citizens and businessowners – a long-needed kick in the pants that many believe was the impetus for the embryonic progress beachside residents have experienced in recent years.

But more remains to be done.

In my view, what we must never forget is that our identity – our draw – will always remain “The World’s Most Famous Beach,” and we ignore that reality at our collective peril.

The Daytona Beach Resort Area remains a Tale of Two Cities – two markedly different places – one dilapidated, neglected, and subject to the ravages of time and tide.  The other shiny and new – “theme” communities and publicly subsidized shopping centers – or as Charles Woodyard, the CEO of the Daytona Beach Housing Authority, recently described it in the News-Journal, “…varying levels of affluence and deterioration.”

This week, Eileen Zaffiro-Kean turned her curious eye to the entrenched civic, social, and economic challenges that continue to plague the Midtown neighborhood of Daytona Beach:

“Throughout its 125-year existence, the historically Black Midtown neighborhood has battled crippling poverty, racism and dilapidation. It’s a community deeply scarred by segregation, neglect, chronic crime, devastating flooding and a concentration of public housing. It’s a pocket of Daytona Beach that would be easy to give up on, but the Daytona Beach Housing Authority is launching an effort that may funnel tens of millions of dollars in new funding into the neighborhood, and finally bring real changes that extend beyond a City Hall discussion or a colorful master plan rendering.”

Thanks to the leadership of the Daytona Beach City Commission, City Manager Derek Feacher, and the Daytona Beach Housing Authority – with the assistance of various state and federal agencies – to include Bethune-Cookman University, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Housing and Urban Development – there is hope for the revitalization of Midtown and beyond.

According to Eileen’s informative report, a “master plan” for Midtown’s redevelopment will be completed next year and submitted to HUD in 2026, along with a grant application requesting up to $50 million in federal funds. 

“If the money does come to Daytona Beach, Woodyard will try to leverage that to attract another $200 million in state government dollars, private investment and tax credit equity.”

I’m normally cool to “public/private” partnerships and tax supported “incentives,” but correcting the historical civic neglect facing Midtown will require all available resources.

To that end, City Manager Feacher envisions a holistic approach to the problems of Midtown, which will include infrastructure upgrades based upon the findings of a flood mitigation study conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.   

“None of this does any good if the neighborhood still floods,” Feacher said.”

Please begin Eileen’s outstanding coverage here: https://tinyurl.com/mw5rc2fr

In my view, it is one thing when local government does important things in service to those who need it most – but how that good work is communicated to the public build’s community confidence, sparks enthusiasm, and leads to stakeholder buy-in – something that rarely comes from a canned “press release” formulated by a municipal mouthpiece…   

That is the importance of local journalism – and those resolute professionals like Eileen Zaffiro-Kean who practice it with their heart, soul, and wonderfully inquisitive minds.

Quote of the Week

“Students go to school for the same reason teachers teach: to learn the lessons that will give them a foundation for life’s success. They can’t learn in a combat zone. Our consistently low proficiency scores, that have hovered at or near 50% in both English and math for decades, prove the point.

The Volusia County Schools Code of Student Conduct is 25 pages long. None of it means anything if it isn’t enforced. One school board member shrugged off a workshop proposal about dress codes, saying simply, “The principals won’t do that.”

That isn’t okay. The board’s job is to set policy. The administration’s job is to implement and enforce those policies. If they refuse or otherwise fail, it’s the board’s job to follow through with repercussions for that failure.”

–Donna Brosemer, candidate for Volusia County School Board District 4, as excerpted from her “My View” op/ed in the Ormond Beach Observer, “We need to enforce classroom discipline at Volusia County Schools,” Thursday, May 16, 2024

In complete transparency, although we’ve never met, Ms. Brosemer and I are frequent pen pals on social media. 

As a chronic complainer and hypocritical finger-pointer, I frequently speak issues with candidates, our “movers & shakers,” insiders, bureaucrats, political operatives, people on the next barstool, neighbors over the electronic fence, and sitting elected officials – some of whom I consider unlikely friends despite our often-adversarial relationship.     

However, I stop short of “endorsing” candidates for public office.  As I see it, that’s not “Barker the Bitcher’s” narrowly defined role as a Quixotic crank and committed gadfly… 

Besides, what kind of presumptuous asshole would tell someone for whom to cast their sacred vote? 

(Wait.  Hold that thought for later in the campaign season when various partisan hacks and factions start publishing those stilted “voter guides” for those who are too distracted, disinterested, or disengaged to do their homework…)   

That said, I find Ms. Brosmer to be bright, accomplished, and enthusiastic – well-worth a look, considering her incumbent competition…

I agree with the premise of her well-executed essay – children cannot learn inside the “Thunderdome” – and vulnerable teachers and staff should not be subjected to the physical, verbal, and psychological abuse of their completely ungovernable students, and it is time those in a position to craft and enact public policy do something about it.       

It’s no secret the Volusia County School Board has lost all credibility with those it exists to serve – now considered a rudderless ship of fools – kicking critical issues down the dusty political trail, cluelessly blundering from one high-profile gaffe to another, the tail constantly wagging the dog, while ignoring the voices of anyone outside the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand.

That’s nothing new in Volusia County governance, where those we elect to represent our interests are quickly taken into the bureaucratic maw – fashioned into the dull implements of senior administrators – and become everything they hated when they ran for office…

Sound familiar?

In my view, now we must consider what example our elected officials are setting for students?

Some developmental psychologists suggest children are like mirrors – reflecting the values, behaviors, mores, habits, language, and mannerisms of those around them – a potent mechanism of learning, emotional development, and social adaptation. 

Unfortunately, the same is true when impressionable minds experience chaos, confusion, and abnormal behavior from authority figures.

In recent months, students and stakeholders have bravely appeared before the Volusia County School Board to express their serious concerns of maladministration following the horrible mismanagement of federal Covid relief funds, a onetime windfall that was somehow used for recurring expenses – including personnel costs – resulting in a multi-million-dollar deficit, teacher displacement, and the loss of important educational opportunities and enrichment programs. 

A disaster of epic proportion…

To make matters worse, embattled Superintendent Carmen Balgobin recently shut down a speaker at a school board meeting who questioned why she refuses to pay attention during citizen participation in public meetings.   

As Superintendent Balgobin abruptly interrupted – she ordered Chairwoman Jamie Haynes to reread aloud the school boards policy on personal attacks (it wasn’t a personal attack – merely an observation of the Superintendent’s unprofessional conduct) – yet, Chairman Hayes immediately hopped to like a trained seal and did exactly as she was told by the boss – reciting the policy like the good stooge she is, while Balgobin went back to conspicuously playing on her phone…

I don’t make this shit up, folks.   

Watch for yourself here: https://tinyurl.com/ptzsbmxr – the ugliness begins at 5:07:30.

Incredibly, not one sitting elected official rose to defend Ms. Haynes, call Superintendent Balgobin out for her grossly insubordinate behavior to the Chair, or address her utter rudeness to a member of the public – a condescending power move that denigrated the speaker, Chairwoman Haynes, and the Volusia County School Board.  

In my view, Balgobin’s abject arrogance telegraphs to everyone watching – including impressionable students – that there is no accountability in Volusia County Schools – and no legitimacy to the school board’s sworn oversight responsibility. 

I suggest all voters in Volusia County take the time to ask each incumbent and candidate for the Volusia County School Board how they plan to address the “Balgobin issue” during this important campaign season…

And Another Thing!  

In the constantly evolving mosaic of Volusia County municipalities, more times than not, the City of New Smyrna Beach gets it right…

I know – the quaint community faces many of the same issues as the rest of us – gross overdevelopment, flooding, overstressed transportation and utilities infrastructure, and the blessing and curse of overcrowding from summertime invaders from throughout Central Florida and beyond, yet somehow manages to keep its allure as Volusia’s quintessential beach town.  

Whenever I’m down that way, I like to take a seat on the rooftop bar at Avanu on beautiful Flagler Avenue – the perfect perch overlooking beachside New Smyrna – which reminds me a lot of places I enjoy spending time, like Savannah, Charleston, and the Florida Keys – quaint destinations that have worked hard to retain their unique charm.  

Unlike the political subterfuge that clouded the Lost City of Deltona’s shambolic search for a new city manager – as Khalid Resheidat prepares to retire in August, New Smyrna followed a smart and well-planned process, led by a recognized headhunter, Strategic Government Resources, Inc., – an effort which ultimately provided the City Commission with thirteen seemingly well-qualified semifinalists. 

Even with everything in place, sometimes major red flags slip through the cracks…

As of last week, Jeff Mihelich, who held the position in Bozeman, Montana, from 2020 until March 2024, was named the frontrunner in New Smyrna. 

What followed was a study of the dichotomy between how potential civic leaders presents themselves in resumés and stilted interviews – and how they conduct themselves when they believe no one is watching… 

In February, the Bozeman City Commission placed Mihelich on paid leave after he was caught making disparaging comments about the city’s new Mayor Terry Cunningham and residents of the community during a recorded office gossip session following a video meeting with city staff.  

Mr. Mihelich resigned in early March – which ultimately led him to New Smyrna’s short list.

According to a report by Brenno Carillo writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“When Doug Thomas, Strategic Government Resources, Inc.’s executive vice president, reintroduced Mihelich’s name during his presentation at Thursday night’s City Commission meeting, Vice Mayor Valli Perrine raised her concern about the incident.

“When I heard the video, I was very disappointed,” she said, adding that his was in fact the strongest resume. “For transparency, I wouldn’t trust somebody like that to ever work with him. So I don’t want to waste his time, because I can’t get past the things he said.”

Good for Vice Mayor Perrine.

Regardless, it now appears the citizens of New Smyrna Beach dodged the proverbial bullet. 

During my three-decades in municipal government, I worked for some of the best – and worst – city managers in the known solar system…

From that vantagepoint, vetting and selecting the senior executive is perhaps the most crucial decision an elected body will undertake – a virtually omnipotent position that, by city or county charter, has operational and administrative control of all governmental functions and essential services. 

In a council/manager form of government, We, The Little People, elect the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker to serve on a council or commission – who collectively appoint a manager with strong managerial and organizational skills to run the day-to-day operations of government, approve budget allocations, oversee the various departments, and carryout the policy decisions of the elected body.

It’s a hard dollar, but most do a fine job serving multiple masters while bringing economic and civic progress to their communities.

The system also insulates career civil servants who provide services to the community from the politically motivated nature of elected officials who are normally prohibited by charter from interfering with public employees and operations.

That’s important.

But any system that places such enormous power in the hands of one person – a virtual demigod who also controls the all-important flow of information to the elected officials (and residents) – requires close checks and balances.

That begins with painstaking due diligence when filling the role… 

In many instances, the search criteria for local governments is limited to reviewing qualifications, interviews conducted behind closed doors, a public grip-n-grin, naming a finalist, then negotiating the enormous salary, conditions, perquisites, and “Golden Parachutes” that are now de ri​gueur for senior management.

A process that is rarely more than examining a brief, often unrepresentative glimpse of a career based upon material submitted by the candidate themselves – with little emphasis on their cognitive skills, management style, temperament, written and interpersonal communications, peer reviews, formal background investigation, or other personal and professional evaluations that would allow a more comprehensive assessment of a prospective leader with the potential to advance – or destroy – a community.    

If you live in New Smyrna and care about the distinctive character of your community – ask questions and demand answers. 

This one’s important.

Kudos to the New Smyrna Beach City Commission for their thoughtful and reasoned approach to the Mihelich revelation.  Now, here’s hoping the vetting process will find a suitable match for this unique place – one of the last vestiges of Old Florida on the east coast. 

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

(Angels & Assholes will be on hiatus next week as Barker’s View takes a short pause.  I find it interesting to look back at what has changed – and what’s remained the same – here on this salty piece of land we call home.  If you are so inclined, while we take a break, please enjoy a look back at the extensive archive located at the bottom of this page.  Thanks for reading.  A&A will return soon.)

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               The Chief Tomokie Preservation Group

When I was a little kid growing up in a vastly different Ormond Beach, a big day was enjoying a family picnic under the majestic oaks surrounding the Chief Tomokie statue at beautiful Tomoka State Park.  

I remember gazing up at the anatomically correct Indians, bowstrings taught, shooting arrows at the Chief as he stood proud, bravely pouring water over his attackers from a golden goblet with spear raised high.

The Chief looked like a giant atop the high ground, standing tall over a reflecting pool at the foot of the sculpture’s coquina base.

Now, he looks like a broken mess – the pool long-dry – and on stormy nights along the Tomoka Basin, what remains of Tomokie’s crumbling fist can be seen in the flashes of lightning, rising above the dark forest canopy in defiant resistance…

According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer, the 45-foot statue was erected in 1955 by acclaimed American sculptor Frederick Dana Marsh on the site of an ancient Timucuan village known as “Nocoroco.” 

“The statue depicts the “Legend of Tomokie,” based on a fictional account of a mythical tribe. The legend says Tomokie’s tribe turned on him for the sacrilege of drinking the Water of Life from the Sacred Cup.”

As I understand the folktale, there was an artesian spring flowing near the village – a sacred place where the tribe believed the Great Spirit came each day to have a cool drink – the dew that dripped from his wings imbuing the waters with curative powers.

Dismissive of tribal lore, Chief Tomokie boldly drank from the source, desecrating the hallowed elixir, and an internecine war ensued amongst the Timucua. After taking the waters, Chief Tomokie seemed invincible – its restorative powers making him immune to the many arrows the warriors shot at him.   

Then, Oleeta, a beautiful Timucuan maiden, sprang forth, took careful aim, and pierced Tomokie’s calloused old heart with a well-placed arrow…

I don’t know about you, but I’m a superstitious old fool. 

I believe in the power of legend, myth, and storytelling – those historical fables and symbols that can teach valuable lessons to those willing to listen.  On occasion, I travel to the West Volusia community of Cassadaga – the bucolic spiritualist camp now celebrating its 130^th anniversary as the “Psychic Capital of the World” – to speak with mediums and psychics, or just sit on a bench and take in the tranquil vibe of that quaint and incredibly friendly community.

In my view, the “Legend of Tomokie” serves as a powerful metaphor for how modern-day leaders – like that arrogant Chief of yore – continue to defile and sacrifice our own sacred “Water of Life” on the altar of greed…     

Given the near constant political sleight-of-hand and self-serving schemes we face here on the “Fun Coast,” I think ‘ol Chief Tomokie took the ass after watching us indiscriminately violate the land his people once inhabited – where they lived in complete harmony with the lifegiving natural processes – to make room for more, more, more 3/2 cracker boxes and half-empty strip centers – then allowed his legendary monument to be desecrated and destroyed by time, elements, and vandals… 

As a result, “The Curse of Chief Tomokie” has doomed current inhabitants of Volusia County to wretchedly poor governance and a dearth of upscale grocery stores for the next thousand years…

Regardless, the dilapidated statute now serves as a stark reminder for visitors to Tomoka State Park about what our ‘powers that be’ in the Florida legislature find important, and what they do not, when preparing the state budget… 

Now, a dedicated group of residents and historians known as the Chief Tomokie Preservation Group is working hard to save this important piece of public art by having it listed on a statewide historic preservation list. 

According to the Observer’s report:

“The Chief Tomokie Preservation Group is aiming to have the statue placed on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s “11 to Save” program for 2024 — and the group is soliciting letters of support from the community. Every year, the organization picks 11 threatened historic places in the state and highlights them with the mission to inspire communities to preserve them. While no funding accompanies the designation, being on the list helps with applying for grants that could fund preservation efforts.”

To his credit, earlier this month, Commissioner Harold Briley successfully urged his colleagues on the Ormond Beach City Commission to issue an official letter of support to the Florida Trust.

That’s a good start. 

Here’s hoping the Volusia County legislative delegation will hear our collective voice and finally break Tomokie’s ancient curse by allocating funds for the restoration of this important Ormond Beach landmark.   

Please mail letters of support to Bill Partington II at ahc_locksmith@hotmail.com or mail them to 54 West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, Florida 32174.

Asshole           The Tightlipped County of Volusia

“Build it and they will come?”

Earlier this week, The Daytona Beach News-Journal aptly turned that classic line from Field of Dreams into a perplexing question to tease business editor Clayton Park’s excellent explainer on why public land is currently being cleared at Daytona “International” Airport.

What?  Nobody you elected to represent your interests in the cloistered Halls of Power at Volusia County government told you?   

Me neither… 

Because I have too much time on my hands, I went back months and perused “news releases” from Volusia County’s Community Misinformation Division and Daytona “International” Airport and couldn’t find peep about why the bulldozers are roaring. 

In an article that best exemplified the importance of local journalism, Clayton Park reported that land clearing operations along the Bellevue Avenue Extension at DIA will prepare “…hundreds of acres of unused land the airport owns south of its runways and taxiways for potential future aviation/airline-related commercial development, according to Cyrus Callum, Volusia County’s director of economic and aviation resources.”

Well, it appears Volusia County taxpayers are, once again, in the speculative commercial real estate business – whether we like it or not… 

Three years ago, when our elected officials and economic development shills were still referring to the worst kept secret in town as “Project Tarpon” – there was speculation that the Amazon robotic warehouse near DIA would spawn industrial parks both on and off airport property to accommodate ancillary businesses supporting the e-commerce operation.

That included the possibility of our airport becoming a Florida “air support center” for Amazon. 

In a 2021 News-Journal piece, Mr. Park reported that Volusia County economic development officials have wanted to build an industrial park on airport property for over 15-years, however:

“That proposed business park was never built,” said Phil Ehlinger, a retired longtime economic development staffer for the county whose stint included serving as economic development director from 2009 to 2012.

“I know exactly why the industrial park never got developed,” he said last week. “Consolidated-Tomoka (now known as CTO Realty Growth) and the city of Daytona Beach objected to it on the basis that the county was going to compete with private landowners.”

I guess with initial opposition tamped down and anxious residents resigned to the Amazon fulfillment center, keeping government out of the marketplace is no longer a concern? 

For now, what we know is that 54 acres of airport property are being made “shovel ready” in a project funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration earmarked for airport development.

According to the News-Journal, Mr. Callum reports the airport has yet to identify potential tenants for the industrial park but claims county officials have been approached by “a number of interested developers.”

As you may recall, in 2022, area residents and established business interests along already congested Beville Road expressed serious concerns regarding the massive truck and employee traffic associated with the Amazon fulfillment center. 

At the time, some anxious residents of Pelican Bay claimed they had been “blindsided” by both the proposed Amazon warehouse – and later the network of planned roadways to service the center and other industrial sites that only became known after plans had been finalized.      

So, rather than wait until Amazon cranks up and its impact on residents, transportation infrastructure, and existing businesses can be honestly evaluated – Volusia County decides to start clearing land for heavier industrial and air cargo operations – activities which will put even more heavy truck traffic at the I-95/I-4 hub? 

Sounds about right…  

The more disturbing question remains why none of our elected or appointed officials bothered to explain both the positives and potential impacts of the DIA project to We, The Little People – taxpayers who are routinely kept in the dark and expected to make decisions regarding threatened property values and our quality of life with little information or explanation of what comes next?

Slowly but surely, Volusia County residents are awakening to the realization we are pawns in a much larger game – where plans that directly affect our lives and livelihoods have been agreed upon by our “Rich & Powerful” behind closed doors – those with a chip in the game who don’t give two-shits how their for-profit schemes impact the rest of us.

In my jaded view, that is why Volusia’s influential insiders – those who pour massive contributions into the campaigns of hand-select candidates – are so desperate to turn the Volusia County Council and various municipal commissions into echo chambers – little more than elected marionettes who keep their mouths shut and nod in simultaneous agreement when it comes time for a return on their benefactors very lucrative investments…

In recent weeks, courageous taxpayers – fed-up with being ignored by those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest – have demanded the undivided attention of their elected representatives on various boards, councils, and commissions throughout Volusia County when they engage in what passes for “citizen participation” at open meetings. 

In each case, residents boldly called out the lack of attentiveness by their elected officials – who always seem more interested in sotto voce parleys with their “colleagues,” looking at their phone, shuffling papers, or leaving the dais altogether – always during the brief three-minute audiences set aside for us peons who pay the bills. 

In their defense, I doubt if many of our disconnected elected officials are even aware of these projects – many of which they rubber stamp on a “consent agenda” – never to be discussed publicly again…

The resulting sense of remoteness between the average citizen and those we elect to serve our interests is becoming institutionalized, an accepted part of what passes for local governance in an environment where public policy is formed in seclusion – and secrecy is the operative ethic.

I hope you will keep this disturbing trend in mind at the ballot box this year…

Angel               Daytona Beach City Commissioner Stacy Cantu

This week we learned that the City of Daytona Beach has a problem many municipalities would love to have – too much money in its Permitting and Licensing fund. 

According to an article by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the city has been under a state review since 2021, when the State Auditor General – no doubt in a feeding frenzy – realized that if the funds are not spent properly, some of those dollars must be forfeited to state coffers… 

“State law says governments in Florida can’t let too much of their permits and license revenue go unspent year after year, and the city has found itself in that situation. The fund currently has a balance of about $22 million.

Top city staffers have come up with an $11 million plan to draw down the revenue. But at least some city commissioners have been unaware of the accumulated permits and licensing funds, the state laws governing their use, the ongoing audit, and the constraints of buying a nearly $1 million mobile command vehicle with permits and licensing funds.”

In December 2023, something called the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee – a bureaucratic collection agency comprised of state senators and representatives – ordered Daytona Beach officials to produce a written plan for how the money would be spent. 

The city’s plan called for, among other things, purchasing property for a new Permitting & Licensing facility, renovation of existing assets, acquiring vehicles, additional staff positions, information technology upgrades, new office furniture and fixtures, etc. 

In addition, the plan called for the purchase of a $1 million mobile command post, ostensibly to help coordinate operations for “Code, Building, Fire Inspectors and during major disasters/events for Police and Fire.”

Look, I was never a fan of a million-dollar mobile command post – not for licensing operations, anyway.  It appears at least some members of the Daytona Beach City Commission weren’t either…  

According to the News-Journal, Mayor Derrick Henry said he wasn’t “hunky-dory” with the command post purchase – while Commissioner Stacy Cantu correctly explained “…state law makes it clear permits and licensing funds can only be used for permits and licensing functions. So if a mobile command vehicle funded by permits and licensing was also used by other city departments, it appears that would violate the statute.”

In turn, Ms. Cantu suggested that, given Florida’s raging property insurance crisis, perhaps some of the funds could be used to help residents offset the cost of new roof replacements through a rebate program.

“We might be able to give rebates for a few years,” she said.

In my view, returning public funds to the public who generated them should always be the preferred option – and I applaud Ms. Cantu’s willingness to assist Daytona Beach residents as the city government works through this unique “problem.”

In addition, Mayor Henry and Commissioner Cantu expressed their concern that City Manager Derek Feacher apparently developed the corrective action plan – which was received by state auditors just four days before the March 29 deadline – without the input of the City Commission… 

According to the News-Journal report, Mr. Feacher explained, “It appears there is confusion on how these funds can be expended as well as the need to provide more detailed information to the elected officials,” Feacher wrote in the email. “It is not my desire ever for an elected official to denote the appearance of impropriety in the work we do. Our goal is to always provide the facts for the elected officials to be able to make the best decision for the residents of Daytona Beach.”

Feacher agreed last week to talk to the News-Journal about the permits and license mobile command vehicle purchase, but then said he was requesting more information and didn’t believe it was “prudent to have an interview.”

Now, all information coming out of City Hall related to the issue must first be filtered through Communications Manager Susan Cerbone.   

That’s unfortunate…

In my view, the Lost City of Deltona should serve as a shining example to other local governments on the importance openness and transparency when outside regulators start snooping around asking questions – keeping both the elected body and their constituents “in the loop” at every opportunity.

That contributes to the healthy debate of ideas, makes everyone feel part of the solution, ensures fair and equitable allocations of public funds, and helps build trust.

For now, the matter will be discussed at an upcoming City Commission workshop next month.  

In my view, too much money is a “good problem” to have.  Here’s hoping Mr. Feacher, and the Daytona Beach City Commission, can work cooperatively to find a beneficial solution. 

Quote of the Week

“What about the current police station at 170 W. Granada Blvd.? City Manager Joyce Shanahan said the city “certainly needs some sort of presence in the downtown.” The commission, she said, will decide what that will look like.

“We will impress upon them (the consultants) the importance of keeping that presence in the downtown,” Shanahan said. “We don’t want anyone in this room or in the community to think that we’re going to abandon the downtown.”

The original police station was built in the downtown in 1972. The current 21,000-square feet police station was rebuilt onsite in 2001.”

–Ormond Beach City Manager Joyce Shanahan, as quoted by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “Ormond Beach chooses architecture firm for new police station, EOC study,” Friday, May 10, 2024

Say what?

Call it bureaucratic “paralysis by analysis” – the bane of taxpayers everywhere – where government at all levels spends scarce tax dollars on studies, feasibility reports, “space needs” analysis, architectural renderings, and employing outside consultants to “define the scope” of a project, all before the first block is laid or nail driven… 

Never mind the fact they have in-house experts with institutional knowledge (namely those who have worked in a space for years), engineers, and others on the public payroll who will be required to speak with a highly paid intermediary, who will generate a report, which in turn provides a degree of political insulation for elected officials and senior administrators by confirming that their initial assessment was right all along… 

Look, I live and pay taxes in Ormond Beach.  It is no secret that we need a new public safety complex with an up-to-date Emergency Operations Center – one more centrally located – that can provide room for expansion and advanced technology as the community continues to grow.

So, why didn’t our ‘powers that be’ just say that in the first place and get on with it – rather than wait for land and construction prices to increase exponentially?     

As you may recall, in 2019, Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington raised suspicions when he attempted to convince taxpayers that the still perfectly serviceable police department – rebuilt 23-years ago on West Granada Boulevard – was “obsolete,” horribly flood-prone, and in dire need of massively expensive repair and replacement.

Bullshit.

In my view, it was the classic Boy Who Cried Wolf tactic – leadership by manufactured crisis – the political dark art of creating an emergency to justify a need. 

At the time, many questioned why Mayor Chicken Little would embroider such a gloom-and-doom scenario, choosing to frighten residents into submission, rather than simply tell them the truth?

Why not explain that the police department sits as the western anchor of Ormond Beach’s Main Street revitalization efforts (perhaps the most valuable commercial real estate in town) and the facility should be relocated west to keep up with the rapidly expanding population center, allowing the current property to be developed and returned to the tax rolls. 

I like City Manager Joyce Shanahan – in my experience, she is accessible, responsive, and knowledgeable – and despite the often-shambolic nature of the City Commission, she somehow makes it “work,” keeping Ormond Beach one of the most stable and well-managed communities in the region. 

However, given her odd comments in the Observer, perhaps she should step outside her office and reorient herself?      

Ormond Beach City Hall sits conspicuously at the east end of West Granada Boulevard – making the municipal government complex the most prominent presence in the downtown corridor. 

It’s hard to miss.  Besides, Ms. Shanahan is smarter than that. 

Which makes me suspicious that Mayor Partington is crafting another of his Henny-Penny scenarios – calming non-existent fears that the city is “abandoning” Granada Boulevard (which may not be a terrible thing) – to facilitate the relocation of the police facility. 

In my view, this smells like another blatant political insulation tactic – one carefully crafted and foisted on already suspicious taxpayers – at a time when the truth would better serve the community…

And Another Thing!

How time (and opportunity) flies while government “study’s” the issue du jour – putting time and money between an unaddressed civic problem and their constituent’s incredibly short collective memory…    

Seven years ago, what became known as the “Grippa Committee” – a blue-ribbon panel led by former Brown & Brown senior executive Tony Grippa and comprised of the “Fun Coast’s” heaviest hitters – was charged by the Volusia County Council with developing a comprehensive revitalization strategy for the Halifax area’s still struggling beachside. 

The only red flag was the upfront caveat that the group never acknowledge the 800-pound gorilla in the room – Volusia County’s perennial beach mismanagement issues… 

Even hamstrung by that odd stipulation, given the impressive make-up and mandate of the Grippa Group, in a swoon of naivety, I was cautiously optimistic that if any alliance could influence positive change, provide effective leadership, and identify actionable solutions – it was this extraordinary assembly of civic strength and power.

There were meetings and presentations – in-depth discussions of uncomfortable truths – and a concerted effort to set a clear path forward.

Then Superman met bureaucratic Kryptonite…

After ten-months and a sincere effort to find answers, the fatal flaw came when the job of crafting the committee’s final report was left to the ultimate entrenched bureaucrat – Volusia County’s Director of Growth & Resource Management Director Clay Ervin.

What resulted was another missed opportunity – a final work product wrapped in vagaries, and prosaic clichés, strongly peppered with bureaucratese – chockfull of jargony horseshit such as, “expanding opportunities,” and “determining feasibility” – nonsensical terms that say nothing and mean less.

For instance, the group’s top two “recommendations” in what should have been a visionary roadmap for the complete revitalization of our core tourist area – the Halifax areas “tarnished jewel” of a tourism product – as construed by Director Ervin were:

1.         Expand the opportunities to make the beach a year-round destination for all visitors.

2.         Utilize prior redevelopment efforts to determine the feasibility and viability of new efforts to attract the type of redevelopment targeted by the individual cities (Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores and Ormond Beach).

You read that right… 

Frankly, given the influential and high-profile VIP committee members, I’m not sure how any County administrator associated with this sham still has a job after neutering and embarrassing all the right last names.  

In my jaded view, the legacy of the Grippa Group will remain its complete waste of time, talent, and enthusiasm – an embarrassing exercise in wheel-spinning – in retrospect, little more than a gilded (and unwitting) political insulation committee that confirmed the worst fears of beachside stakeholders. 

I was reminded of “what could have been” last week as Volusia County’s Tourism and Hospitality gurus gathered at the Hard Rock Daytona with senior County officials to join hands and congratulate themselves on attracting 10.1 million visitors to the Halifax area in 2023 – down from a record 10.6 million in 2022… 

Really?

Wow.  On average, that’s over 841,600 visitors to Volusia County each month last year – substantially more than our permanent population of 553,540… 

As a jaded skeptic, I seriously doubt the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau knows exactly how many visitors vacationed here last year. 

I bet they know even less about the number of families who arrived, drove the dilapidated gauntlet that is the East ISB “Gateway,” locked the car doors, and fled west down I-4 to places that know something about attracting, entertaining, and retaining tourists.  

Each week, I do my civic due diligence and take a driving tour of the Halifax area, watching the latest godawful “condotel” coming out of the ground, lamenting the demise of another restaurant, while pulling for the success of new-comers to A-1-A – passing the same tired façades and streetscapes that comprise much of our core tourist area – taking in the same sights, sounds, and smells that greet visitors and residents alike… 

You should try that sometime.  It’s eye-opening… 

In my view, instead of giving each other awards and accolades for maintaining the status quo, it is time Volusia County’s redundant tourist and hospitality apparatus stop living exaggerated statistic to statistic and start the long overdue process of improving the product.

I crow about this concept ad nauseum – but it isn’t an original idea. 

Over a decade ago, the Volusia County Council commissioned a $100,000 (in 2012 dollars) in-depth analysis of our tourism and hospitality industry. 

At the time, a prescient op/ed in The Daytona Beach News-Journal warned:

“As most Volusia residents know, county government and local cities love to launch studies of various issues. Those studies are usually intended to prompt action on a particular problem or opportunity, but more often than not they end up on the proverbial shelf, gathering dust.

Let’s hope the tourism report doesn’t suffer that fate. Tourism is a $3.7 billion-plus industry in Volusia County, employing more than 37,000 people. More than a third of the county’s sales tax revenue comes from tourists, according to the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Tourism is essential to the economy and the future of Volusia County. Officials do need to study the tourism market and figure out precisely what the area is doing right — and doing wrong.”

In fact, the introduction to the report compiled by the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) of Duluth, Georgia, noted that all components of the study sprang from a common theme:

“Tourism is one of the most important industries in Volusia County.”

Yet, to this day, Volusia County’s economic development arm – that publicly subsidized travel club over at Team Volusia – has yet to add “Tourism and Hospitality” to their list of “Target Industries.” 

Why is that?

In their detailed final analysis, SAG wrote of our “Tourism Product”:

“The stakeholders expressed concern over the current condition of the tourism “product,” notably the beach side of Daytona Beach. There were many types of concerns expressed.

Examples include:

Condition of hotels

Condition of storefronts in high volume areas

Lack of attractive streetscape in key tourism areas

There is widespread concern that there is no “plan” for who is leading the effort and how these challenges can be improved. The issue of improvement in the tourism product was a top priority in most of the interviews.”

Any of that sound familiar twelve-years on? 

Other findings in the SAG report included:

“Disengaged Industry and Community:  . . .A very real current threat is the consistent indication of being uniformed and having no understanding of the effectiveness of current tourism initiatives. An aggressive and effective communication plan featuring understandable, measurable results is critical for the long-term support and success of tourism.  An additional theme in SAG’s meetings was the sense that it is going to be difficult to instill broad based confidence that is vital toward improved collaboration.”

“Product Deterioration: . . .Without resources – leadership and economic – the overall tourism experience in Volusia County will decline.  An overall collaborative strategy is needed.” 

In my view, broad-based public confidence begins with effective communication and identifiable results – infrastructure, revitalization, and amenities that go beyond some visitors count construed and bandied about by those who are paid to sell Volusia County to the world.

Unfortunately, it appears our hospitality maharishis are still groping for an identifiable “brand” – one many hope will capitalize on the historic lure of the “World’s Most Famous Beach” – something more than a goofy catch slogan like “Seize the Daytona” or “Forget everything you thought you knew about Daytona…” 

Then support opening more of our beach to driving as advocated by the Main Street Merchants Association, developing a viable boardwalk/entertainment district, and making the area attractive for entrepreneurial investment – while embracing those traditions and natural amenities that once made the Daytona Beach Resort Area a world-class destination.

A comprehensive tourism product we can all take pride in, rather than clucking and clapping once a year over some swagged statistic that may, or may not, be completely accurate – or pertinent to the larger discussion.   

I know.  I sound like a broken record – but it needs to be said…

With the SAG report now gathering dust on some groaning shelf in a dead-records morgue in DeLand – bookended by the findings of the Grippa Commission – how many more ways do those who allocate bed taxes need to hear it? 

“An overall collaborative strategy is needed…”

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

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.  This National Day of Remembrance pays tribute to law enforcement officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Law enforcement nationwide is well-worthy of our admiration and respect as they go in harm’s way to protect your family and mine.

Last year, 138 law enforcement officers lost their lives in the line of duty in the United States.

So far, 58 have paid the ultimate sacrifice in 2024.

To all those serving or who have served – thank you for holding the line.

We stand alone, together.

Archangels

From my earliest memories, law enforcement officers have always been my heroes.

They still are.

Today marks National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Day 2024.

A time for reflection on the incredible contributions of the men and women who so courageously serve and protect us all – and an opportunity to honor those brave souls who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

In what is proving to be a particularly deadly period in our history for line of duty deaths, it is important that we remember those officers who, as Lincoln said, gave “The last full measure of devotion.” 

It is also fitting that we take this opportunity to consider the greater question of the role of the police in a free and open society – and the importance of citizen support for their indispensable work in preserving our way of life in America.

The great privilege of my life was the opportunity to serve in law enforcement with some of the most dedicated and talented public servants I have ever known.

For thirty-one years I had the distinct honor of standing with strong men and women who hold a thin blue line between order and chaos, between good and evil, between you and I and the predatory criminals who prey on that which we love most.

In my long career, I learned something about law enforcement officers and what these extraordinary people are made of.  I have always thought that any contribution I made was just a function of the job at hand, but I am extremely proud just to have been associated with people I consider true American heroes.

Brevard County Deputy Robert Nicol, Jr. was one of them.

In early 1986, I was a young officer with the Holly Hill Police Department assigned to the Uniformed Patrol Division.

At that time, I had been on the job for about three years (in other words, I had just learned how to write a traffic ticket the same way twice) and I was working the “Midnights” – 11:00pm to 7:00am – answering calls for service from an old Dodge Aspen patrol car with a single blue light on the roof, and a Motorola “Mocom” radio, equipped with a green light to let you know it was on and a red light to let you know it was transmitting when you keyed the microphone.

A quaint antique by today’s standards.

Today, a patrol vehicle’s interior looks more like the flight deck of the Space Shuttle, with mobile data units, stolen vehicle trackers, tag readers, electronic citation systems, digital video cameras and multi-channel 800MHz radios.

It is amazing how advances in technology transformed policing during my career.

One night I arrived at the police department for briefing, got a cup of coffee from Dispatch, and took my seat at the long wooden table where officers gathered before and after each tour to pass-on important and not-so-important information, listen to the sergeant give duty assignments, gossip, tell wholly inappropriate jokes, and bitch and moan about, well, everything.

(One of the first things you learn as a police chief is that cops complain – that’s how they cope with the horrific and unnatural things the job brings them in contact with.  It’s when they stop complaining that you have a problem on your hands.)

That night my sergeant introduced me to the “FNG,” a “f—g new guy,” sitting by himself at the end of the desk.

He was a short, stocky blond-haired guy with big 80’s-style aviator glasses who thrust out his hand and eagerly introduced himself with a big grin and a heavy Western New York accent, “Howyadoin’, I’m Bob!”

At the time, many police departments didn’t have the formal field training and evaluation programs of today, and most in-service training was conducted by senior officers teaching their juniors the ropes through experiential learning and anecdotal information.

That night I was assigned to show our newest officer the city limits and get him familiar with the streets, point out the hot spots, and generally indoctrinate him on how to survive the physical and political hazards of small-town Florida.

If you’ve ever shared the confines of a patrol unit for hours-on-end with another officer then you know how fast, and how strong, a bond develops between partners in a business where you put your life in another person’s hands, and they know you will do the same for them.

Robert Nicol, Jr. was born in Coatbridge, Scotland, in 1948.

He was a former deputy with the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office in Canadaigua, New York, a small community in the Finger Lakes region.

Escaping the aftermath of a messy divorce, Bob fled New York as a newly minted single-father with three young children – two boys and a girl – and his mom in tow.

Settling in Holly Hill, Bob soon applied to the police department and was hired almost immediately by Chief Pat Finn who was extremely impressed by Bob’s military background and his previous law enforcement experience.

During four-years in the U.S. Army, Bob served proudly in some of the fiercest fighting of the Vietnam War and was awarded two Purple Hearts for wounds received in combat, the Bronze Star for valor and the Army Commendation Medal for his extraordinary service to our nation.

Bob Nicol was an American hero before he ever pinned on a badge.

Although twelve-years my senior, he had an energetic personality, contagious laugh, and a great sense of humor that impressed me right away.  We quickly became friends, and since Bob didn’t know many people here, we spent a lot of time together in the bars and nightclubs of Daytona Beach.

When we weren’t working, you could find us perched at Club Mocambo, the Beachcomber, Silver Bucket, Full House or any of a dozen other illustrious local night spots, quite stylish in our leather Member’s Only jackets.

Unlike me, Bob was an affable, good-looking guy who always had a way with the ladies – and I benefited more times than I care to admit just from my association with him.

Those stories and escapades are legendary, but perhaps better left for a different forum…

I learned a lot from Bob – personally and professionally.

He was a great father to his two young sons and beautiful daughter – and he doted on his mother, a brash Scot who spoke with a thick brogue and frequently made shortbread cookies that I miss to this day.

Most of all, Bob was a damn good cop – smart, dedicated, and tenacious.

It didn’t take long for him to make a name for himself in the local law enforcement community and, in May 1987, he was offered a sworn position as a deputy with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

It was a great professional development opportunity, and the job offered more money to support his children.

We discussed the pros and cons, and late one shift Bob and I met door-to-door in our patrol cars in a parking lot near Ridgewood Avenue.  He told me he was going to take the job.  I congratulated him, we shook hands, then immediately began making plans to facilitate his move to Port St. John.

Bob and I remained great friends, even though our schedules and the hour-drive between us put a dent in our prolific nightlife.

Probably for the best.

It wasn’t long before Bob proved himself a true asset to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.  He was respected and very well-liked by everyone who knew him.

He was a cops-cop, and the epitome of who you wanted stepping out of a police car in a dark alley when you really need help.

At approximately 4:00am on Saturday, September 19, 1987, Deputy Robert Nicol, Jr. was on patrol on U.S. 1, just south of State Road 405, when he made a “routine” (if there is such a thing) traffic stop.

During the encounter, Bob arrested the driver, Scott Roberts, 21, on traffic-related charges.

Further investigation found that one of the five passengers in the vehicle, later identified as Jeffrey Mason, a then 24-year-old landscaper living in Orlando, was in possession of less than 20-grams of marijuana.

Bob arrested him on the misdemeanor charge.

While Bob was securing Roberts in his patrol car and attempting to control the four others still inside the vehicle, Jeffrey Mason broke free and escaped custody – running across the divided highway with Deputy Nicol in close foot pursuit.

As they ran into the roadway, a vehicle traveling north swerved to avoid Mason and inadvertently struck Bob at high speed.

The force of the impact sent his body crashing into the windshield, catapulting him over the top of the moving car before throwing him to the pavement, witnesses said.

His neck was broken and the base of his skull crushed.

Bob was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he remained in Intensive Care with severe traumatic brain injury.

After a manhunt involving some thirty law enforcement officers, Jeffrey Mason was found cowering in a wooded area near S.R. 405 and taken into custody without incident.

It was later determined that he was on probation in the State of Ohio for involuntary manslaughter stemming from a 1983 traffic crash which killed the passenger in his car.

On Wednesday, September 30, 1987, my friend Deputy Robert Nicol, Jr. lost his courageous battle and died from injuries sustained in the line of duty twelve days earlier.

He left behind his mother, Pat Skindzier, and three children, then ages 15, 8, and 5.

Brevard County Sheriff Jake Miller posthumously awarded Deputy Nicol the Medal of Valor for his actions that fateful morning – the highest honor bestowed on a law enforcement officer.

I will never forget the enormous number of law enforcement officers – all of us shining and resplendent in our Class A dress uniforms – who gathered for his funeral with full honors at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Titusville.

I openly wept for the first time in my young career over the flag-draped coffin of a fallen brother and friend.

Later, Nicol Park on US-1 in Port St. John was named in Bob’s honor.

A fitting tribute to a hero – but a tragic waste of an incredible soul.

It is a tradition in law enforcement and the military for brothers and sisters in arms to join in remembrance of our fallen comrades on days such as this to honor their service, sacrifice, and friendship.

The name of Deputy Robert Nicol, Jr. is inscribed on memorial panel 35-E: 8 at the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“Remember! All who have served alongside them; we who have donned the same proud uniform, being sworn to the same faith and allegiance — We will never forget their sacrifice. Remember!”

On this Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Day, I remember my friend Bob – and his great devotion and sacrifice – along with all the men and women of law enforcement who have laid down their lives so that we may live in peace.

In valor there is hope.

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:

Asshole           Deltona City Government  

Last week, on the very evening the Deltona City Commission unanimously approved an employment agreement for recently hired City Manager Dale “Doc” Dougherty – who will take the tiller of this foundering ship on June 10 – we witnessed another embarrassing bombshell that could have profound consequences for the beleaguered government and Deltona taxpayers.

According to a disturbing scoop by WESH-2 reporter Gail Paschall-Brown, Vice Mayor JodyLee Storozuk dropped the news and left it in a steaming pile on the dais at the end of the special meeting –  announcing that the City of Deltona is facing an Internal Revenue Service debt totaling nearly $1 million – something he apparently learned from “citizens,” not City Hall – all while the feckless Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. hammered the gavel like a maniacal carpenter, trying desperately to shutdown Storozuk before preemptively adjourning the meeting… 

More disturbing, during a subsequent stand-up with WESH, Storozuk was all but shouted down by the off-camera skreiching of a disembodied commissioner – loudly reminding the Vice Mayor that the IRS issue was under “litigation” – which, in government speak, means “keep your piehole shut, asshole.”  

When City Attorney Marsha Segal-George was interviewed, rather than squaring-up before the camera and representing the municipal government with the professional bearing one expects from a senior city official, Segal-George slowly gathered her copious luggage while mumbling into the microphone that she knows nothing about the IRS crisis…   

Historically, civic issues in the Lost City of Deltona unravel with the histrionics and overacting of a community theater troupe and this weird vignette was no different.  Regardless, last week’s shocking revelation took many residents (and apparently Vice Mayor Storozuk) completely by surprise.

That’s not good… 

According to a report by Al Everson writing in the West Volusia Beacon, Vice Mayor Storozuk confirmed that the Deltona City Commission only learned about the IRS issue during a recent briefing before last week’s special meeting. 

This distressing news was confirmed by WKMG-6, who reported city officials tried to keep this critical issue “…out of the public light.”    

Apparently, the city’s IRS reporting discrepancies date to between 2016 and 2019, which – if my math is correct – puts the origins of this growing debacle squarely during the tumultuous reign of former City Manager Jane Shang – an Époque Terrible that came close to destroying the community from the inside out… 

So, now that this diseased cat is out of the bag, why the secrecy?

In response to a public records request issued by community activist Elbert Bryan seeking information on who authorized the hiring of an outside attorney to address the IRS matter, Deltona City Clerk Joyce Raferty mysteriously dodged the inquiry, claiming the request for who, how, and when tax dollars were allocated outside the public eye is somehow exempt from Florida’s public records law?  

The response was later posted to social media:  

“The City of Deltona is facing a penalty from the IRS due to the transmission of the 1095C forms.  The penalty is not due to any taxes being owed.  In the meantime, the matter is currently in litigation and the City does not comment on pending litigation.  The City of Deltona has hired an outside attorney to handle the below mentioned issue and is in the process of an appeal.  The information requested is exempt from public records law per F.S. 119.071 (1) (d) 1.”

As I understand it (and I’m not sure I do) IRS form 1095-C deals with large employer-provided health insurance coverage that employers are required to provide their employees – and the IRS – annually detailing the minimum required employee healthcare coverage and affordability as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

I guess you either get it right – or you don’t. 

And as anyone who has ever wrestled with the IRS can attest, the consequences are grim…

In my view, the best summation of Deltona’s illustrious history of scandals and humiliations came when WESH-2 reporter Paschall-Brown interviewed the irrepressible gadfly Richard Bellach:

“I believe it. In this city, I believe if you told me they went into a diner and stole a knife and fork, I believe it. This whole system is crooked…”

Asshole           Volusia County School Board           

“And I would scream, but they have places for people who scream…”

–Charles Bukowski  

Most days I take a strong antiemetic, peruse what passes for the news of the day, and take things in stride – laughing to myself at the abject absurdity of it all – then salve the assault on my sense of right and reason with this weekly punditry… 

Normally, I snicker at politics and those who practice it – picturing them as maladroit magicians, clumsily working the rods and strings of the same elaborate ruse – a contrived illusion created by these egomaniacal figureheads who constantly shimmy and pirouette, trying desperately to reveal only what they want us to see.

But remaining emotionally above the fray can be especially difficult when politics and bureaucratic ineptitude adversely affect the lives of our most vulnerable citizens – those who lack the clout to influence the entrenched power dynamic – as elected and appointed officials use professional ‘spinmeisters’ to craft a manufactured version of events, carefully designed to “cover their ass” and whitewash their own mistakes…      

Sound familiar?  

The rapid erosion of public confidence in Volusia County public schools continued this week with a disturbing report by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, a story which exposed the district’s ham-handed embroidery of the “facts” surrounding the displacement of hundreds of teachers and the elimination of electives and educational opportunities coming out of Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand…

In my view, News-Journal reporter Mary Ellen Ritter did a masterful job of highlighting the wide divide between known fact and contrived fiction… 

With the reassignment of teachers ongoing, and important enrichment programs being eliminated in the fallout of a disastrous plan by district administrators to use one-time federal pandemic relief funds for reoccurring operating expenses – including permanent personnel costs – Volusia County schools remain in a state of flux as senior officials scramble to resolve an astronomical $45.7 million deficit. 

Now, Danielle Johnson, the district’s Director of Community Misinformation, has cranked up the spin cycle, trying desperately to paint the maladministration leading to this predictable predicament in a favorable light – in my view, knowingly providing a slanted version of the Balgobin administration’s clumsy slash-and-burn response – one that continues to disrupt the lives of teachers, students, parents, and staff as the school year comes to an end.

This week, Ms. Johnson pushed a cart full of horseshit into public view, pointed at it, and attempted to convince stunned stakeholders that certain popular electives – including a college preparatory program – are being eliminated due to a “lack of student interest.”  In other words, claiming district administrators are doing teachers and students a favor by cutting the dead wood while judiciously utilizing “…available resources to support student success.”

According to the News-Journal’s report, “Every year, adjustments to school budgets and programs are made with student interest in mind and careful consideration of the impact on student learning,” according to an email from Johnson and the website. “All schools and student communities are different, so while programs may have shifted and changed throughout the district, schools have ensured they are tailored to their students’ wants and needs.”

Bullshit.

In my view, painting this fiscal disaster and its destabilizing aftermath as business as usual is a slap in the face to every student, teacher, and staff member who have had their lives, careers, and education disrupted. 

During recent meetings of the Volusia County School Board, parents and students have made impassioned pleas to deaf ears – tearfully explaining the painful results of “shifting and changing” popular programs.    

Among the most vocal has been Alison Root, the parent of a Deltona High School student who participated in the school choir:

“I hope you understand that what your, you and your lack of planning, has taken from my son his senior year and what it’s taken from me as a parent. You have stolen his lasts,” she said at the April 9 board meeting.

Two weeks later, she asked board members when adjustments would be made at the district level.

According to the district’s website, there will be “realignments and readjustments” at the district level, but those decisions will not be made until “closer to the end of the school year” “due to employee contract timelines, as well as employee departures and retirements.”

“There’s just over a month left in the school year,” Root told the board at its April 23 meeting. “How much closer do you need to be? The students and teachers should be the last to suffer mishandling of budget items. Lead by example and start with your district.  Do better.”

In my view, Ms. Root posits a valid question – when will cuts be made to Superintendent Balgobin’s well compensated senior coterie?  Those members of the district’s “six-figure club” ensconced in the inner sanctum in DeLand who so artfully dodge responsibility – then paint a rosy picture to sidestep accountability? 

How about those political appointees – self-serving gladhanders whose sole function seems to be having their picture taken with D-list politicians and posting them to social media?

Could those “positions” be eliminated in favor of preserving educational opportunities for students? 

And when will the Volusia County School Board hold Superintendent Balgobin responsible for this continuing catastrophe? 

I’m asking.  Because when incoherent executive decision-making has a detrimental impact on a school district’s core service delivery – the chop should start at the top.  Even in this foul era when paring the thick rind of fat off the bureaucracy is the last of all practical options during a budgetary crisis… 

In my view, creating the “illusion of truth” is still a lie – and it is now glaringly apparent that those we have elected to represent our interests on the Volusia County School Board have been caught in another whopper. 

Do better…

Angel               Daytona Dog Beach, Inc. and Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent

Just six-months into an 18-month pilot to test establishing a dog-friendly section of beach in Ormond Beach, part-time resident and former Ormond Beach City Commissioner David Shecter has created a typical “Fun Coast” tempest in a teapot with his all-out effort to eliminate the popular amenity, labeling it a “hazard-zone” for beach goers in a recent Change.org petition.  

Among the reasons cited in Mr. Shecter’s demand that Ormond Beach and Volusia County officials immediately terminate the dog beach program read, in part:

“The pilot program permitting dogs on sections of Ormond Beach, Volusia County, is proving to be problematic. Many dog owners are not adhering to the rules of keeping their pets leashed and cleaning up after them.  This is both in the dog ‘zone’ and when they and their dogs frequently leave the zone and are in front of hotels, condos, and single family homes adjacent to it.  They are disregarding signs and rules and the County is unwilling or unable to enforce the pilot zone rules.  This lack of responsibility has turned our beautiful beach into a hazard zone for other beach-goers, children, and families alike. Let’s not wait until a dog hurts a child or other innocent beach visitor.  The disregard for regulations is not only affecting the cleanliness and safety of our beaches but also disrupting the peaceful environment that our community cherishes.”

(Find Mr. Schecter’s petition here: https://tinyurl.com/xny26xr3 )

Others in the community see it differently… 

To his credit, the designated area where pet owners can enjoy time at the beach with their licensed, leashed, and vaccinated furry friends was championed by Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent of Ormond Beach, who has supported the trial from its inception.

In my view, Mr. Kent’s efforts to bring something fun and inclusive to Volusia County beaches represents a welcome break from the stagnant status quo – a small area that allows all taxpayers the opportunity to enjoy our most popular natural amenity.

The initiative was just part of Councilman Kent’s push to make our beach more attractive, inviting, and accessible for residents and visitors – something sorely needed in a place where beach management is clearly not Volusia County government’s strong suit…  

In July 2023, the project was approved on a 6-1 vote of the Volusia County Council (with Councilman Don Dempsey casting the lone “Nay” – I assume because he abhors everything east of the Palmetto Curtain – including residents of Port Orange – who are about be subjected to the constant roar of Mr. Dempsey’s $10 million publicly funded motocross track…)

In addition, the initiative was supported by a generous $100,000 donation from local philanthropists and animal lovers Nancy and Lowell Lohman. 

Following the vote, Mr. Kent said, “This is a win for all of Volusia County residents.  We are talking about one percent of our beach becoming dog friendly legally.”

At the time, it was understood at least part of the Lohman donation would be used to assist Volusia County with animal control operations – and Mr. Kent acknowledged that Sheriff Mike Chitwood assured his beach deputies would help with enforcement of the established rules. 

According to the informative report by Sheldon Gardner in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“County officials have acknowledged some violations but said the program is going well overall.

“It has been wildly successful,” said Troy Kent, the Volusia County councilman who led the charge to open a section of the beach to dogs.”

Earlier this month, Daytona Dog Beach, Inc. rightfully placed a counter-petition on Change.org touting the benefits of the pilot:  

“We, the enthusiastic signatories, both residents and visitors of Volusia County, wholeheartedly advocate for the continuation and enthusiastic support of the dog beach pilot program in Ormond Beach. This pioneering initiative, which graciously welcomes dogs to certain sections of the beach, has been a beacon of positivity. We firmly believe that sustaining this program is not only essential for responsible dog owners but also crucial for enhancing our community’s recreational landscape.

The challenges associated with the pilot program have been minimal. Like any pilot program, education and communication is key, adjustments made based on data collected. All that is occurring.   Authorities like Beach Safety, Volusia County Animal Control, and Volusia County Sheriffs, have not encountered widespread issues.  The Daytona Dog Beach, Inc. volunteer team, Paw Ambassadors, is not witnessing widespread issues.  In actuality, the overwhelming majority of dog owners have admirably adhered to the guidelines, ensuring their furry companions are leashed and cleaning up after them.”

(Find the Daytona Dog Beach petition here: https://tinyurl.com/4aczzmj7 )

At last check, the Daytona Bog Beach petition was doing far better than Mr. Schecter’s… 

Although supporters concede that some visitors to the dog-friendly beach have acted irresponsibly, they describe the incidents as “negligible,” and they are adamantly advocating for the continuation of the pilot, citing the myriad benefits to the community.

I agree. 

Here’s hoping Volusia County officials will permit the program to continue with an increased emphasis on visitor education and the enforcement of existing rules to encourage compliance – without the need for more godawful signage, poles, traffic cones, and other nuisance measures that seem to be the only arrows in Volusia County Beach Mismanagement’s quiver… 

Quote of the Week

“About 300 affordable housing units will be breaking ground over the next year in Volusia County thanks in part to over $7.8 million in federal and state funding allocated by the County Council on Tuesday.

“Thirty-five thousand of our residents are spending more than 30 percent of their income (on housing). Half of that, over 50 percent,” Brad Burbaugh, Volusia County’s director of Community Services told the Council. “They’re one catastrophic illness … one layoff away from becoming homeless.”

A report published in 2020 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that “median rent increases of $100 a month were associated with a 9% increase in homelessness” in places the report focused on.

“That tells you that people are just living on the edge, and that’s what’s happening,” Burbaugh said.

Local rent prices have gone up 35% since 2021, and 34,146 renter households are considered burdened by housing costs, according to data provided by the county.”

–Volusia Director of Community Services Brad Burbaugh, as quoted by reporter Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Council approves $7.8 million for about 300 affordable housing units in 5-2 vote,” Wednesday, May 8, 2024

That’s a sad commentary on the financial health of large swath of Volusia County’s workforce.   

The response by some Volusia County Council members was worse…

“Despite the need, the measure got some pushback.

“We’ve got to let the free market dictate pricing,” said District 1 Councilman Don Dempsey, who has been outspoken about his opposition to affordable housing incentives.”

According to the News-Journal report, “The funding will require a zero-interest mortgage, and all units will be for households that make “at or below 80% of the area median income.” The units will have to stay affordable for at least 50 years.”

Ultimately, the affordable housing proposals for four vetted projects – which will bring a combined total of 302 much-needed residential units to Volusia County – were approved on a 5-2 vote.

Dempsey and Councilman Danny Robins callously voted to – I dunno – send the Affordable Housing Development Gap funding back to Tallahassee and Washington? 

My God.

On behalf of over 35-thousand of my neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet in this artificial economy – and with all due respect – “Up Yours, Don Dempsey…”

In my view, Dempsey’s argument to let income constrained residents – who form the backbone of our service and hospitality industries – flail and claw to feed and house themselves in a market where single-family homes now command a median sale price of $356,500 is both out-of-touch with reality – and patently cruel.   

Afterall, it’s difficult to pull oneself up by your bootstraps when you’ve been forced to boil and eat them… 

I have always been amazed by the lycanthropic transformation of some detached politicians who lobby for publicly funded nice-to-haves and skew the playing field with corporate welfare schemes, infrastructure, and tax incentives for their political benefactors – then claim to be champions of the free-market when it comes to the real needs of a sizeable percentage of their constituency who are one bad day away from hunger and homelessness.

In other “news,” on Tuesday, those dullards on the dais approved a foolish plan that will put 121-homes and some 36,000 square feet of commercial space along West New York Avenue (SR-44) near the busy intersection of Grand Avenue near DeLand. 

According to a News-Journal report, this time Councilman Dempsey “…said there have been many wrecks in the area, including fatal crashes such as an incident he was connected to as an attorney.

“It’s dangerous there, guys,” Dempsey said.

District 4 Commissioner and Vice Chair Troy Kent said he wanted to see fewer homes. “It’s like house on top of house,” Kent said.

Chairman Jeff Brower voted against both the rezoning and Comprehensive Plan change. Kent voted for the Comprehensive Plan change, which the council voted on first, and then voted against the rezoning. He said he wanted a fountain on the site.

Dempsey voted against the Comprehensive Plan change but voted for the rezoning because the council added a stipulation to address his concerns about how traffic would enter and leave the site along S.R. 44.”

Blah, blah, blah… 

Among the more asinine suggestions is that the development will be within a one mile “walking distance” from the DeLand SunRail station, which is set to open on Old New York Avenue sometime this summer. 

As though anyone in their right mind would dare to walk on any street or roadway in Volusia County – hyper-congested deathtraps that were recently listed as the most dangerous in the nation for pedestrian deaths.

Buckle-up (literally) Wild West Volusia – as your neighbors to the east can attest, the idiotic cart-before-the-horse development strategy that permits widespread sprawl without adequate supporting infrastructure is officially coming home to roost…    

And Another Thing!

The unmistakable signs of Spring are all around. 

The Magnolias are in bloom, my seasonal allergies are raging, and political signs are beginning to sprout like pesky weeds – an ominous warning of things to come…

I live in the Northbrook area of Ormond Beach, a few blocks (and a million miles) from the social, civic, and geopolitical demarcation that is North Beach Street – an asphalt delineation between those who reside in stately riverfront mansions to the east of the picturesque two-lane drive – and the rest of us – the working class and fixed income retirees who inhabit those 3/2 cracker boxes that begin just across the street from the opulent manicured estates. 

Like most places in Volusia County, Ormond Beach traditionally leans conservative – with registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats – and disenfranchised No Party Affiliates (like me) quickly gaining ground (and influence).   

It would be pretentious to call our community “upscale” – although the late, great Big John facetiously referred to us as “Ormaaahnd – The Fingerbowl District” – but our slice of heaven has many wonderful amenities, cultural, and recreational opportunities, with some of the best beaches on the eastern seaboard.

Unfortunately, we also suffer the collective civic and environmental insult of unchecked internal/external sprawl – the voracious clear-cutting of our rapidly diminishing greenspace – and most recently, the asinine threat of a dangerous bulk fuel terminal along the FEC railroad at Hull Road.

Look, I’m not a political scientist – just another confused rube, nipping on a whiskey flask up here in the cheap seats – and this is certainly not some “clash of the classes” horseshit.  

Merely one man’s observations of a visible political divide.    

During non-partisan local contests, I’ve noticed a stark contrast between those candidates whose campaign signs appear on the east side of North Beach and those whose supporters live across the street. 

I find that difference compelling.

This week, I saw an early sign for “Car Guy” Randy Dye – a candidate for Volusia County Chair, who’s campaign coffers are groaning with massive contributions from Volusia’s influential insiders – “all the right last names” who control everything but the ebb and flow of the Atlantic tide around these parts – prominently placed in front of an elegant riverfront home. 

A few blocks north is a fresh “Re-elect Jeff Brower for County Chair” sign in the patchy yard of a much more common “middle-class” abode on the west side of the street. 

Trust me.  These two propagating placards are a sure sign of many more to come…

I first observed this phenomenon several years ago – the disparate messages on either side of North Beach Street – something I interpret as a clear divide between the status quo (which has been very lucrative for many of Volusia’s uber-wealthy Old Guard) and the fervent hopes of the great unwashed – those without a lot of money, power, or social status – who are feeling the pincher effect of the lack of workforce housing and those elusive “high paying jobs” on those eking out a living in this artificial economy…

The uncomfortable reality is, here on the “Fun Coast,” those we elect to make policy decisions tend to equate “civic vision” with the size of one’s bank account – listening intently to those with the wherewithal to bankroll their political campaigns – while openly resenting the three-minutes they feign listening to the piddly-ass problems of us peons from their lofty perch of the dais of power… 

Don’t take my word for it. 

During Tuesday’s Volusia County Council meeting, a resident of Port Orange attempted to speak her mind on the noise and flooding that many feel will accompany Councilman Don Dempsey’s proposed motocross track, when Council members Danny Robins and Jake Johansson struck up a private conversation in the middle of her speech.

To her credit, the concerned resident paused and politely asked if she were interrupting before continuing with her well-prepared presentation. 

A powerful, embarrassing, and telling moment…  

(Did my beat-up old heart good.) 

In the depths of my political paranoia, I often ponder if there is an exclusive society here on the Fun Coast – let’s call it the Halifax Hellfire Club – a camera stellata that we’re not privy to – comprised of what The Daytona Beach News-Journal once described as our “Rich & Powerful” – the tycoons, moguls, and magnates who know things that I don’t (like long division and how to balance a checkbook…) – an elite group of politically connected aristocrats who hold secret conclaves to divvy up the spoils and decide what our lives and livelihoods will look like when the “Grand Plan” is finally revealed.

Probably not.  Just a figment of my Mittyesque imagination…    

In truth, I can’t see any group of civic-minded people who value their personal and professional reputations taking credit for much of what has happened here on this salty piece of land we call home, can you?  

The constant refrain of local politicians is “a rising tide lifts all boats” – and I realize those affluent professionals who inhabit the waterfront McMansions on North Beach Street contribute significantly more to our economy and tax base than I do – at a time when monetary success, the accumulation of “things,” stored in the biggest house on the biggest hill in town, is what passes for the “American Dream.” 

But what about those forgotten families in Volusia County who are barely treading water?

The increasing number of residents considered asset limited/income constrained – trying desperately to keep a roof over their heads on $15 an hour scut work at (enter the latest industrial warehouse that passes for “economic development” here) – in an environment where four bags of groceries will set you back $250 a week…  

I’m not sure what role (if any) that growing socioeconomic disparity plays in local political contests (again, beyond the massive influx of dollars into the political campaigns of hand-select candidates from wealthy insiders with a chip in the game) – and Ormond Beach is certainly not the land of the haves and have nots (not yet anyway).

But the stark differences in political opinions on non-partisan races displayed along this unique stretch of roadway is hard to ignore.

I’d like to know your thoughts.   

That’s all for me.  Welcome to Rockville, y’all! 

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               City of Daytona Beach

In response to a resurgence of aggressive vagrants loitering and panhandling in the Beach Street area, Daytona Beach officials recently demonstrated the courage to try something new – a bold program that places roaming private security officers in the riverfront area, supported by security cameras, radios, and an innovative application called “See and Click” that allows merchants to summon security from their mobile device – a solution that frees law enforcement officers for more serious threats while providing a preventive presence downtown. 

By all accounts, the initiative is working as planned.   

According to a recent report by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the pilot program is focused on supporting beleaguered merchants along Beach Street from Orange Avenue to just north of Bay Street.

At present, “The city is covering the full cost of the security officers, who are being paid $24.60 per hour. The full cost for 60 days is $23,616.

City Manager Deric Feacher is using his discretionary funding to cover costs, and he could spend up to $24,998 on the venture without city commissioners’ approval.”

The uniformed foot patrols are a welcome addition downtown. 

“I haven’t seen any of the issues. They completely stopped,” said Al Brewer, owner of Evans & Son Jewelers on Beach Street, located just north of Orange Avenue. “The presence of homeless evaporated 100%. My 93-year-old mother walks up and down Beach Street, and I’m totally happy with her doing that.”

I cannot think of a better testament to the success of the program.

The News-Journal reports that the pilot will continue through mid-June – and if the City Commission approves – contract security will become a “permanent fixture” in the historic downtown. 

Putting resources that provide a sense of safety and stability where it is needed most is the perfect reinvestment – and the very essence of the Community Redevelopment process – transforming challenged areas into thriving commercial districts and healthy neighborhoods.  

The elected and appointed officials of Daytona Beach have shown ingenuity in trying something new to address a seemingly intractable civic and social issue, not afraid of making honest mistakes, think in non-traditional ways, or get creative when challenging the status quo.

I realize foot patrols have been around since Robert Peel walked a beat, but the combination of traditional deterrence measures, community buy-in, and modern technology to suppress nuisance crimes and eliminate vagrancy to support the rebirth of a historic downtown with exciting potential is a smart use of resources. 

In my view, public/private “partnerships” work best when government works to establish an environment conducive to entrepreneurial success – based upon the needs and input of community stakeholders – creating a safe and inviting atmosphere, a sense of place that draws visitors, encourages residents to shop local, incorporates artistic expression, and reimagines the use of public space to attract true economic development.

That is the essence of innovative governance.    

By attempting an unconventional strategy rather than falling back on the same failed tactics – even if a new plan fails, it fails forward – allowing officials and their constituents to learn what works and what does not, turning failure into opportunity, rather than ignoring valuable lessons as often happens in ossified bureaucracies. 

Kudos to Mr. Feacher, Mayor Derrick Henry, and the Daytona Beach City Commission for this unique and useful application of redevelopment funds – and their top-down support of the Riverfront Renaissance!

Angel               Active Citizens of Deltona

“Nay, allow the claim of the dead; stab not the fallen; what prowess is it to slay the slain anew?”

–Sophocles

It’s true.  There is nothing to be gained from beating a dead horse.

That is one of the reasons I stopped opining on the raging dumpster fire that is Deltona government – a rudderless scow whose fate has been left to the whims and fancies of an ever evolving “City Commission” – a governing body in name only whose internecine squabbles, churlish backstabbing, open contempt for concerned residents, and personal agendas have resulted in a revolving door of managers and stand-ins since the tumultuous reign of Jane Shang ended in 2020.

The situation reached its nadir months back when serious people began suggesting the municipality of nearly 100,000 souls disincorporate – pack up the clowns, sweep out the dung, fold up the circus tent – and start over.

Other anxious taxpayers fed-up with the dysfunctional churn considered an appeal to Gov. Ron DeSantis seeking outside intervention.

Horrified observers stood on the sidelines, watching the community flop and twist like a suffocating carp – as more revelations came to light each week, exposing the behind-the-scenes meddling of those melodramatic poseurs on the dais who were seemingly intent on destroying the municipal government from within – all while the ineffectual City Attorney Marsha Segal-George sat idle, playing with her hair and gazing into the ether…    

Those shocking disclosures were made possible by the perseverance of concerned citizen activists – residents repeatedly marginalized and maligned by those they elected to serve their interests – who boldly continued to dig into the murky netherworld of Deltona politics and pull back the curtain on the waste, maladministration, and outright incompetence that continue to threaten the viability of their community.  

I have long admired that undaunted civic spirit and willingness to speak their uncomfortable truth in the face of open hostility from elected and appointed officials – staunchly refusing to give up on their community or their neighbors.

Earlier this week, the Deltona City Commission continued to wrangle with a controversial employment agreement for their next vict…, er, new City Manager – Dale “Doc” Dougherty, formerly of Garden City, Michigan – who rose to the front of the pack after three frontrunners abruptly dropped out of the vetting process and headed for them thar hills…  

According to an article by Al Everson writing in the West Volusia Beacon earlier this month:

“Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila said he had learned of the abrupt changes only within the past day. The number one favorite of the manager-search committee and the city’s executive-search firm, Bakersfield, California, City Manager C. Scott Andrews, dropped out “because of concerns about how the commission treats staff members,” Avila told The Beacon.”

Someone did their homework…

At the end of the day, Mr. Dougherty was unanimously selected after discussions of extending the search succumbed to exasperation, and Mayor Avila issued the less-than-confident capitulation, “We’re not going to find the perfect candidate,” before seeking divine intervention, “I took everybody’s emails into consideration. I prayed about it…”

Some of those same Deltona activists rightfully questioned provisions of “Doc’s” employment contract – generous giveaways that many feel mirrored the exorbitant salary, benefits, and ironclad protections that left taxpayers vulnerable to mercenary managers in the past.

To ensure Deltona residents have confidence in their new manager, the negotiations were extended through Thursday evening when the revised contract passed unanimously.

In an open letter to the Deltona City Commission earlier this week, former County Councilmember and long-time Deltona resident Pat Northey wrote, in part:

“It’s time to bring in an outside professional manager, one with experience and knowledge of how we should operate under a Manager/Commission form of government.  A review of Mr. Dougherty’s resumé and his performance at the Citizen Meet and Greet supports a yes vote to hire.

If you recall, I originally called for a halt to the search and to bring in a crisis manager until after the election. I have since refined that position based on Mr. Dougherty’s experience as a manager. He is the crisis manager we need currently.

Please know that there are those of us that will support you publicly and privately in this hiring. Do not be dissuaded by the naysayers and social media postings that are well meaning but negative about the city and this decision. We look to you, as our elected leadership, to bring us the best and in Doc you have that.”   

I agree with Ms. Northey – after years of roil, toxicity, and umpteen city managers, it is now or never for Deltona – and citizens across Volusia County are watching. 

If you care about good governance in your own hometown, you should care about good governance everywhere. 

In Volusia County, our wonderful mosaic of cities and neighborhoods each bring something unique to the eclectic mix both east and west of the Palmetto Curtain – including a responsibility to contribute to our collective economic vitality, civic reputation, and quality of life. 

That requires maintaining a symbiotic relationship with neighboring communities – a mutually supportive and reciprocal connection that demonstrates consistency, adherence to accepted community standards, and instills confidence in those seeking to invest in the region.

In other words, it is high time Deltona “leaders” come to the realization they are making us all look bad and get on with the people’s business in Volusia’s largest city by population… 

Here’s hoping Doc Dougherty is up to the herculean task of bringing stability, reviving a sense of community pride – and most important – restoring the broken trust of a weary constituency desperately seeking positive change.  

Angel               Circuit Judge Rose Marie Preddy

When it comes to the audacity of some shameless politicians – those egomaniacal self-promoters who accomplish little in the public interest yet fight to hang onto power each election cycle with parasitic tenacity – not much surprises me. 

Don’t take my word for, wait until this year’s “Fun Coast” campaign season begins in earnest – a traditional shitshow of epic proportion – contests that invariably resemble an angry hornet’s nest of mudslinging and name-calling, all punctuated by “glossy mailers” supporting those hand-select marionettes who gain the largesse of influential insiders with a chip in the game.  

Fortunately, those accepted campaign shenanigans are not yet a factor in judicial races, where non-partisanship and trust in the system remain an important part of the electoral process.   That public confidence is due, in part, to Florida’s Code of Judicial Conduct, ethical standards that apply to judges at all levels – including anyone seeking judicial office during an election. 

In fact, Canon 7 of the code directs candidates “…refrain from inappropriate political activity,” including a unique requirement that prohibits making false representations about one’s opponent.  

(Wow.  Just imagine if Canon 7 was equally applied to all political contests?)

This week, we learned that Circuit Judge Rose Marie Preddy is protecting the public trust by standing up for those inviolate principles in a lawsuit filed last week in Leon County. 

According to an exposé in The Daytona Beach News-Journal by reporter Frank Fernandez:

“Former Circuit Judge Scott DuPont, who was removed from the bench by the state Supreme Court which said he was unfit to be a judge in 2018 and later suspended from practicing law, should be barred from running for another seat on the circuit bench because he fails to meet an eligibility requirement, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.

Incumbent Circuit Judge Rose Marie Preddy, whom DuPont has filed qualifying papers this week to challenge for her seat in the Circuit 7 Group 11 race, filed the suit.

The lawsuit cites the Florida Constitution which states that no person will be eligible to be a circuit judge unless he or she has been a member of the Florida Bar for the preceding five years.”

Good for Judge Preddy.  I admire that.   

According to the report, the Florida Supreme Court suspended Mr. DuPont for 91 days in 2019 “…after the court found him guilty of violating multiple Florida Bar rules.”  Because DuPont was precluded from membership in the Florida Bar during the period of his suspension, the lawsuit contends he is ineligible to hold judicial office.

Mr. DuPont disputes the assertion and believes the constitution and rules of the Florida Bar qualify him to run. 

In 2018, DuPont was removed from office by the Florida Supreme Court on recommendation of the Judicial Qualifications Commission that found he showed a “reckless disregard for the truth,” after apparently making false allegations about his political opponent’s family.

At the time, the JQC issued a statement that said, in part:

“Judge DuPont abused his position and showed himself to be unfit by: ordering money taken from litigants unlawfully; intentionally violating judicial campaign rules in a way that caused permanent harm to private citizens; prioritizing campaigning for re-election over lawful performance of his duties; and announcing to the public that he would ignore his judicial oath. Furthermore, Judge DuPont’s testimony to the JQC was, at times, “not worthy of belief.”

Now, Mr. DuPont wants a second bite at the apple? 

Really? 

According to a piece published by Jacob Ogles in Florida Politics this week, Mr. DuPont apparently attempted to explain himself in a 78-minute campaign video posted to YouTube:

“DuPont addressed some of his prior problems in a 78-minute campaign video on YouTube.

“Honesty you know, I may not have been a perfect judge but I was a faithful judge,” he said, “and even though mistakes were made along the way, I left every division better than I found it.”

He also said after his suspension he briefly moved to Virginia and gave up the legal profession.

“There’s nothing wrong with doing lawn care, but going from being an attorney and being a judge to lawn care was the most humbling experience at that time that I had been through,” he said.

Preddy’s lawsuit suggests none of that changes her assertion that DuPont cannot legally serve right now.”

(Full Disclosure: I didn’t watch DuPont’s pitch.  But you can find it here: https://tinyurl.com/5n6s266c )

As a veteran watcher of all-things-politics here on Florida’s “Fun Coast,” the longer I stare into the murky abyss, the more I realize how little I understand about the odd quirks and vainglorious motivations of some candidates for elective office – the shamelessness of those trying desperately to reinvent themselves following scandal and disgrace – or the attention span of apathetic voters who seem to make their choice by blindfolding themselves and throwing darts at some asinine “voters’ guide.”  

All of which reinforces my belief in the vital importance of vigilance during an election cycle to ensuring our collective future…  

Kudos to Judge Preddy for working within the system to keep judicial elections unsullied and worthy of our trust.

Quote of the Week

“Volusia County Schools is excited to announce it is joining Addition Financial Credit Union’s School District Debit Card Program and launching a co-branded Volusia County Schools debit card that will support schools in the district. With the partnership, students, faculty, staff and residents across Volusia County will have the opportunity to actively contribute to their local school district and support education. 

Under the School District Debit Card Program, Addition Financial pledges to donate 3 cents back to Volusia County Schools for every transaction made. 

VCS is thrilled for the partnership and the positive impact it will have for students and the district. 

“Volusia County Schools is appreciative of our partnership with Addition Financial Credit Union and excited about the debut of the VCS debit card for our community,” Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said. “This opportunity will help support programs across the district to enhance student achievement. It is through partners such as Addition Financial that we excel as a school district and a community.”

–Volusia County Schools Press Release, “Volusia County Schools and Addition Financial Credit Union Partner to Launch Co-Branded Debit Card,” April 2024

Thanks, but no thanks… 

I don’t want Superintendent Carmen Balgobin – or those fiscal wunderkinds in her “cabinet” who misapplied finite federal relief dollars and are now shuffling teachers and chopping certain educational programs – within a country mile of my own tenuous finances… 

Recently, we learned that in addition to arts and enrichment electives, Balgobin’s ham-fisted budget slashing will include all but eliminating the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program from Volusia County schools.  A popular program that encourages college readiness in 23 schools throughout the district.

The AVID curriculum will now be available at just three campuses.     

According to an article by Chasidy Ruth writing in the West Volusia Beacon, we learned that during the April 23 School Board meeting, former board member Ida Wright took her former colleagues to the woodshed for their abject failure to get in front of this escalating crisis:

“It’s important that you come up with a plan quickly,” former School Board Member Ida Wright said. “How do we get out of where we are? … I was really disappointed when we had principals put in the hot seat because we never had principals do allocations [budgeting] without district staff.”

I didn’t always agree with Ms. Wright during her tenure on the board, but her assessment of this predictable predicament is spot-on.

In my view, given the dire straits the district’s financial apparatus has foisted on Volusia County taxpayers, teachers, students, and staff – perhaps someone we elected to represent our interests (hint, hint) should hold Balgobin and her senior coterie accountable for gross maladministration and professional assholery?

Or at least order them to complete a financial literacy course…    

Are bake sales next? 

I suppose anything helps when a wobbly bureaucracy finds itself $45.7 million in the hole after inexplicably using one-time federal pandemic relief funds to cover reoccurring operating and personnel costs – an astronomical blunder that has resulted in the “displacement” of some 284 educators, the elimination of popular programs, and widespread angst among teachers, students, and staff.    

Just one reason I don’t want the Volusia County District Schools logo anywhere near my debit card…

In my view, this unfolding debacle presents an important learning opportunity – a cautionary tale – that teaches those young students affected what invariably happens when the federal government pours massive amounts of money onto a problem, with little, if any, direct oversight, the irresponsibility of some senior administrators, and the importance of participating in the political process to hold those ultimately responsible to account at the ballot box.   

And Another Thing!

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

Or, in the case of Flagler Beach, let them join you…

After a Battle Royale by some residents of this once quaint slice of Old Florida, this week we learned that the developer of Veranda Bay (once known as “The Gardens”) – which will ultimately plop hundreds of cracker boxes west of the Intracoastal Waterway along John Anderson Highway – has decided to “voluntarily annex” into Flagler Beach, a small beach town with a wealth of charm and a current population of 5,280.

The move will double the size of Flagler Beach and increase the population by thousands over the next decade… 

In 2020, the Flagler County Commission approved the development on a 3-2 vote over the passionate protest of Flagler Beach officials and residents.    

Guess all that’s water under the soon to be crowded SR-100 bridge now…    

According to a report in FlaglerLive! this week, we were told the courtship by city officials to lure Veranda Bay into the small municipality was not driven by the increased tax base, but a desire to keep the freewheeling sprawl of Palm Coast off its doorstep.

“The city had been assiduously pursuing Veranda Bay to annex, amending its annexation ordinance to make it possible, courting (Veranda Bay developer Ken) Belshe with what amounted to a love letter, and with not a little bit of anticipatory drool, sharply increasing its development impact fees that would disproportionately be generated from Veranda Bay.

Flagler Beach had not sought annexation just to reap the bigger tax base from the higher-end development, but also to buffer itself from Palm Coast in what, in retrospect, may have been exaggerated fears that Palm Coast was also courting Belshe. The city did not want Palm Coast zoning on its borders. Palm Coast said it wasn’t seeking annexation.”

I found it disturbing when the Flagler Beach City Commission capitulated to what they must have seen as the inevitable, and then-Mayor Suzie Johnston wrote in a January pre-annexation letter to Belshe (that was endorsed by the remainder of the elected officials), “We believe and hope you agree that annexation into the city of Flagler Beach at this stage of the development creates an opportunity for us to work together to protect, promote and benefit from all that makes Flagler Beach special.”

The syrupy tone of the letter left some to ponder who was annexing whom… 

Sorry, folks.  Like most of Florida, this is how you lose something special.  Because once that small town ambiance is gone, it can never be recreated. 

In my view, another terribly sad milestone…   

Six years ago, I remember doing my goofy Henny Penny routine in this space over early unchecked sprawl across the width and breadth of Volusia and Flagler Counties – massive growth destroying our environment like a virulent malignancy – threatening to ruin our quality of life, blah, blah, blah.

At the time, perennial politicians – dull tools, bought-and-paid-for by influential real estate development interests who seemed hellbent on ramrodding their benefactor’s obscene version of “progress” – laughed at my raving.   

“Old news, old man.  If you aren’t growing, you’re dying – and there ain’t no profit in useless pine scrub.” 

We were assured that impact fees were sufficient, growth would “pay for itself,” and things like transportation and utilities infrastructure would “evolve” in time. 

They didn’t.

Slash-and-burn land rape became the norm, and the health of Graham Swamp and the headwaters of Bulow Creek be damned – gopher tortoises, wild birds, unique flora, and whitetail deer don’t take 30-year mortgages on three-bed/two-bath zero-lot-line “high end” cracker boxes with “…prices starting in the mid-$200’s.”

Now, “theme,” “active lifestyle,” and “full life” planned unit developments have been carved out of the rapidly diminishing scrub and perversely advertised as “communities” – while established neighborhoods and actual oceanfront areas are left to languish, as the furious orgy of greed moves the real money west – and the actual beach, our greatest natural amenity, became little more than a cheap marketing prop by out-of-town speculative developers…   

I will never understand why some quaint coastal communities, places that have worked hard to maintain the picturesque charm and attributes that set them apart – characteristics many communities are striving and spending to recreate – seem intent on destroying themselves in some grotesque pursuit of a developer’s notion of “progress.” 

When Flagler Beach officials allowed another “Margaritaville” based hotel at A-1-A and SR-100 – what was once beachfront greenspace for songwriter’s festivals, art shows, and farmers markets, now reduced to just another 100-room “theme” hotel trying desperately to recreate a facsimile of what was already there – it was apparent to most it was the beginning of the end.  

Sadly, the “voluntary annexation” of the contrived community of Veranda Bay – ominously marketed as the “Last stretch of Intracoastal property on Florida’s East Coast” – may signal the death knell for one of the most distinct beach communities in Florida. 

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