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           Palm Coast City Council

I find it interesting (if not nauseating) how elected officials at all levels use clever diversions to distract constituents from their complicity in the pressing issues of our time. 

Call it what you want – the “machinations of government,” Parkinson’s Law of Triviality run amok, or “legislative legerdemain” – but it is a well-thought strategic deception employed by conniving politicians to keep uninformed voters focused on anything other than that which is important to their lives and livelihoods.  

For example, in the rapidly expanding City of Palm Coast, a place that this year alone issued development orders for 4,138 residential units with 13,361 already “in the pipeline” – the elected officials are doing everything in their power to accelerate growth behind a smokescreen of trifling matters. 

Now, worried residents are beginning to take notice, and Flagler County watchers believe the rapid pace of malignant sprawl will be a dominant factor in next year’s elections.  

Trust me.  An alert, engaged, and educated electorate is never a good thing for politicians…

Recently, the Palm Coast City Council has been mired in nonsensical discussions of a “Code of Conduct” – something elected officials would be asked to sign – along with a plan to include “background checks” for newly elected office holders (?).

According to a recent article in FlaglerLive!:

“City staff at the Oct. 24 meeting presented an overview of the city’s current policies for how public meetings are conducted and mentioned the option of altering the public comment procedure of workshops to include public comment after each agenda item, as the city does during business meetings.

Mayor David Alfin had requested during a workshop meeting last spring that city staff create a draft code of conduct. Alfin also asked the council to consider requiring background checks for elected officials once they are elected.

Alfin said implementing background checks would put council members on the same level as city employees, who must also pass a background check before they are hired.

“I’m trying to raise the bar so that we are shoulder to shoulder with all of our city staff,” he said.”

Sure you are…

As you may remember, earlier this year, in an informative article by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned that Palm Coast has now surpassed The Lost City of Deltona as the largest municipality by population in Volusia and Flagler Counties.

According to the report, “Alfin, the city’s mayor since 2021, intends to capitalize on Palm Coast’s population feat. “I’ll spare no amount of energy to make sure everybody knows it. It’s good for the community,” he said.

More than that, though, Alfin is stoked about what appears to be another growth surge. The first homes are being built in new developments west of U.S. 1, including Sawmill Branch near Matanzas Woods Parkway, and Reverie, a couple of miles to the south.”

He’s “stoked” all right. 

Did I mention that Mayor Alfin is in the real estate business?

Now, many Palm Coast residents are concerned that their city government seems unwilling or unable to maintain the woefully inadequate existing municipal infrastructure.  But rather than tap the brakes and take a conservative approach to future growth – Mayor Alfin is calling for more, more, more.

“Alfin said that’s only a part of an even larger future-growth exercise the city is undertaking: plotting out the buildout of the city’s land.

“We’re master-planning a doubling of the geographic footprint of the city, 40,000 acres,” Alfin said. “We call it the frontier project or initiative. There is no other swath of land this size that exists on the east side of Florida that can be master-planned.”

In April, the city’s Planning and Land Development Regulation Board approved the massive “Palm Coast Park” – another “development of regional impact,” which will ultimately blanket an area of 4,677 acres with 6,454 cracker boxes – an increase of 3,600 “dwelling units” since the project was initially approved way back in 2004…

But for now, the Palm Coast City Council would prefer residents focus on the minutiae of a “Code of Conduct,” and the tut-tutting of Vice Mayor Ed Danko, who fanned the flames of this contrived tempest in a teapot by grumbling that the unenforceable code would be used as “…a political weapon — if you don’t sign it — that others will use against you.”

Whatever…

Meanwhile, Palm Coast continues to press this strategy of uncontrolled and invasive growth (the same approach used by a cancerous tumor), blanketing Flagler County with no concern for the adverse effects of density, school overcrowding, insufficient public utilities, water quality and quantity, or the expensive services and infrastructure required to sustain it. 

It’s no secret that ignorance, mediocrity, and paltriness have come to dominate local politics – the proof of that is in the quality of governance in Volusia and Flagler Counties – places that have come to define transactional politics, where malleable elected officials owe their political souls to special interests in the real estate development industry who underwrite their campaigns and expect a return on investment. 

Now, that pernicious “arrangement” is coming home to roost in places like Volusia County, Ormond Beach, Palm Coast, and “New Daytona” west of I-95 – but, like the Great and Powerful Oz said, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

Instead, our elected marionettes would prefer we keep our eyes on the jabbering and ruses of those sleight-of-hand artists on the dais of power as they quietly sell our quality of life to the highest bidder… 

Angel               Dr. Pamela Carbiener of Halifax OBGYN

Admittedly, I can be a snarky pain in the ass – sarcastically calling out where the strongman stumbled, or the doer of deeds could have done them better.   

Just part of my charm…

But even an infernal cynic like me understands the importance of giving credit to those who are truly giving of their time and talents to improve our collective quality of life. 

This year, the Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties got it right when they awarded Dr. Pamela Carbiener of Halifax OBGYN the Herbert M. Davidson Award for Community Service at their annual Celebration of Philanthropy on October 24!

In my view, Dr. Carbiener is a true ‘hometown hero,’ working tirelessly to provide quality prenatal care for at-risk mothers, and according to her impressive bio, she has become the “go to” obstetrician for women with addiction, homelessness, and mental illness.

In addition, Dr. Carbiener’s remarkable community involvement includes service as the first medical director of the Rape Crisis Center, founder of COPE, Halifax Board of Commissioners, and service on the boards of Healthy Start, Healthy Communities, the Bert Fish Foundation, The Daytona State College Center for Women and Men, the Halifax Health Foundation, the Daytona Blues Festival and the Stewart Marchman Act Foundation, among many other notable contributions.

Thanks to Dr. Carbiener’s dedication, leadership, and fundraising efforts, expectant mothers – regardless of circumstance – now have access to quality prenatal care. 

In addition, Priscilla Chanfrau of Adams, Cameron and Co. was recognized with the Community Champion Award.

According to the Ormond Beach Observer, “Chanfrau is involved on many community boards including the Daytona Beach Police Foundation, Rotary of Daytona Beach, Checkered Flag Committee, Junior League, Daytona Regional Chamber Young Professionals Group, the Adams Cameron Foundation, and the Civic League.”

Very impressive. 

Kudos to the Community Foundation and United Way for selecting these most deserving recipients for this special recognition!

Asshole           City of Daytona Beach Redevelopment Division

Sometimes I question our civic priorities here in the land of haves and have nots. 

A place where money matters, and you don’t.

This week, we learned that two long-established food pantries were summarily closed by ministerial edict of the City of Daytona Beach citing an ordinance that prohibits the distribution of food to those less fortunate within designated redevelopment areas… 

I guess withholding lifegiving sustenance to hungry families is one way to keep the riffraff out, eh? 

Last Friday, Daytona Beach officials visited First Christian Church on South Palmetto Avenue and Seventh Day Baptist Church on Live Oak Avenue – both located within the vast food desert that is the Downtown Redevelopment Area – and ordered them to cease their food drives. 

The enforcement action came as a surprise for both houses of worship, as the food pantries were serving the community long before the ordinance was passed in 2012 – a previously lawful undertaking that many believe should have been “grandfathered” in.

According to an informative report by WESH-2, “In an email from the city, they say residents and business owners complained about loitering and traffic issues at both churches.”

Really? 

I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but some might consider the increase in traffic and “loitering” an indicator of an unfulfilled need in the area – rather than a trigger for draconian enforcement action. 

Besides, with the Holidays just around the corner, why now? 

Fortunately, according to a report this week in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the churches have a friend in area attorney Chobee Ebbets:

“Thanks to the pro bono help of a longtime local attorney whose law office building is in the middle of the two churches, the city decided this week First Christian Church can resume its food pantry distributions immediately. The situation for Seventh Day Baptist Church is more complicated since its food pantry hasn’t been open as long, but attorney Chobee Ebbets is hopeful he can lock in an agreement with the city to get that parish’s small pantry up and running again soon, too.

“Today I saw people with carts turned away,” said Ebbets, whose law office is in a 113-year-old coquina house next door to Seventh Day Baptist Church.

Ebbets doesn’t want to see anyone else sadly walking back home with an empty cart or bag. He said he’ll sue the city if it doesn’t allow the Seventh Day Baptist Church pantry to reopen soon — and without penalty.”

Thank you, Mr. Ebbets!

I suspect the complaint that spurred the crackdown did not originate from the elected and appointed officials at City Hall – but from someone who, with a full belly, decided that the distribution of food to needy families doesn’t comport with their haughty vision of “progress” and “revitalization” – which, in Volusia County, typically translates to well-connected insiders using public funds to underwrite their for-profit endeavors in redevelopment areas…

Sound familiar? 

The fact is food pantries throughout Volusia County provide nourishment to those experiencing food insecurity.  For instance, the venerated Jerry Doliner Food Bank in Ormond Beach helps feed hundreds of families in Volusia and Flagler Counties each year. 

Look, I’m not the most pious guy you know.  Just another unrepentant sinner making his way in a world gone mad – and my generosity is leavened by the old saw, “Charity begins at home…” 

Which translates to “I’m a cheap bastard…” 

But (try as I might), I am not indifferent to the suffering of others – and hard-earned experience has taught that life can be unfair to all of us.  Unfortunately, we live in a time when rampant inflation has stressed family budgets, leaving many just one illness, tragic accident, or missed paycheck away from financial ruin – and the frayed mesh on our tattered and torn societal “safety net” is getting wider all the time.

One characteristic of a healthy community is a sensitivity to the needs of those less fortunate – a concern for the “least among us” – or at least a willingness to get the hell out of the way while others provide for the welfare of those who need help. 

As community compassion declines, so do our civic values – respect for human dignity, a willingness to confront injustice, kindness, empathy, generosity, and acceptance – the moral imperatives of living together as a society.

Screw it.  Who cares, right?

Seriously.  Who among us cares?

Look, I talk a good line, but like Somerset Maugham wrote in The Razor’s Edge, “It is easy to be a holy man at the top of a mountain.”

At least I’m willing to admit my own hypocrisy. I just wish our local ‘powers that be’ would…

According to the City of Daytona Beach’s Downtown Redevelopment Area Plan (as amended August 4, 2010 (?)), “It is anticipated that physical and social conditions in the areas of greatest need will improve as resources are targeted to improve public safety as well as better manage destabilizing influences associated with socio-economic factors.”

I guess when that doesn’t go to plan, they simply forcibly “improve” social conditions at the point of a legislative spear, eh?  

I wish our elected and appointed officials would admit that it is much more convenient to sweep the ugly and unpleasant under the rug from their comfortably appointed offices – to hide the blemishes and “destabilizing influences” from public view using any bureaucratic means necessary – and create an attractive façade that will encourage entrepreneurial investment rather than address the long-term factors that contribute to blight and hunger.   

Unfortunately, dealing with those core issues that have plagued areas of the Halifax area for years – and developing an integrated approach and comprehensive vision for reversing years of civic neglect – is going to require more thought than turning away hungry families during this season of giving…     

Quote of the Week

“Santiago made the motion at the council’s Oct. 17 meeting to explore amending the county’s North U.S. 1 Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement with Ormond Beach, first adopted in 2014. The agreement established a municipal service area to encourage coordination in planning, service delivery and boundary adjustments between the two government bodies.

The agreement currently only includes properties on the northeast side of U.S. 1. In a statement on Friday, the city said that the county’s proposal to expand the ISBA to include the property at 874 Hull Road would prohibit the city from being able to deny utilities and annexation.

“As previously stated, we believe there is no benefit to the citizens of Volusia County for this property to be annexed and zoned within Ormond Beach because it would grant the developer utilities and rights that it does not now have,” the statement said.

Currently, the city is trying to eliminate its I-2 “Heavy Industrial” zoning district from its code.

Councilman Troy Kent and Council Chair Jeff Brower voted against the resolution, saying moving forward with amending the ISBA could strain relations between the city and the county.  (In fact, Chairman Brower voted for the resolution, with Kent casting the lone “no” vote.)

“I think keeping this on, we’re in a situation where we continue to incite negative feelings between the two government bodies and that’s not my goal here,” Kent said.”

–As excerpted from an informative article by Jarleene Almenas, writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “County Council takes step to amend agreement that Ormond says could force it to annex fuel farm,” Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Anyone who still questions why most area municipalities refuse to trust Volusia County government need look no further than Tuesday’s continuing legislative legerdemain by Councilman David “Houdini” Santiago.

Although the City of Ormond Beach has repeatedly said it does not want to include the property at 874 Hull Road – the site of the proposed Belvedere Terminals bulk fuel facility – in its interlocal service boundary agreement with Volusia County, earlier this week, the Volusia County Council said, “who gives a shit what you want?” to Ormond Beach residents in a 6-1 vote to force the discussion anyway…

Councilman Troy Kent cast the lone “no” vote to deny the resolution.

Prior to the vote, in a statement before the Volusia County Council, Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington (speaking with a passion just above congealed wallpaper paste) used his three-minute audience to reiterate that there is no benefit to Ormond Beach residents in annexing the Hull Road property as it would grant Belvedere even more rights than it currently enjoys. 

In addition, the Volusia County Council also voted unanimously to direct county staff to initiate negotiations with the landowner – Florida East Coast Railway (which, like Belvedere, is a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico) — regarding the possibility of Volusia County taxpayers leasing or purchasing the land (?)…

Then, in the most shocking revelation of the meeting, during a briefing on Volusia County’s legislative priorities for the 2024 session, Deputy County Manager Suzanne Konchan “threw a curveball” (her words, not mine) when she reported – in an off-the-agenda bombshell – that Volusia County will seek $4.5 million from state coffers for a possible “alternative location” for the Belvedere fuel terminal. 

Say what?

According to Konchan, county staff will work with state Rep. Tom Leek’s office and lobbying firm Southern Strategies to present an independent “appropriations document” seeking public funds to underwrite Grupo Mexico’s relocation of the proposed fuel facility… 

I guess if you can’t beat ‘em – become business partners with ‘em, eh?

If I understood Ms. Konchon (and I’m not sure I did), the funds would be used if “…it is necessary to help prepare an alternative site with, say, utilities or road infrastructure to relocate the facility to a more appropriate place than its current site.”

Whoa. 

In my view, like leasing or purchasing the property, that sets another dangerous precedent for any developer who wants to hold Volusia County taxpayer’s hostage in the future…

Something tells me that our elected and appointed officials ‘asleep at the wheel’ approach to this extremely volatile (pun frighteningly intended) issue is going to prove costly for Florida taxpayers. 

I don’t make this shit up, folks. 

Even with my Mittyesque imagination, I couldn’t if I tried…    

I can say that, as a veteran observer of the raging dumpster fire that is Volusia County politics, I often judge present Volusia County Council members by the dysfunction of previous councils. 

I hate to say it, but it is now clear that those who made up past iterations of this elective body couldn’t carry the jockstraps of those numbskulls who currently inhabit the dais in terms of gross ineffectiveness, ineptitude, and penchant for public policy by ambush… 

And Another Thing!

As the young folks say, “WTF?”

Earlier this week, area residents were flabbergasted by a glaring headline in FlaglerLive! – “A Student Is Bitten By a Wild Rat at Buddy Taylor Middle School’s Farm; Teacher Reprimanded” – the story, also reported by The Daytona Beach News-Journal and other regional news outlets, chronicled a district investigation into an agriculture teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle School in Palm Coast who exposed students to angry rodents when she flushed a colony of rats out of a hole. 

Trust me.  That’s not the weirdest thing that happened in Volusia and Flagler County schools in recent weeks…   

In September, everyone in the Free World became aware of a horribly ill-advised plan hatched by a few so-called “educators” at Bunnell Elementary School that segregated Black fourth and fifth grade students from their classmates, brought them into the cafeteria, and subjected them to a now infamous five slide PowerPoint presentation entitled “AA (African American) Presentation.”

The presentation, rife with grammatical errors, was ostensibly intended to increase standardized test scores – even though some of the students forced to endure the lecture were already earning A’s and B’s.   

Sadly, these segregated “assemblies” involved teachers frightening children with threats they could end up in jail or dead if they failed to excel – then pitted students against one another in a strange scholastic “competition” that would earn the winners a meal at McDonald’s…

Then came a series of highly publicized violent incidents on Flagler County campuses – to include a wild donnybrook at Matanzas High School that resulted in the arrest of eleven students – followed by the arrest of a 14-year-old student at Indian Trails Middle School who allegedly pulled a knife on other students after an on-campus fight. 

In October, we learned that school officials mistakenly transferred $719,583.20 to a fraudulent vendors account – the result of a cybertheft – with Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly recently reporting that the money is unlikely to be recovered… 

Last week, the Flagler County School Board was back in the news facing righteous criticism of “fiscal irresponsibility” and “unjust actions” as it staggers deeper into the process of unlawfully terminating board attorney Kristy Gavin, who has served the district for the past seventeen years.

I could go on, but I won’t – because Volusia County District Schools takes the cake this week… 

In a disturbing story that made the rounds on social media this week, after Volusia County District Schools imported teachers from the Philippines to compensate for its inability to recruit and retain qualified teachers at home, district officials apparently forgot that those émigrés would need, oh, a roof over their heads, basic home furnishings, bedding, the necessities of life, etc., etc. – which resulted in a private request for donations on Facebook earlier this week.

You read that right.

Although many generously responded with donated items, others rightfully questioned how the senior leadership of Volusia County Schools could contract with foreign teachers, then ignore their basic needs once they travelled halfway around the globe? 

Then, on Tuesday, Volusia County Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and members of the School Board embarrassed themselves by sending the “B team” consisting of Interim Chief Operating Officer Patricia Corr (who had been in the position for five-days) and Deputy Superintendent Rachel Hazel to appear before the Volusia County Council and present a proposal seeking $350,000 to fund seven additional School Resource Deputies under the terms of an existing agreement with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

According to reports, the School Resource Deputy Agreement states that Volusia County Schools responsibility is 55% while the Sheriff’s Office pays 45% for school resource deputies.

During Corr’s half-assed presentation – devoid of financial and operational specifics – we learned that additional Resource Deputies are needed at Galaxy, Deltona, Heritage, Holly Hill, Creekside, Silver Sands, and Southwestern Middle Schools – along with the shocking revelation that in the first quarter alone there have been 647 incidents of hitting, striking, or fighting in Volusia County middle schools.

According to the presentation, law enforcement has responded to the schools listed in the request 409 times between August 14 and October 6. 

(Damn.  These schools don’t need a deputy – they need a substation…)

In the important discussion that followed, council members asked – with annual budgets for Volusia County, the School District, and the Sheriff’s Office already established – why wouldn’t the Volusia County School Board simply use its ample reserve funds (now estimated at $27 million) to cover the cost of the additional deputies? 

Good question…

Superintendent Balgobin’s conspicuous absence – and the ham-handed way the district’s request was brought forth – seemed to catch Sheriff Michael Chitwood off guard, “I was a little disappointed that my friend, the superintendent, wasn’t here and that the CFO was not here and no one from the school board was here.”

Me too.

After what passed for “negotiations,” it was determined that if the Volusia County Council didn’t pony up the requested funds – the district would simply maintain the status quo – keeping armed guardians in the middle schools rather than fund the sworn law enforcement positions by other means…  

The most pointed questions of the day came from Councilman Troy Kent, a school administrator himself, who clearly had the wholly unprepared Corr and Hazel on their heels with his pointed interrogation.

Before the vote, Mr. Kent remarked, “It’s borderline disrespectful, in my opinion, to come hat in hand asking for money and not having your ducks in a row, with basic statistics ready to go.”

To their credit, the Volusia County Council voted unanimously to deny the request – with Councilman David Santiago admonishing the School Board to have their “house in order” before they come back grubbing for money.  

Wow.  How humiliating for the hapless Volusia County School Board… 

After the rejection, a terse response wafted down like a foul odor from the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand, which said, in part:

“The discussion that took place this morning regarding the district’s budget and reserves was not relevant to the financial considerations of the interlocal agreement.

VCS previously had school resource deputies in these seven schools, which were removed during the pandemic and replaced with school guardians due to staffing issues.

VSO has supported this initiative and assured VCS that they had the personnel to support these safety measures in our schools if the funding was approved.

The safety and security of our students and staff is, and always will be, the top priority of Volusia County Schools, the Volusia County School Board, Superintendent Dr. Balgobin, and all Volusia County Schools staff members.”

Really? 

So, why are district executives suddenly comfortable with the status quo? 

My God.

According to a September article by Mary Ellen Ritter in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“Volusia County Schools approved its budget of over $1.4 billion, an increase of more than $40 million over the current year and the county’s largest budget.

The new tax rate is 5.409, .073 less than the previous rate. Still, that rate is 9.26% higher than what’s needed to bring in the same amount of revenue, according to the school district.”

In addition, “Flagler Schools approved a budget of over $324.9 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year, an increase of more than $123 million over the current year’s budget.

This year’s tax rate is 5.403, .143 less than the previous rate. But that millage rate is 3.22% greater than what’s needed to bring in the same amount of property tax revenue for Flagler Schools.”

Perhaps it is time for We, The Little People to start asking how our hard-earned tax dollars are being spent – and just who is ultimately responsible for this ongoing shit-show that is Volusia and Flagler County Schools?

Then let our thoughts be known at the ballot box…    

That’s all for me.  Have a great time at the Daytona Beach Greek Festival this weekend, 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:

Asshole           Deltona Commissioner Tom Burbank

You can tell a lot about someone’s character by how they treat those less fortunate. 

The instinct to help or hurt others when they are at a disadvantage tells me all I need to know about a person’s values. Once again, Deltona City Commissioner Tom Burbank has proven himself a classless asshole with the uber-weird impulses of a broke-back snake and a narcissistic compulsion for cruelty. 

Last week, Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. appeared on regional media outlets to bring attention to the critical lack of affordable housing options in Central Florida.  As an example, Avila announced his family is struggling to meet monthly living expenses with rent now at $1,640 a month for a three-bedroom house in Deltona.

“When you’re trying your best and everything is working against you, it’s very disheartening,” Avila said. 

According to the United Way, Mayor Avila isn’t alone. 

Last year, a report found that 45,000 households in Volusia and Flagler Counties are considered rent burdened. 

During an interview, Mayor Avila acknowledged he is pursuing additional jobs to help make ends meet for his young family, “I’m already looking to get another job,” he said. “So, I’m going to be working multiple jobs, plus whatever I do here as well.”

I think most people have been similarly situated at some point in their lives.  I have… 

Mayor Avila’s willingness to use his personal struggles to highlight a growing problem takes courage, and his openness humanizes the issue of affordable housing in Volusia County, where a resident needs to earn $25.04 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment at a fair-market rent of $1,302 a month.

The average wage for renters in Volusia is estimated at $17.48 an hour.    

At present, the average rental rate in Deltona is $1,900 a month…

In a message of encouragement to the community, Mayor Avila recently wrote on social media, “We may be facing difficulties, but together, we’ll find a way. Let’s keep our community strong, vibrant, and accessible to all. Stay tuned for updates on the progress we make, and let’s work together to ensure a brighter future for Deltona.”

So, how did Mayor Avila’s “colleague” Commissioner Tom Burbank contribute to this important conversation?

On Wednesday, October 25, at 6:00am, Commissioner Burbank wrote to Mayor Avila using their official City of Deltona email accounts:

“Junior,

Reaching out to you on this platform in the hopes that one of your acolytes is still getting copies of all my emails.  I would love this to go public.

To the point:

I’ve de-nutted hogs that whined less than you.  You be acting like you’re somehow surprised that you can’t make 20K in rent on a job that pays 15K.  Successful business owner?

Recall these words?  “I am also proficient in sales, marketing, various types of account knowledge and set-up, cash management, accounting, and investment services.  I am skilled in attaining sales and profit objectives in competitive environment.”  

Proficient?  You’ve a history of bad checks, evictions, and loan defaults.  Without assistance and given your single digit credit rating you’re going to have a hard time finding a place to live in Deltona.  You spread lies about colleagues.  I hear Pierson is nice.

Had you not proven to be such an intense pain in my ass I would be tempted to feel sorry for you.  However………

You reap what you sow, right?  “Ponder the path of your feet…remove your foot from evil.”  Proverbs 4:26-27

Tom Burbank

Veteran, senior citizen on a fixed income, disabled and yet somehow able to pay my bills on time on time (sic).”

You may remember that the City of Deltona recently settled a lawsuit with resident Nick Lulli, a private citizen who, quite by surprise, was ambushed and horribly slandered by Commissioner Burbank on social media when Lulli announced he was considering a run for the City Commission in 2024.

According to a release issued by Mr. Lulli in September:

“In February, Burbank, the District 1 Commissioner, wrote untrue statements on Lulli’s Facebook page in an attempt to influence the 2024 election. The statements included homophobic tropes that caused community outrage and led the Commission to censure Burbank for his actions. Lulli, who is now officially a candidate for the District 6 Commissioner seat, did not know Burbank prior to the social media assault.

Lulli subsequently sued the City and Burbank in Volusia County Small Claims Court, alleging the statements were libelous and also claiming the City and Burbank had violated the Sunshine Laws by secretly coordinating potential legislation outside of a public meeting. The $8000 lawsuit was considered symbolic in nature and only intended to compensate Lulli’s legal fees and time. Lulli represented himself and wrote the historic lawsuit which was settled for its original value.”

Now that the good citizens of Deltona have paid dearly for Commissioner Burbank’s vile impulses – rather than learn a valuable lesson – Burbank now shifts his attention-seeking harrying to a fellow elected official who attempted to bring attention to a pressing civic issue faced by communities throughout the state. 

What gives? 

Smarter people than me are seriously concerned about the direction of the Lost City of Deltona, with many stakeholders quietly worried about how Burbank’s unchecked lunacy will affect efforts to recruit the city’s umpteenth City Manager…   

In my view, it is now obvious that Mr. Burbank’s cheese has slipped off his cracker – and unchecked power in the hands of someone incapable of controlling their base impulses can be dangerous – and expensive.   

If the Deltona City Commission is unable or unwilling to address this continuing embarrassment – then it is incumbent upon voters to take all legal steps to recall Mr. Burbank and remove him from office. 

In Florida, the governor has the right and responsibility to suspend elected and appointed officials for wrongdoing, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or incompetence.  Since 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis has exercised that power some twenty-three times to remove mayors, school board members, a sheriff, and two state prosecutors.   

Look, I realize in Volusia County we have set an extremely low bar for the conduct and effectiveness of elected officials.  But even by our whale shit metric, Commissioner Burbank has repeatedly proven that he lacks the basic competence and restraint to responsibly conduct the powers and duties of an elected representative of the City of Deltona.

In my view, allowing Burbank to crash about like a tempestuous monkey with a knife – intentionally destroying the reputations of others from his lofty perch, pushing the envelope of Florida’s Sunshine Law, and further eroding the public’s trust in their government – is irresponsible and counter to the concept of good governance in Volusia’s largest municipality. 

Asshole           City of Ormond Beach  

It appears the residents of Ormond Beach are now the first soldiers to be drafted in the coming War for Water this week when City Attorney Randy Hayes filed a lawsuit against developers of the tony Hunter’s Ridge subdivision and our neighbors to the north in Flagler County.

Why?

Well, to hear the City of Ormond Beach tell it, the current developer – U.S. Capital Alliance – is now in noncompliance of a 30-year-old agreement when they failed to deed some 300 acres of conservation lands to the city; and, in 2017, issued Flagler County a 60’ wide public road easement through the conservation area on a rutted dirt trail known as “40-Grade” and failed to adhere to a hydroperiod restoration plan as required by the original development order.

According to city officials, the real fear is that Flagler County will build a road connecting points north to the already congested State Road 40 – something of grave concern to existing residents with the specter of the 10,000 home Avalon Park looming on the horizon… 

Although the Ormond Beach side of Hunter’s Ridge is built out, the real teeth in the noncompliance ruling is that Ormond Beach will not provide utilities for new homes built on the Flagler County side of Hunter’s Ridge. 

According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer by Jarleene Almenas and Sierra Williams:

“The city filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief on Friday, Oct. 27, writing that the city “has suffered damages as a result of the developer’s non-compliance and continues to suffer damages as a result of the developer’s non-compliance.”

The developer and his attorney were unaware that a lawsuit had been filed until the Observer reached out for comment.

“I think it speaks to the fact that Ormond Beach has never been open to discussion on this matter,” said Jake Beren, chief operating officer of Hunters Ridge Acquisition and Development LLC. “There has always been accusations. There has never been a nuanced conversation.”

In my view, it is becoming clear that what is really driving the city’s belligerence is the gravest issue of our time – access to drinking water in this age of greed-fueled overdevelopment. 

According to the Observer, Jake Beren, chief operating officer of Hunters Ridge Acquisition and Development LLC, explained: 

“He believes the issue goes back to the city wanting to build wells on the conservation parcel, pointing to the fact that the $20 million project was included in the city’s recently approved Capital Improvement Plan, slated to be budgeted in the 2027-2028 fiscal year.

Flagler County attorney Sean Moylan told the Observer that Hayes’ claim in the Oct. 25 meeting that discussions of wells on Flagler County land were only “informal discussions” between staff was not true.

Ormond Beach staff requested and received a special use easement onto Flagler County lands to build wells from the Flagler County Commission in June of 2021, Moylan said, pending the city’s receipt of approval from the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Audubon Society.

“It was much more than just conversations,” he said. “And the irony, again, is that they wanted to use 40 Grade.”

Adding credence to the developer’s allegation is the City of Ormond Beach sat on its thumb for over thirty-years before blindsiding Hunter’s Ridge and Flagler County with a one-two combination of a noncompliance ruling and lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief.

So, why the urgency? 

According to the report, both the developer, and Flagler County, were under the impression the noncompliance ruling allowed them 60-days to find solutions – only to be served with a lawsuit – and learn from the City Attorney that the “60-day timeframe was removed “to accommodate corrective action that might require more time to complete.”

Something’s fishy…  

Look, I don’t have a grain of sympathy in this beat-up old heart for real estate developers – but, as an Ormond Beach taxpayer, I also don’t appreciate having some very expensive wool pulled over my eyes by antsy city officials who got caught with their pants down rubber stamping development without an adequate water supply. 

In my view, we’re seeing the disastrous result of what occurs when insatiable developers and the politicians they feed with campaign contributions – exceed what the environment can support and sustain over time. 

It appears Ormond Beach officials are finally coming to the realization why We, The Little People are rightly concerned about increased density, traffic congestion, and the environmental impacts of unchecked sprawl – those things we see with our own eyes – and why these concerns will have a drastic impact on next year’s elections.   

Angel               Friends of Volusia’s Dog-Friendly Beach

In an unusual departure from the “No Fun Zone” (a/k/a area beaches), this summer, the Volusia County Council voted 6-1 to approve an 18-month pilot to evaluate allowing dogs on the beach along a section between Milsap Road and Rockefeller Drive in Ormond Beach. 

The program officially began on Wednesday. 

This unique project represents the first time in some three-decades that We, The Little People were thrown a bone (pun intended…) by those we elect and appoint to represent our interests.

It hasn’t been an easy fight. 

When he took office in January, District 4 Councilman Troy Kent resurrected the idea of establishing limited dog friendly sections of the beach in each coastal community – a suggestion that brought out Volusia County’s Guardians of the Status Quo who raised a series of asinine hurdles, including not-so-veiled threats that allowing dogs on the beach in Ormond-by-the-Sea could violate terms of the county’s incidental take permit with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, contraventions that could jeopardize our long tradition of beach driving…

Adding to the purely political barriers, senior staff members reported astronomically inflated expenses for allowing dogs to visit the beach under tight controls – including expanding the bureaucracy with a full-time animal control officer to patrol the .06-mile section of the shoreline – coupled with a vocal minority who claimed the measure signaled Armageddon for Volusia County beachgoers. 

In other words, the same “packs of vicious curs fouling the sand” scary stories that were used to quash the suggestion in 2014 and again in 2021.  To ensure the current initiative didn’t receive unanimous support, Councilman Don Dempsey (who seems to loathe everything east of the Palmetto Curtain) cast the lone “No” vote…   

Whatever.

Ultimately, a suitable section of the strand was identified in Ormond Beach.

Following the vote to approve the project in July, Councilman Kent said, “We are going to make history in Volusia County… I am absolutely blown away. This is my favorite type of partnership, which is a public/private partnership, where you, the public, have said you will help and assist to make this wildly successful.”

I wholeheartedly agree. 

Because positive change never comes easy in Volusia County…

Thanks to the efforts of Nannette McKeel Petrella and her group Daytona Dog Beach, Inc., the passionate residents who approached their elected officials and spoke in favor in the measure, and the incredible generosity of local philanthropists Nancy and Lowell Lohman – who pledged a $100,000 donation to help fund the pilot program – tomorrow morning, Volusia County officials and pet owners will gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony just north of the Milsap Road ramp in Ormond Beach, beginning at 9:00am.

Kudos to everyone who worked hard to see this dog-friendly beach pilot a reality! 

Angel               Historian Jordan Tyler Hobson 

We live in a place rich in history. 

Good and bad…  

Ours is a fascinating story of pioneer families who carved out a life amongst the coastal scrub – overcoming the privations, bugs, storms, heat, and adversities to create a mosaic of enduring communities here on Florida’s “Fun Coast.”

A place that continues to exorcise the demons of our notorious past – somewhere the Orlando Sentinel once described as a “…quagmire of violent crime and political corruption…”

Unfortunately, we also live in a time when many of our historic structures and old growth forests have fallen to a speculative developer’s notion of “progress” – or succumbed to the pernicious practice of “strategic neglect” – a malicious custom where local governments withhold preventative maintenance at certain publicly-owned facilities and allow them to rot in place until they reach such a deplorable state that demolition and expensive replacement becomes the only viable option.

But one local man is renewing interest in our area’s historic past. 

I had the opportunity to meet Jordan Hobson last year when I briefly came out of retirement to give him a tour of the Holly Hill Police Department – one of my favorite places in the world – located on the first floor of the beautiful coquina building that has been home to the community’s historic City Hall since its completion in 1942. 

As vice president of the Holly Hill Historic Preservation Society, Mr. Hobson has worked tirelessly with other area researchers – such as Don Williamson, a local treasure who possesses a trove of valuable knowledge about the early days of Volusia County – to document the history of the Halifax area one building, one home, and one majestic tree at a time. 

Several years ago, during a hike near Bulow Creek State Park, Mr. Hobson discovered one of Florida’s largest live oak trees still in existence.     

Most recently, Mr. Hobson published the fascinating book “Historic Homes of East Volusia,” documenting the architecture and historical significance of 95 area homes, along with stories of the interesting souls who inhabited them through the years. 

According to an excellent review by Charles Guarria writing in Hometown News Volusia, “Within its pages, you will read about George F. Johnson, a Volusia County resident who popularized the 40-hour work week. And Simon J. Peabody, the gentleman who donated land that cleared the way for the original Peabody Auditorium.

Another interesting story is that of Fred Merkle. He retired to Daytona Beach after a good major league baseball career. Mr. Merkle became infamous for a base running mistake that cost the 1908 New York Giants a pennant. The mistake is known as Merkle’s Boner, and the game he made the mistake in has been referred to as one of the most controversial in baseball history.”

A portion of book sales will be donated to the Holly Hill Historic Preservation Society. 

For more information, follow Mr. Hobson’s Facebook page Holly Hill FL/East Volusia History HQ or stop by the society at 1066 Ridgewood Avenue. 

Quote of the Week

“Volusia County has a robust public safety system serving its citizens every day, with trained professionals in law enforcement, fire, EMS, emergency management and many other disciplines working together to deal with the challenges posed by rapid growth,” Chitwood wrote. “However, the large ‘fuel farm’ project Belvedere Terminals is proposing in our community has created a new threat to the sense of safety of all who live, work, and do business in Ormond Beach and surrounding areas.”

–Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood, voicing his opposition to the proposed 13-million-gallon fuel farm in an open letter to Belvedere Terminals, Monday, October 30, 2023

This week, I took an early drive to St. Augustine. 

It was one of those cool fall mornings in Florida when the temperature and dew point reach the same value and a blanket of fog forms limiting visibility to well less than a mile.

On Tuesday morning, the only thing missing was Sherlock Holmes, wreathed in the murky mist, trying to enter traffic from Love’s trust stop at Destination Daytona…  

As I drove north on US-1, I saw a series of large dump trucks emerge from the thick vapor hauling loads of fill dirt to change the topography on any one of a thousand active construction sites between Ormond Beach and Flagler County, belching think plumes of diesel smoke as they roared along through the misty morning. 

I thought about what that scene would look like as massive trains unload bulk fuel at the proposed Belvedere facility on Hull Road as a 24/7 convoy of tanker trucks resupply and enter traffic at the unsignalized intersection of US-1.

Yeah.  I know…   

In an interesting development on Wednesday, the City of Ormond Beach issued a cryptic release on social media:

“In response to the action taken by the County Council at their last meeting, City and County staff met today to analyze and explore cooperative solutions to the 874 Hull Road Property. Jointly, staffs are reviewing all legal options to permanently acquire the property, which could include eminent domain.”

Time will tell what that means… 

Regardless, it was refreshing to hear Sheriff Chitwood shoot straight and call the proposed Belvedere Terminal what it is – a public safety threat – one that will adversely affect the lives of thousands of Ormond Beach residents who will be forced to deal with the deleterious consequences of living in proximity to a potential disaster – worried taxpayers who are fighting valiantly for the safety of their children, property values, and quality of life…

Here’s hoping Belvedere officials will take heed of Sheriff Chitwood’s wise warning and work cooperatively with Volusia County officials to find a more appropriate location for their terminal.

And Another Thing!  

“After listening to dozens of citizens for and against the project, the Daytona Beach Planning Board on Thursday night unanimously recommended approval of developers’ revised plans for a 25-story condominium- hotel at A-1-A and Silver Beach Avenue.

“It has met the requirements, no matter how much opposed I am emotionally,” said Planning Board member Milverton Robinson. “I have no choice, but to say yes.”

The Silver Beach Hotel project’s fate now rests with the City Commission, which will conduct a first reading on Dec. 6. A second reading and public hearing, where the final decision is expected, is set for Dec. 20.”

–Business Editor Clayton Park, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Planning Board OKs revised hotel plans,” Sunday, October 29, 2023

I don’t know about you, but I believe the time has come to disband the various governmental “planning boards,” “development review committees,” and the other political insulation klatches that help create the façade our elected officials have any control over land development and growth management. 

Because they don’t.

That’s what happens with politicians sell their political souls to well-heeled special interests with a profit motive…

We can also do away with these time-wasting “developer-initiated neighborhood meetings” – where frightened residents give powerful testimony about how (insert the next sprawling subdivision or sky-high condo-hotel project here) will adversely impact their property and the livability of their community – while the out-of-town developer du jour and their land use attorneys shoot the cuffs on their expensive suits, look at their Patek Philippe, and impatiently wait for the hayseeds to quiet, safe in the knowledge the fix is in.

They know approval is a foregone conclusion, and it is only a matter of time before rubes like the Daytona Beach Planning Board mewl, “We have no choice” and rubber stamp their project…    

Bullshit.

Florida generally, and Volusia County specifically, has become the exclusive playground for insatiable speculative land rapists – and their bought and paid for marionettes in Tallahassee have paved the way for them to pave over every square inch of greenspace – while our environment, natural resources, and quality of life are sacrificed on the altar of greed…

At a time when South Peninsula beachfront homeowners are working desperately to prevent their homes from crumbling into the sea – fighting a losing battle with incessant coastal erosion – as taxpayers take the hit for shoring up miles of shoreline while time and tide work to reclaim that which belongs to nature as insurance carriers flee the state – last week, a smarmy Miami developer won initial approval to build an ugly 25-story high-rise on a parcel just south of Silver Beach Avenue east of A-1-A. 

Madness.

According to the News-Journal report, “Beachside resident Paul Zimmerman is vice president of a beach driving citizens advocacy group called Sons of the Beach who has been vocal in his opposition to new high-rise projects east of A1A. “It was disappointing, but we don’t feel defeated,” he said of the Planning Board’s vote. “We’re going to continue to fight and hold fast to our position.”

Good luck, friends…

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend at the 100^th Volusia County Fair & Youth Show, 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:

Happy Halloween! 

You know, I spent my life as a Holly Hill cop – which means haunted houses don’t do much for me…

But in the spirit of the season, here are a few spine-chilling horror stories about our local newsmakers that should scare the hell out of you. 

Trick or treat, y’all!   

Asshole           Volusia County Council

If so much weren’t at stake for so many, the shoving match between Volusia County and the City of Ormond Beach over the proposed Belvedere Terminals bulk fuel facility would be funny as hell.

Unfortunately, this is no joke…   

Last week, the Volusia County Council followed the lead of Councilman David Santiago – a veteran politician who knows the ins-and-outs of legislative legerdemain – who suggested amendments to the North U.S. 1 Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement with the City of Ormond Beach ostensibly as a means of skirting the provisions of Senate Bill 250.

According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer:

“The law Santiago was referring to is Senate Bill 250, signed by the governor in June. It disallows local governments located within 100 miles of anywhere Hurricane Ian or Nicole made landfall from proposing or adopting “more restrictive or burdensome amendments to its comprehensive plan or land development regulations.” The bill also prohibits local governments from proposing or adopting “more restrictive or burdensome procedures concerning review, approval, or issuance of a site plan, development permit or development order” before Oct. 1, 2024.

Volusia County’s legal department believes the county cannot change zoning for the Hull Road property because of this.”

In the view of many, Santiago was merely trying to dump this entire steaming pile of horseshit in the lap of the City of Ormond Beach, allowing Volusia County to dodge further responsibility in this building fight. 

That’s dirty pool…and Santiago knows it.

In addition, last week, the Volusia County Council also entertained an asinine suggestion by District 4 Councilman Troy Kent who wants the county to lease the property at 874 Hull Road from the Florida East Coast Railway/Grupo Mexico for and unidentified “different purpose.” 

Say what?

My hope is that Mr. Kent’s suggestion isn’t seized upon by an unscrupulous developer (excuse the oxymoron) who purchases similarly situated property – threatens to build the dirtiest, most impactful, and inappropriate use permitted under current zoning – then holds citizens hostage until Volusia County agrees to lease the parcel in perpetuity… 

In an Observer article last Friday, Ormond Beach City Attorney Randy Hayes appeared to send a salvo back at Volusia County:

“The city commission has already determined that it will not provide utilities to the land and it will not annex the land,” Hayes said. “Therefore, the land is not suitable for inclusion in the interlocal service boundary agreement because it does not meet a fundamental purpose of the agreement.”

Hayes added that the city “continues to support the county in its efforts to resolve issues related to the fuel farm within the county’s jurisdiction.”

And the bureaucratic squabbling continues… 

To their credit, residents engaged in the fight against the terminal immediately saw through the legislative smoke-and-mirrors and are taking their elected representatives at the city and county to task for their flagrant attempts to dodge responsibility.

For their part, Belvedere Terminals has signaled they intend to move forward with the fuel storage facility – now consisting of three main tanks holding 12.6 million gallons – down from the sixteen tanks originally sought in a permitting request to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.   

According to the Observer, Belvedere’s Chief Financial Officer Tim Schwarz recently said, “We followed the rules and are now developing the site and I think people feel like somehow that wasn’t right,” he said. “We never hid anything. We were very transparent with what we did, and so our intention is to continue to — notwithstanding some of the things that we’ve seen, the county resolutions or the city resolutions — we believe we are entitled to build this and we are going to continue to do that.”

Didn’t take long for Belvedere to claim the moral high ground, eh?

Unfortunately, it is increasingly clear that – thanks to the piss poor planning and gross ineptitude of Ormond Beach and Volusia County officials, Belvedere Terminals now holds all the cards – and if/when they decide it is in their financial interest to build a 13-million-gallon fuel terminal adjacent to thousands of homes there will be little anyone can do to stop them. 

Now, area residents are learning the hard way what happens when those they elect to represent their interests are caught asleep at the switch…

After having been publicly humiliated our ‘powers that be’ are now playing catch-up, grasping at straws, setting precedents with generational consequences, forced to concoct idiotic and fiscally irresponsible “solutions” on the fly – all while refusing to hold senior staff accountable for their failure to sound the klaxon – or explain what steps are being taken in the cloistered Halls of Power to ensure this threat to public safety, and our quality of life, never happens again.

Asshole           Volusia County Councilman Don Dempsey

Rarely have I seen a more blatant example of a sitting elected official using public funds to feather their own nest – but Volusia County Councilman Don Dempsey’s recent push for a taxpayer funded “public motocross facility” takes the cake.

Hell, it takes the whole damn bakery…

It also shows just how skewed the Volusia County Council’s hierarchy of needs truly are.

According to a disturbing piece by Patricio Balona writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“Volusia councilman Don Dempsey has pitched a proposal to have a public motocross facility built. “It’s been proposed and we put it on the meeting agenda about two or three months ago when each councilman talked about what they think would be their priority if they had a wish list,” Dempsey said. “My priority was a motocross facility, because we have been needing it. We are 30 years past due for one.”

Wait, what about the issues that are keeping Volusia County residents up at night?:

The complete lack of a comprehensive transportation infrastructure plan?  No.

Overstressed public utilities?  No.   

Dwindling water quality in area rivers, lakes, and the springs that feed them?  No. 

Recurrent fish and manatee kills in the Indian River Lagoon?  Screw ‘em.   

Massive flooding across the width and breadth of Volusia County?  Nope.   

A complete lack of beach management and coastal erosion control?  Hell no.   

Serious health and safety concerns at Volusia County correctional facilities?  Uh-uh.    

Emergency medical services and public safety concerns?  No.  

Jobs, affordable housing, and true economic development?  No.  

The growing “Trust Issue”?  Couldn’t care less.    

Rising taxes and fees?  No.

Density and malignant overdevelopment?  What?   

Blight and neglect in our core tourist area?  Nah. 

Mr. Dempsey’s most pressing priority – his Number One concern – the greatest single urgency facing Volusia County residents is our lack of a motocross track…

I don’t make this shit up, folks.

In Sunday’s frontpage News-Journal article, we learned that Mr. Dempsey is seeking public funds to expedite a Taj Mahal motocross training facility somewhere in Volusia County. 

“We’re not just talking about a field with some turns and some dirt piles,” an enthusiastic Dempsey said. “We want a facility that has restaurants, you know, like a nice restaurant, a place that you can cook food, sit down in air-conditioning.”

In addition, Councilman Dempsey wants to include a classroom facility to accommodate a commercial “homeschooling” program for parents who prioritize motocross over “brick and mortar” schools for their child’s education.

Look, I get it.  When I was a kid, I had dreams of running off and becoming a circus roustabout – unfortunately, my parents ruined that when they demanded I get a primary education first…   

What? 

You weren’t aware Volusia County taxpayers are getting into the motocross training/restaurant/alternative education business at the point of a spear?

Me neither. 

But according to Councilman Dempsey, the demand is so critical he wanted a resolution declaring the need right now…   

In my view, the irony in the council chamber was thick as two-stroke oil when Mr. Dempsey lamented during his off-the-agenda sleight-of-hand that – due to sprawling subdivisions and malignant development – there are few places left for off-road motorcycle riding in Volusia County.  

Do tell…

Apparently, things are moving right along, too – not on flood mitigation, coastal erosion, transportation infrastructure, or the other emergent issues of our time – instead, a Chicago-based “destination real estate consultancy” has already been engaged to study suitable locations for Dempsey’s motocross track.   

Wow.

So, where is the money coming from to fund Mr. Dempsey’s personal pastime?

“Dempsey said that he is aware that it would take taxpayers’ money to build a motocross facility and he thinks the project could be funded with ECHO grants – funds to projects to be used for “environmental, cultural, historical and outdoor recreational purposes.”

I knew it! 

Given the Volusia County Council’s propensity for using ECHO funds as their private piggybank, Dempsey’s suggestion is not surprising. 

In my view, the ECHO program lost all legitimacy earlier this year when Volusia County openly looted the tax-supported fund using a cheap grift called a “Direct County Expenditure.”

As you may recall, in March, by unanimous vote, council members approved a bundled “5-year plan” which placed divisional capital improvement expenditures – specifically the repair and replacement of existing infrastructure – on the back of the Volusia ECHO program.

Rather than come before the committee with their hat in hand and a novel idea articulated in a properly formatted grant application – along with a sack full of matching funds, like other ECHO applicants are required to provide – the elected officials simply took what they wanted from our cookie jar.  

With the wave of a bureaucratic wand, the Volusia County Council approved a list of forty-three projects at thirty-two sites to be funded using $15.4 million in ECHO funds – with twenty-four of those projects identified as “improvement of current assets.”

Now, Mr. Dempsey wants to take another bite at the apple to fund his personal folly?

My ass. 

According to the report, “Dempsey said he doesn’t believe the motocross facility would cost more than the $2.5 million that county officials pumped into a pickleball facility built in Holly Hill recently.

“I mean I put it this way, it’s not going to cost more than they put into pickleball,” Dempsey said. “And I can assure you it will probably be less than that or in that same neighborhood.”

Bullshit.

What Mr. Dempsey has conveniently forgotten is that the ECHO funds that were allocated for Pictona at Holly Hill in 2022 – a facility that is now considered the “mecca” of America’s fastest-growing sport for people of all ages – was the result of an extensive vetting process and built around the incredibly successful public/private partnership between the City of Holly Hill and Rainer and Julie Martens – who invested millions in private funds constructing the regions premiere pickleball and fitness center, a facility which now serves thousands of Volusia County residents and visitors from around the globe.

If Councilman Dempsey wants to indulge his passion for motocross, then let him open his sizeable wallet (he was recently named the wealthiest member of the Volusia County Council with a net worth of $4.5 million) and fund the creation of his “top-notch” facility with his own money…

He can Braaap-Braaap all he wants, and I hope he turns a hefty profit. 

In my view, if the demand for a state-of-the-art motocross/restaurant/homeschool (?) facility is there – then the private sector should be champing at the bit to fill the void – and leave the overburdened taxpayers of Volusia County the hell out of it.   

Regardless, welcome back to the bad old days of public policy by ambush in Volusia County – voting on off-the-agenda surprises without any citizen input, background information, funding source, expenditure estimates, or recurring cost considerations.

Angel               Captain Les Abend and Attorney Dennis Bayer

I suspect most people outside of aviation have never heard of Les Abend. 

For the uninitiated, Capt. Abend is an acclaimed author, a licensed pilot of nearly half a century, a Boeing 777 captain with 31-years’ experience at a major airline, and a certificated flight instructor who writes for various aviation journals and serves as a contributor to national media outlets, including CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and FOX. 

He is also a personal hero of mine.

Not because of his impressive aviation accomplishments – but for his willingness to expose the vindictive and heavy-handed practices of Flagler County government – and for having the courage to hold an officious bureaucrat accountable for misusing his powerful public position to take revenge on his critics.

How we got here is a convoluted story that begins when Mr. Abend rented a hanger at Flagler Executive Airport to house his light aircraft, and his subsequent service on the former Airport Advisory Board. 

It ended with his abrupt (and arrogantly unexplained) eviction from the hangar after he got crosswise with Flagler County’s thin-skinned airport dictator Roy Sieger.

As it was explained in an excellent article by FlaglerLive!, “It started as an eviction case. It ended as a First Amendment case. The First Amendment won. Flagler County government lost.”

“After deliberating 90 minutes Tuesday, a jury of four men and two women found that Flagler County had improperly sought to evict a tenant from a hangar at the county airport, and was doing so only in retaliation for the tenant’s criticism of Roy Sieger, the airport director, violating the tenant’s First Amendment rights.

It was a remarkable case on several levels: It invalidated the county’s eviction. It tied back into a controversy over the airport advisory board that the county arbitrarily disbanded in 2020, when the advisory board was raising issues of noise and overspending at the airport. It validated by jury verdict allegations of imperiousness on the part of the airport director. And it did so in a County Court trial, when First Amendment cases are usually handled in federal or circuit court.

The county filed its eviction suit at the end of January, thinking that’s all it would be. But that turned out to be a culmination of long-simmering animus between Sieger and Les Abend, the tenant.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” Dennis Bayer, Abend’s attorney, told the jury, arguing that Sieger was essentially taking his revenge on Abend with the eviction, more than two years after their previous clashes. The jury agreed.”

See the rest of this disturbing story here: https://tinyurl.com/7p33cjmn

The events precipitating the dispute between Abend and Sieger are nothing new – bureaucrats and elected officials ignoring the advice of those who serve on their advisory boards – or disbanding these committees out-of-hand when members break with the expected lockstep conformity and speak truth to power. 

Happens all the time. 

In my view, what makes this case unique is that Flagler County government allowed a senior director to weaponize his powerful position and get even with an airport tenant and taxpayer over what was essentially a citizen’s First Amendment right to voice personal criticism. 

I find it chilling that Flagler County administrator Heidi Petito allowed Director Sieger the latitude to retaliate against a private citizen.  That leads to disturbing questions about others who may have been victimized by overbearing senior department heads with a grudge – highly paid public officials who apparently operate with little, if any, direct oversight – and have no qualms using the full might of government to exact revenge on anyone who challenges their omnipotent authority.

In my view, thuggery is how an organized crime family conducts business – not a properly functioning government of the people, by the people, and for the people…

Now that a jury has determined that Roy Sieger acted impetuously when he willfully terminated Mr. Abend’s lease in retaliation for exercising his right to free speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Flagler County Commission has a duty to ensure their constituents are free to exercise their inalienable rights without fear of retribution from their county government.  

That should begin with the termination of Roy Sieger – and a top to bottom management audit of Ms. Petito’s administration – to safeguard the citizens of Flagler County from the misuse of government by heavy-handed powermongers with a public paycheck and a God complex.  

Asshole           Volusia Legislative Delegation

On Tuesday, the sickening annual ritual of Volusia County’s state lawmakers ensconcing themselves like potentates on an elevated dais before their assembled subjects so obsequious local politicians – and those social service agencies who rely on the chickenfeed they sprinkle for their survival – can publicly kiss their sizeable asses was staged at DeLand City Hall. 

Nauseating.

With our Tallahassee lawmakers doing everything in their power to neuter local government, eviscerate Home Rule, allow developers to ignore local zoning laws, and undercut anything resembling growth management or a community’s ability to control its destiny – these stuffed-shirt marionettes preened and peacocked before the assembled masses – who are expected to grovel and mewl, “Thank you, sir.  May I have some more?”

Bullshit.

But what really stuck in my craw was the fact Volusia’s legislative delegation sat smugly beside Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright – who was recently caught on video aggressively putting his hand on a female employee of The Beacon Center before launching a savage verbal barrage that left his victim reeling – during a heated confrontation in the presence of domestic violence survivors and their children.

Remember?  I do.

Perhaps most shocking, as the New York Post reported in an embarrassing nationwide article on September 21:

“Florida’s state Sen. Tom Wright was banned from a women’s shelter for inappropriate and lewd behavior six years before he was accused of aggressively lunging at its CEO, according to a report.

The then-philanthropist allegedly flirted with and preyed on a young mother who was fleeing 2017 storm Hurricane Irma with her infant from the Beacon Center, Volusia County’s only shelter for survivors of domestic violence.

While on a short bus that he paid for, Wright told Shelby Dunlap about prostitutes in Cuba and topless women on a boat before offering to fly her out to Las Vegas, she recalled to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.”

My God…

So, what have the members of Volusia’s haughty legislative delegation done to preserve the dignity of their office and curb Terrible Tommy’s proclivity for creepy come-ons to vulnerable domestic violence victims half his age – or verbally brutalizing the interim CEO of a struggling Daytona Beach domestic violence shelter when she attempted to uphold state law and protect the identities of survivors and their children?

Not a damn thing.

Instead, these base cowards sat in silence – following the lead of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo – who has, to date, refused to take definitive action on Wright’s clear violation of the Rules of the Senate (and common human decency), allowing him free reign to use his powerful position to victimize other women. 

How dare these self-aggrandizing assholes sit smugly on their thrones while D-list local politicians shower them with unearned accolades for returning a small percentage of our money, then acting like they are doing us a favor – as those we rely on to provide much-needed social services are forced to bow and scrape for crumbs?

In my view, by its spineless inaction, the Volusia legislative delegation has lost the moral authority to govern – and it is high time area voters send a message to Tallahassee that the rules apply to everyone, or no one – and we will no longer tolerate the notion that this utter disservice to their constituents is worthy of anything but our disdain and disgust.

Quote of the Week

“Where do developer property rights end and Tomoka Oaks adjacent property rights begin? What adverse impacts will result from building 272 homes on the former golf course? How are 60-foot and 80-foot lot widths compatible with Tomoka’s surrounding 100-foot lot widths?

Will 2,774 additional vehicle trips a day compromise traffic safety? On streets not designed for such traffic volume?  How will the extra traffic impact intersections at Nova Road and at State Road 40? Will hurricane evacuations be impeded?

How will fire trucks navigate a single-entrance subdivision with narrow streets? Has FDOT confirmed a date certain for installing a traffic signal at the Nova Road-Tomoka Oaks intersection?

What happened to the original written covenants that protected the Tomoka Oaks golf course? Why did the city zone the golf course “residential” instead of “open space recreation”? Do implied, unwritten protective golf course covenants, upheld by federal courts, apply to Tomoka Oaks?

Does the project ignore a city land use goal to preserve natural open space in urban areas? How many trees will be cut for this development? What will become of countless wildlife species?

Why compromise a water retention area deemed vital by the St. John’s Water Management District? Will extra stormwater runoff from impervious roofs and paved surfaces be captured? Can the planned retention protect the Tomoka River, a Florida Outstanding Waterway? Will digging up the golf course turf release chemicals, airborne toxins and toxic runoff?

What quality of life hardships will be imposed during five years of construction buildout? Is this fair to Tomoka Oaks residents who have paid premium property taxes for over 60 years? Will squeezing a subdivision inside a subdivision depreciate Tomoka Oaks property values?

Why did the Planning Board unanimously recommend denial of this proposed rezoning? Is this proposal an example of “the ever-present threat of overdevelopment” Ormond Beach historian Alice Strickland warned about in her 1980 book, Ormond-on-the-Halifax?

If fire codes and public safety limit the number of people who can occupy a building, then why can’t we place legal limits on new development that seeks to occupy an established community, overwhelming roads, schools, hospitals, and greenspace?

Will these questioned (sic) be answered when Ormond Beach residents attend the Nov. 7, 6 p.m. City Commission meeting at Calvary Christian Center, State Road 40, west of I-95?”

–Jeff Boyle, Ormond Beach, Letters to the Editor, Ormond Beach Observer, “Tomoka Oaks questions,” Monday, October 23, 2023

Former Ormond Beach City Commissioner Jeff Boyle is a smart guy. 

For the record, he was my civics teacher as I struggled through Seabreeze High School in the late 1970’s.

I thought his editorial use of maieutical questioning – a process said to be developed by Socrates to bring a person’s latent thoughts and ideas into clear consciousness – as it relates to the fiasco at Tomoka Oaks was a clever idea. 

A teacher who uses maieutic methods is often described as an “intellectual midwife,” one who assists students in giving birth to ideas and conceptions that previously lay dormant in their own minds. 

Of course, the process presumes that the student has the mental capacity for developing – and ultimately delivering – original answers to evocative questions…

In my view, it appears the Ormond Beach Planning Board understands the ramifications of shoehorning 272 new homes on the former Tomoka Oaks golf course. 

Whether the City Commission has that same level of intelligence remains to be seen… 

While residents of Ormond Beach have come to the disturbing realization that the city’s current growth management strategy of shoving ten-pounds of shit in a five-pound bag has been a horribly failed experiment – one paid for with the diminished ‘livability’ of this once quaint community – time will tell if our ‘powers that be’ have the intellectual capacity (and political courage) to protect the rights of existing property owners, stand firm for our dwindling greenspace, and demand quality in all future projects that have an adverse impact on our quality of life. 

And Another Thing!

“As Florida’s rapid growth continues, the non-profit Florida TaxWatch on Wednesday called for using a multi-year plan for water-related projects, similar to how the state has long prioritized transportation projects.

TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro said following the model of the Department of Transportation’s rolling 5-year work program could eliminate the state’s current method of funding water projects, which his group called “inconsistent and disjointed.”

“The current system to fund water projects, both through grant programs and through member (lawmaker) projects, does not have the kind of consistency to allow for a comprehensive, coordinated statewide strategy,” Calabro said during a news conference at the Capitol. “And Floridians do not currently have the assurance that the best projects to achieve that strategy are selected.”

–Jim Turner, News Service of Florida, “State plan sought for water projects,” Thursday, October 19, 2023

A “…comprehensive, coordinated statewide strategy”?

Yeah, right.

The only “statewide strategy” for the availability of potable water I am aware of calls for Floridian’s to be drinking our own recycled sewage within the next decade…

Look, anyone who has sat in traffic on (insert major Volusia County thoroughfare here) and contemplated the sticks-and-glue sprawl going vertical on every square inch of vacant space around them understands how little those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest care about visioning, strategy, or comprehensive planning.

I hate to be the proverbial turd in the punchbowl (or tap water, as it were) but before we hold out the Florida Department of Transportation’s politically tainted process for prioritizing infrastructure projects as the Gold Standard, let me remind everyone of the $92 million that the State of Florida recently found under the couch cushions and directed to the controversial I-95/Pioneer Trail interchange near the environmentally sensitive Spruce Creek and Doris Leeper Preserve.

Many believe the interchange was a very expensive gift to our High Panjandrum of Political Power Mori Hosseini for his generous support of various powerful politicians, as the off ramp almost exclusively serves his Woodhaven development – while desperately needed improvements to the I-95/LPGA interchange (and that Monument to Mediocrity that is the two-lane Tomoka River bridge) slug along interminably as construction costs, now estimated at $218 million, remain unfunded.

As the bulldozers continue to roar…

Nah.  I wouldn’t look for the Florida legislature – or our local elected dullards – to set a “comprehensive strategy” for anything, at least until their friends in the real estate development community have slashed, burned, and squeezed the last dollar out of what remains of this salty piece of land we call home.  

Scary stuff… 

That’s all for me.  Happy Halloween, 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:

Asshole           Former BV Angel Steven R. Parker

It is my sad duty to report that a former Barker’s View “Angel” from October 2022, Steven R. Parker, has been laicized – had his wings clipped – after a disturbing story announcing that Parker was arrested this week on felony charges of defrauding an 85-year-old homeowner and her family.

Yeah.  I know.

According to a report by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Parker has been charged by the Port Orange Police Department after he allegedly “defrauded a Port Orange homeowner of more than $50,000 by taking a building construction job while presenting the contracting license of someone else − Steven D. Parker, of Cape Coral.”

Damn.

You may recall that Parker received numerous community accolades following Hurricane Ian when he was credited with helping residents of the heavily impacted Summer Trees subdivision, a 55+ community in Port Orange – helping elderly and disabled residents in removing flood damaged furniture, cabinets, floors, and fixtures – doing the heavy lifting for those unable to recover from the devastating effects of this disaster on their own. 

According to reports, Parker – who is also the moderator of the popular “What’s Happening in Port Orange” Facebook site – took to social media earlier this week to proclaim his innocence…

Regardless, in my view, Steven Parker is no “Hometown Hero.” 

The Port Orange Police Department is asking anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Parker to contact Det. James Fischetti at 386-506-5897 or email jfischetti@port-orange.org . 

Asshole           City of Ormond Beach and County of Volusia

It is said that trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated – and a betrayal of any of these results in the loss of all three. 

In recent months, residents of Ormond Beach have learned the hard way just how disconnected and duplicitous our elected and appointed officials truly are – and how seemingly innocuous land use and zoning changes can have generational impacts on a community.

In August, The Daytona Beach News-Journal uncovered plans to construct a 20-million-gallon petroleum tank farm and rail terminal on Hull Road – in proximity to thousands of homes, the city’s airport, sports complex, light industry, and a children’s dance studio – which would see 24/7 heavy tanker traffic traversing established residential areas and pouring onto busy US-1 near the I-95 interchange.  

The news galvanized area residents, who mounted a well-organized effort to speak truth to power, demand answers, and hold their elected officials responsible for protecting public safety and their dwindling quality of life. 

Guess what?  You ain’t seen nothing yet…

At perhaps the worst time in this once idyllic community’s history – last week, we learned of plans to construct 2,500 homes at Ormond Crossings, another “city within a city” concept that has been lying in wait since it was conceptualized by big money investors and their “friends” in city and county government over 20-years ago. 

According to a disturbing article by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer:

“On Wednesday, Sept. 27, representatives from Meritage Homes met with the Ormond Beach Site Plan Review Committee to discuss constructing 2,500 single-family homes on the property, which is located next to the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport along the east and west sides of I-95 and south of U.S. 1 within Volusia and Flagler counties.

In 2013, the City Commission approved an ordinance rezoning the property to a Planned Mixed-Use development.

The first development within Ormond Crossings was Security First Insurance, which opened its $38.2 million headquarters in 2019.            

According to the meeting’s minutes, if Meritage Homes moves forward with the development, the company anticipates it will phase the project from north to south.”

You read that right…

With thousands of new homes already blanketing the landscape, impacting our infrastructure, and encroaching on the environment – and the specter of thousands more looming at Avalon and beyond – the citizens of Ormond Beach are awakening to the realization that our elected officials, whose campaigns have been financed by real estate development interests, have sold us out, sacrificing what remains of our once quaint coastal community on the altar of greed. 

Now that Frankenstein’s monster has grown beyond their control – all our ‘powers that be’ can do is blame their predecessors for the appalling lack of “vision” that has brought us to this point – even as they rubber stamp more, more, more under the mantra “Out of our hands, rubes.  Property rights.”  

Now, it is a feeding frenzy. 

According to the glossy marketing material (that taxpayers of Ormond Beach paid for) as hosted on the city’s website:

“Ormond Crossings is a proposed innovative live/work planned community, featuring a state-of-the art business park, lifestyle town center, and a variety of residential neighborhoods.

Ormond Crossings is an over 2,700 acre development site divided by I-95, with an I-95/US-1 interchange approximately midway between its two main entrances from US-1. A Florida East Coast rail line will provide service to the Business Park, and the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport is located immediately to the south, separated only by a City sports complex.”

In my view, the project is based upon the prevailing “shove ten-pounds of shit in a five-pound bag” growth management strategy – and promises five-million square feet of industrial, manufacturing, distribution, and commercial office space – estimated to bring 11,000 “jobs” to north Ormond Beach and a massive increase in population that will compete for limited space on area roadways with tanker trucks that will ultimately exit onto US-1 at the proposed Hull Road fuel terminal… 

So much for all that urban planning bilge we hear so much about, eh? 

According to the Observer, even senior “planners” at Ormond Beach City Hall are wringing their hands over the coming gridlock on area roads:

“Though there are 743 acres of wetlands within the planned residential areas of the property, Meritage Homes said the development has been designed to reduce impacts. About 7.6 acres of wetlands are proposed to be impacted. The concept plan proposes 45 acres of parks.

The members of the SPRC were concerned about traffic, particularly about access points on Tymber Creek Road.

“The thought of 2,500 homes dumped into Tymber Creek Road, which is a two-lane road, is scary,” City Planning Civil Engineer David Allen said.

Meritage Homes said the property owners have spoken with the Florida Department of Transportation about plans to widen Tymber Creek to four lanes, as well as for connection to U.S. 1 and the addition of a traffic signal at that entrance.”

Considering that earlier this year the Ormond Beach City Commission allowed themselves to be strongarmed into approving a 270-unit apartment complex on Tymber Creek Road, the coming traffic nightmare is scary indeed…

Oh, and did I forget to mention that just last month we learned of a proposed 977-unit residential development with serious wetland impacts — to include apartments, single-family homes, and townhomes — to be built on a 222-acre property on north US-1? 

Look, I have lived in Ormond Beach for over 60-years – grew up here – and I have watched in horror as one of the most unique and livable communities on Florida’s East Coast succumbed to the forces of greed and mediocrity. 

Trust me.  With no comprehensive plan to improve transportation infrastructure, utilities, or preserve our heritage and environment – malignant abominations like Avalon and Ormond Crossings will represent the final nails in Ormond Beach’s coffin. 

How sad. 

My more cynical neighbors say we have no one to blame but ourselves – reelecting the same perennial politicians, half-bright hucksters devoid of civic vision (or scruples), who have proven repeatedly their only loyalty lies with those wealthy benefactors who own the paper on their political souls.

Perhaps they’re right.

But what should be painfully evident to everyone is the complete lack of prior planning by city and county officials who have created this nonsensical patchwork – one that would allow a bulk fuel farm immediately adjacent to a previously approved planned development, the abominable lack of transportation infrastructure, adequate public utilities, environmental protections, stormwater management, school capacity, and the host of other logical civic requirements and amenities needed to integrate thousands of new residents into an already overcrowded community.

Asshole           Volusia County District Schools

Not much makes sense over at Volusia County District Schools in DeLand – that house of smoke and mirrors where nothing is as it seems – and the narrative magically morphs depending upon the wants, whims, and motives of senior bureaucrats who thrive in the shadows. 

Last week in this space, I expressed my confusion over the premature reveal of a clearly well-thought plan to shutter Read-Pattillo Elementary, a school serving some 350 students in New Smyrna Beach, that (rumor suggests) is now $20 million in disrepair and in danger of being closed during the 2024/25 school year and its students spread to the wind.

Parents, teachers, and staff learned of the proposal when a “sad mishap” occurred ahead of a School Board meeting earlier this month when a staffer “mistakenly” uploaded a PowerPoint slide announcing “Closure of Read-Pattillo Elementary” which included a laundry list of acute safety concerns on the campus.

Inconceivably, Superintendent Carmen Balgobin shamelessly looked Read-Pattillo stakeholders (and confused School Board members) in the eye and explained that the closure had not even been discussed by her staff – asking us to believe that the detailed briefing slide had mysteriously appeared out of thin air.   

Bullshit.

And the hits just keep on comin,’ folks…

As you may remember, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, in February 2021, the Volusia County School Board officially closed Osceola Elementary – Ormond Beach’s only beachside school for over 65-years – in favor of combining students on the former Ortona Elementary campus three-miles south in Daytona Beach.

Disregarding the impassioned pleas of concerned residents and elected officials, a petition, and a generous $2 million pledge from the City of Ormond Beach to help with renovations to the Osceola campus – the School Board abruptly shut down further discussion in favor of spending $24 million to rebuild Ortona Elementary.

At that time, School Board members also ignored pointed reminders from Volusia County taxpayers that, during the half-cent sales tax referendum, we were promised funds would be appropriated for significant renovations to Osceola Elementary…

That was a damnable lie. 

Just one reason any talk of an additional sales tax to fund transportation infrastructure, or anything else, will always be dead on arrival with wary Volusia County voters.

Like most things coming from the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand, the process leading to Osceola’s demise was convoluted, uncooperative, and heartbreaking for a community that felt cheated and ignored.   

At present, the former Osceola campus is being used to house students from Tomoka Elementary while that school is being rebuilt. 

Now, in a weird about-face, at their October 10 meeting, the Volusia County School Board announced it is considering resurrecting the decrepit Osceola campus as the new home for Riverview Learning Center – a specialized program for students experiencing behavioral and disciplinary issues with an “…emphasis on modifying behavior and social skills, students attend classes daily in a highly restrictive school environment” – that is currently housed in an even more dilapidated structure in Daytona Beach. 

Say what?

According to district administrators, the current Riverview campus (which dates to the 1920’s) now requires “in excess of $5 million” in renovations – which, in Volusia County, makes it “beyond reasonable repair.”

Apparently, that makes the former Osceola campus an attractive (perhaps only) option for the Riverview Learning Center.  As usual, the plan has resulted in more questions than answers – especially from former Osceola teachers and staff who were displaced during the Ortona consolidation.

During the meeting, Volusia United Educators President Elizabeth Albert spoke on behalf of teachers asking why, after all the scary stories used to justify the closing of Osceola Elementary, administrators are now considering reopening the campus? 

“I think they absolutely deserve one,” Albert said. “Are they in a beautiful facility? Sure they are, but they had a home that they loved and now they’ve been moved so they deserve an explanation and to be respected that much.”

In my view, deeper questions remain for Volusia County taxpayers – namely, with a budget now well in excess of $1 billion annually – why are these important public assets allowed to rot under the supervision of highly paid district administrators?

Why is preventative maintenance ignored or withheld? 

And who is held accountable when shocking photographs depicting decades of neglect are used as evidence for school closures?

More important, why does Superintendent Balgobin (who, in my view, has been over her head since her rushed return to Volusia County) place such little emphasis on planning for current and future needs in favor of crisis management – a shambolic atmosphere that creates stress and trepidation among parents, students, and staff who are routinely left to wonder what their future holds? 

Quote of the Week

“Ormond Beach has always celebrated its timeless charm, evoking thoughts of our close-knit community and the warmth of small-town life, paired with unparalleled amenities and events.  As we celebrate this past year, we are not just preserving that identity, but also embracing our potential as a beacon of novel ideas and transformative initiatives.”

–Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington, ignoring the obvious and spewing his unique brand of horseshit during the 2023 State of the City Address, Tuesday, October 10, 2023

“With idle tales this fills our empty ears;

The next reports what from the first he hears;

The rolling fictions grow in strength and size,

Each author adding to the former lies.

Here vain credulity, with new desires,

Leads us astray, and groundless joy inspires;

The dubious whispers, tumults fresh designed,

And chilling fears astound the anxious mind…”

–Ovid’s Metamorphosis

As you and I sat at a standstill on Granada Boulevard last week, waiting through interminable signal changes in bumper-to-bumper traffic – or witnessed another slash-and-burn scar on the environment and worried about the impact of the next subdivision or half-empty strip center on our dwindling quality of life – the “Who’s who” of the Halifax area gathered at Oceanside County Club to enjoy a $60 per plate luncheon for the 2023 Ormond Beach State of the City Address.

Appropriately, the “presenting sponsor” was a real estate company…

I also found it interesting that Mayor Bill Partington – who hasn’t had a “novel idea” since he accepted his first campaign contribution – used the occasion to paint a Rockwellian picture of a place that no longer exists, an Ormond Beach that he and his “colleagues” helped destroy in a greed-crazed pursuit of more, more, more…

According to the Ormond Chamber’s website, the midday soiree was limited to our social, civic, and elected elite – “The State of the City Luncheon brings together business leaders, community leaders, and elected officials.  Mayor Bill Partington will present the City’s perspective on this year’s successes, challenges, opportunities, and future outlook.”

I guess We, The Little People who pay the bills and are expected to keep our pieholes shut can eat cake? 

Whatever.

Clearly, Mayor Partington’s “perspective” is far different from that of my neighbors in Ormond Beach – especially those petrified by the prospect of a 20-million-gallon fuel terminal in their backyard – or Tomoka Oaks residents who are fighting valiantly as developers attempt to shoehorn hundreds of homes on the site of a former golf course, or those watching in horror as more old growth forests are churned into muck for another sticks-and-glue apartment complex, convenience store, or carwash.

My God.

In his 1710 essay “The Art of Political Lying,” writer and satirist Jonathan Swift – best known as the author of Gulliver’s Travels – equated the pernicious practice of craven politicians spewing self-serving falsehoods to the masses “…to the gaining of power and preserving it…”

Sound familiar?

After years of doing the bidding of his political benefactors in Ormond Beach, now Mayor Partington wants to take his bloviating bullshit to the Florida House of Representatives in 2024. 

Shameless. 

In an era when our elected and appointed officials are willing to lie blatantly – painting a false picture of a fading lifestyle that long-ago was sold to the highest bidder – it is best to believe only that which you see with your own eyes.

Then vote accordingly…   

And Another Thing!

Recently, a well-meaning (if slightly confused) BV reader expressed their puzzlement over how I can find fault with the machinations of politicians one week – then praise their civic contributions the next.

“Over the past couple of years that I’ve been reading your viewpoints, you have jumped back and forth with almost everyone in office in Volusia County. One month you support them and the next time, not so much.”

My clearly confounded critic admonished, “You are quick to call them angels when you agree with them and assholes when you don’t. Get off the fence, pick a side, stand behind it and just nut up when you don’t completely agree with every single issue or outcome.”

Huh?

“Nut up”?

“Pick a side”?

Did you mean, acquiesce, and remain silent even when I vehemently disagree with some stuffed shirt’s assholery?     

Nah.  Not my style.  

Besides, complaining about, well, everything, is kind of my schtick… 

I find going along for the sake of getting along to be the antithesis of free thought and open expression – counter to the brisk competition of ideas – and a big reason we find ourselves in political gridlock, ruled by malleable marionettes beholden to big money benefactors, partisan hardliners, and special interests.

In my experience, just like my skewed thoughts here in Angels & Assholes, no one’s opinions on the myriad issues we face are always right or always wrong.

What my befuddled reader may not know is that I have a friendly relationship with many of the elected and appointed policymakers I write about in these disjointed screeds, at least those who possess the self-confidence to accept criticism as a civic barometer then use it to their advantage, who understand my ravings for what they are – and what they are not.  

For instance, I consider Volusia County Councilman Danny Robins a friend – but I almost never agree with him politically.    

His thoughts on what constitutes ‘smart development’ – and the social, civic, and environmental consequences of the current “Do whatcha wanna” growth management strategies – are diametrically opposed to my own.

And I flog him like a borrowed mule in this space every chance I get…

But on Tuesday, I wholeheartedly agreed with Councilman Robins’ courageous efforts to strengthen protections for Volusia County children by expanding restrictions on where those predatory animals who prey on our most vulnerable can reside. 

In June, Mr. Robins encouraged discussion of increasing distance requirements for convicted sexual offenders and predators from 1,000’ to 1,500’ around places like schools, playgrounds, bus stops, childcare facilities, and other places kids congregate in unincorporated Volusia County.

At present, most area municipalities have expanded the residency restriction buffer to 2,500’.  

Alarmingly, there are some 120 convicted sexual predators – identified as repeat sexual offenders and/or those who used physical violence in the commission of their offenses – currently registered with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. 

That means they are living among us…

The proposed dwelling restrictions would protect an additional 1,895 homes in neighborhoods throughout unincorporated Volusia County.

In addition to the enhanced residency requirements, Councilman Robins’ “Safer Volusia” initiative would have adopted ordinances prohibiting adults from entering or remaining in a designated children’s play area unless supervising or accompanying children, set a registration fee to recoup administrative costs, and authorized the placement of security cameras and tag readers in parks and playgrounds to protect children and visitors.

To their great credit, Sheriff Michael Chitwood, State Attorney R. J. Larizza, and a host of chief law enforcement executives from across Volusia County endorsed Mr. Robins’ commonsense proposal.    

The same cannot be said for some Volusia County Council members, who actively advocated for these animalistic pieces of human excrement from the dais; quibbling definitions, fretting over absurd “what if’s,” and openly worrying about where these convicted sexual offenders will live.    

My God.    

During discussion, Councilman Don Dempsey – a 30-year defense attorney – argued that the additional 500’ buffer would effectively eliminate housing options for convicted sexual predators and offenders in West Volusia – forcing them into homelessness where they cannot be monitored by law enforcement (?) – even questioning the efficacy of deterrence, separating identified sexual offenders from their potential victims, and describing those that have been released and foisted on society as “gray areas” whose guilt may still be in doubt.  

Bullshit.

Frankly, in my view, Mr. Dempsey’s laissez-faire views on sexual offenders living among our children and grandchildren are morally reprehensible – and I hope anyone who supports his continued service or candidacy for public office is taking notice.  (That means you Paul Deering and the Old Guard over at the Volusia Republican Executive Committee…)

Don’t take my word for it, watch the lunacy for yourself here:  https://tinyurl.com/2ppzvj27  

Unfortunately, because of Dempsey’s bleeding-heart horseshit and handwringing, the ordinance modifying park rules to keep adults out of identified and properly noticed children’s play areas was voted down 6-1 citing what Chairman Jeff “The Gloves are Coming Off” Brower described as “unintended consequences.”

Before the vote, Chairman Brower said, “This should be a slam dunk … but I’m worried about the unintended consequences.”

When ending the interminable debate, Brower offered, “I’m done.”   

I assume he was referring to his political career… 

Who in their right mind passes on an opportunity to do the right thing for Volusia County children in favor of accommodating predatory criminals? 

To his credit, Councilman Robins strategically saw the handwriting on the wall and agreed to table the other provisions of the “Safer Volusia” act to a later date. 

As I understand it, county staff will now waste valuable time cobbling together language for a proposed ordinance extending the buffer – one that does not have a snowballs chance in hell of becoming law in Volusia County…

During my law enforcement career, I personally conducted or supervised hundreds of investigations into illicit sexual conduct in public parks and bathrooms – which included the arrest of multiple repeat offenders who engaged in vile acts in areas accessible to children, exposed themselves to park visitors, and engaged in lewd and lascivious predacious behavior – including a horrific case where a registered sex offender brutally victimized a juvenile in a public restroom.

I also have extensive experience investigating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and vulnerable adults, and I know what these monsters among us are capable of. 

To this day, I would never visit a public park – or take my grandchildren to a publicly accessible playground.

In my view, to see how little our elected officials care about deterring identified threats to public safety – mewling over how best to protect the interests of 1,267 convicted sexual offenders and 120 predators while Volusia County residents are forced to live in fear – is reprehensible and beyond the pale of petty politics. 

As Councilman Robins, a former Daytona Beach police officer, said: “When is enough, enough?”

In my view, before this issue is formally voted on, perhaps certain namby-pamby council members should accompany the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office on their next operation to rid our area parks of these degenerates – get out of their cocoon of ignorance inside the Thomas C. Kelly Administrative Building – and experience for themselves how these sick bastards operate, day in and day out, in local parks and playgrounds. 

They won’t.  But they should.

Regardless, this latest théâtre de l’absurde should be a lesson to any lockstep conformist who believes it best to “…pick a side, stand behind it and just nut up when you don’t completely agree with every single issue or outcome.”

That’s all for me.  Have a great Biketoberfest 2023, 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:

Asshole           Deltona City Commission

Last week, we learned that during a “shade meeting” in August – a statutorily permitted secret conclave held outside the public eye to discuss litigation – the Deltona City Commission approved an $8,000 settlement with resident Nick Lulli following an unprovoked and hate-filled social media attack by Commissioner Tom Burbank earlier this year.

In September, Mr. Lulli issued a statement announcing receipt of the award from Deltona’s insurance carrier, Preferred Governmental Claim Solutions of Orlando, after he filed a small-claims action against both the city and Burbank which claimed Sunshine Law violations and that the Commissioner made untrue statements described as causing “irreparable harm to any political, business or personal transaction.”:

“In February, Burbank, the District 1 Commissioner, wrote untrue statements on Lulli’s Facebook page in an attempt to influence the 2024 election. The statements included homophobic tropes that caused community outrage and led the Commission to censure Burbank for his actions. Lulli, who is now officially a candidate for the District 6 Commissioner seat, did not know Burbank prior to the social media assault.

Lulli subsequently sued the City and Burbank in Volusia County Small Claims Court, alleging the statements were libelous and also claiming the City and Burbank had violated the Sunshine Laws by secretly coordinating potential legislation outside of a public meeting. The $8000 lawsuit was considered symbolic in nature and only intended to compensate Lulli’s legal fees and time. Lulli represented himself and wrote the historic lawsuit which was settled for its original value.”

In my view, given the vicious nature of the attack, the settlement should have been ten-times that – and come directly from the reprehensible Burbank’s pocket…

Sadly, it appears the only ones held accountable for Burbank’s abhorrent (and expensive) conduct was the good citizens of Deltona. 

In February, the City Commission voted 6-1 on a symbolic (read: toothless) measure to censure Commissioner Burbank for his ad hominem attack on Lulli (with Burbank voting against censuring himself…). 

Last week, when reading the shocking transcript of the August 21 shade meeting, I found it disturbing how most of the commissioners seemed more concerned with the public and political perception of the settlement than seeking justice for Mr. Lulli.

For instance, it was clear that Commissioner Jody Lee Storozuk was nervous about how the agreement would adversely affect his reelection as he faces Lulli for the District 6 seat next year. 

“I don’t want to give him a penny, not an ounce, not a drop,” Storozuk said during the shade meeting. “I don’t want to give him a ride home.”

As though this was somehow the victim’s fault…

Personally, I think Storozuk (who serves under the moniker “Commissioner Jody Lee”) should have seen his political aspirations flash before his eyes last month when it was announced he was caught in a surreptitious three-way confab with Commissioner’s Dana McCool and Steven Colwell as they met with City Manager candidate David Lynch at Storozuk’s home in May.

This potential violation of Florida’s Sunshine Law was rightfully reported to the Office of the State Attorney by Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr.

Although Assistant State Attorney Jeanne Stratis recently found “…no evidence of any city business being discussed” (other than Lynch playing the role of the 800-pound gorilla in the room…) it was clear to most that the presence of three sitting commissioners and an active applicant for the open chief executive position would infer that at least the spirit of the Sunshine Law means little in the cloistered confines of Deltona City Hall… 

What a damnable disappointment for beleaguered residents who were promised an open and transparent process to find the municipality’s first permanent manager in nearly three-years… 

For his role in besmirching the character and reputation of a private citizen, rather than do the right thing and immediately resign – or compensate the taxpayers of Deltona for the $8,000 he cost them by forfeiture of the $10,520 annual salary he receives in public funds – Mr. Burbank apologized to his “colleagues” in private, openly admitting he tried to keep Lulli out of public office by subjecting him to abuse to “make him go away.”   

“I barely know where to start.  I apologize, I had no idea this would become such a disservice. I snapped when he announced his candidacy for public office, which would make him a public figure, which would elevate him to a whole new level of subjective to abuse.  And make him go away and let this thing rest…”

My God.

Who in the hell anointed Tom Burbank – who does little more than sit on the dais like a dry turd and push the envelope of Florida’s Sunshine Law with nonsensical emails to his fellow sitting commissioners – as the gatekeeper of who can serve in elective office? 

If there is anything positive to come from this latest debacle in Deltona, it is that long-suffering citizens now have all the information they need to mount a credible recall petition – and where to cast their votes in 2024 and 2026. 

As I have said before – after 28 controversial years – it is now safe to say the Lost City of Deltona has been a failed experiment, a cartoonish sideshow that has destroyed the public trust and organizational effectiveness of the largest municipal government in Volusia County – something that negatively impacts our region.    

It is equally clear that the current crop of self-absorbed elected officials are either unable or unwilling to change tack and restore equilibrium to this foundering ship.

That’s unfortunate.

Now, as always, the onus is on Deltona voters to remain vigilant, give voice to their frustrations, identify the special interests who continue to control the political environment, and support candidates with the ability to put the growing needs of the community above their own ego, loyalties, and self-interests. 

Angel               Hyatt & Cici Brown and the Citizens of Daytona Beach  

At long last, the much anticipated “Brown Riverfront Esplanade” opened to the public last week! 

What? 

You didn’t hear about the big ‘Grand Opening’ of the southern expanse of the long-awaited 22.5-acre botanical garden and “premiere gathering space” in Downtrodden Downtown Daytona?

Me neither…

That’s okay. 

Apparently, last Thursday evening, our benevolent benefactors Hyatt and Cici Brown – who, to their immense credit, single-handedly underwrote the massive renovation of the historic park with a $36.5 million investment (more than double the original estimate) – held another “invite only” soiree, this time for downtown business owners ahead of Friday afternoon’s grand reveal.

According to Eileen Zaffiro-Kean’s excellent reportage in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Mrs. Brown took the opportunity to commiserate with downtown merchants who have been subjected to a series of natural and manmade disasters in recent years. 

“I feel like this is a celebration for Beach Street merchants,” said Cici Brown, who along with her husband Hyatt have donated tens of millions of dollars to make both the north and south ends of the esplanade possible.

“She listed all the struggles Beach Street businesses have been through over the past several years, including the Orange Avenue bridge and road project that disrupted their operations, severe flooding from multiple tropical storms, COVID and construction of the esplanade.

“It just has to come to an end, and I think we’re there,” she said.”

Damn.  I hope so…

Something else I found interesting in the News-Journal’s report is the fact that the $800,000 annual commitment from Daytona Beach taxpayers “originally earmarked for maintenance” is now being used for “capital costs” – with the $2.2 million operating and maintenance budget coming from generous donations from Advent Health, Brown & Brown Insurance, Halifax Health, ICI Homes, Jon Hall Chevrolet, NASCAR, and P$S Paving.

In addition, “The Browns also donated another $3 million to create an endowment that will cover the salaries of the park manager and an assistant.”

In my view, the Brown’s are to be commended for their extraordinary vision and philanthropy – this is truly a gift to the entire Halifax area that will pay dividends for generations to come. 

Just a damn shame nobody knows it’s open… 

On Saturday, the City of Daytona Beach Communications & Marketing Division posted an inviting video of a fountain setting announcing, “Beautiful morning at the Riverfront Esplanade. Plenty of activities to enjoy in the Esplanade today.”

A subsequent comment on the post made my point: “What sort of activities?”

Unfortunately, many people I speak with tell me they view the Brown Esplanade as just another Halifax area “panacea project” – an over-hyped and incredibly expensive pearl in a sow’s ear – a mysterious “public/private” amalgam that seemed perpetually under construction.   

They feel alienated by “invitation only” celebrations and accolades for our “Who’s Who” – the political elite many hold responsible for the overdevelopment, overcrowding, stressed infrastructure, low wages, strategic blight, and corporate welfare schemes that seem to benefit all the right last names while their small businesses and civic contributions are all too often treated as an afterthought.    

Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Brown might consider having another go at a better advertised and more welcoming – “Grand Opening” – one that increases civic buy-in, builds a sense of place downtown, shows appreciation for the community’s investment, and better showcases the Riverfront Esplanade’s beautiful amenities to a larger audience of appreciative stakeholders, residents, and visitors. 

Or not. 

Just my $.02. 

With $36.5 million of their personal fortune invested, the Brown’s are free to do as they wish…

For more information on this community gem, please see www.riverfrontesplanade.com  

Asshole           Volusia County School Board

The senior administration of Volusia County District Schools has come to be defined by terms like bumbling, fumbling, clumsy, lumbering, shambling, inept, ham-handed, careless, clueless, and blindsided. 

Add “a sad mishap” to that growing list of descriptive adjectives…

Last Friday, I received an email from a distraught stakeholder at Read-Pattillo Elementary, a school serving some 350 students in New Smyrna Beach, who attached a shocking PowerPoint panel announcing the proposed closure of the campus which has served the community since the 1950’s. 

The slide was unmistakable – boldly headed “Closure of Read-Pattillo Elementary” – and cited a laundry list of serious safety concerns, including “Roofing, Plumbing, Site (7 acres), Electrical, Parking, Flooring, HVAC, Ceiling, and Lights” and a proposed redistribution of students to other area schools, such as Chisholm, Edgewater, and Indian River, for the 2024/25 school year.   

Damn. 

The exhaustive list of discrepancies gave those who discovered the information on last Tuesday’s Volusia County School Board’s agenda concerned about the physical safety of Read-Pattillo students, teachers, and staff – and left taxpayers questioning how an active elementary school campus was allowed to fall into such gross disrepair?

According to an excellent report by Mary Ellen Ritter writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“A presentation attached to the agenda for Tuesday’s board meeting originally included a slide titled, “Closure of Read-Pattillo Attendance Zone Options,” and the agenda noted that board members would make decisions regarding school attendance boundary changes for the 2024-25 school year. 

This slide has since been deleted from the document, as board members unanimously approved a motion to remove it from the presentation. No other decisions regarding the elementary school were made Tuesday.

Chair board member Jamie Haynes said that prior to reading the agenda, she “had no idea that in the presentation there was a slide that said ‘Closure of Read-Pattillo.’ That was nothing that had been discussed with me as chair nor, as far as I know, any of the other board members because … they themselves did not see it until such time.”

Interesting. 

After learning of a petition to save Read-Pattillo signed by some 1,500 people, School Board member Jamie Haynes suggested the slide be “removed,” Carl Persis made the motion – seconded by Ruben Colon – and, by unanimous vote, the suspicious PowerPoint vanished into the bureaucratic ether… 

Yeah.  Wow.

I guess if elected officials don’t like the public record as published and presented – just take a unanimous vote to avoid further political embarrassment and get rid of it – like it never even happened, eh? 

Perhaps more disturbing, Superintendent Carmen Balgobin would have us believe that the closure of Read-Pattillo has never been discussed inside the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand…

According to reports, Ms. Balgobin – apparently without much thought to the fact the slide had been uploaded to the agenda by her staff and seen by, oh, I dunno, thousands of Volusia County residents, claimed:

“Really, this is just a sad mishap at this point in time.  The intention — and I know it doesn’t come across that way — but the intention was merely to provide an update. So again, as your superintendent, I apologize to you because it does send a connotation with that wording that it’s been predetermined or that a conversation has occurred … So really, we apologize to the community for this mishap and how it was presented, but that’s not the intention, so at this point, we’re trying to correct that.”

I think the “intention” is crystal clear, Superintendent Balgobin…

What has yet to be adequately explained to an outraged community is how this active public asset has been allowed to deteriorate – with and estimated $20 million in repairs needed – which left at least one Read-Pattillo parent rightfully claiming, “intentional and direct neglect” by Volusia County Schools.

Unfortunately, in Volusia County, the tail often wags the dog, and those we elect to represent our interests are admonished to view things from the “30,000-foot level” rather than focus on their fiduciary responsibilities to protect taxpayers from deception – and public assets from destruction.  

That is just one reason they are perpetually “blindsided” by administrators who continue to operate in the shadows, outside any politically accountable oversight, and their long-suffering constituents are told to ignore a briefing slide detailing active plans to close a school serving over 350 families in Southeast Volusia.

I don’t make this shit up, folks…  

In September, the Volusia County School Board approved a budget of over $1.4 billion – an increase of more than $40 million over the current year and still the county’s largest budget – yet critical infrastructure is still allowed to strategically rot while constituents feel their way through the smoke and mirrors for answers. 

Quote of the Week

“At the intersection of Granada and Tomoka Avenue, construction has started while other “pad-ready” development sites are available. Granada Pointe is a project of Holub Development of Ormond Beach.

Local residents have been for and against Granada Pointe. Some residents vehemently opposed the development from the beginning while others, including City Commission and Planning Board members, strongly support the project.

Paul Holub said other construction is starting on a Culver’s on the North side of Granada with an IHOP next door where construction will begin in November.

The high traffic, signalized Granada Boulevard location has great visibility. About 3.4 miles to Interstate 95, the property is open for grocery, discount store, fast food, restaurant, financial services, offices, pharmacy, indoor recreational facility, garden center, retail, insurance and medical offices with 798 feet of frontage on Granada.

John W. Trost of SVN Alliance Commercial Real Estate Advisors is leasing the retail spaces.

Mr. Holub is a long-time Ormond Beach resident, winning the Citizen of the Year award for Ormond Beach from the Volusia League of Cities earlier this year. In honoring Mr. Holub, the award nomination noted, “His selflessness and generosity are truly remarkable, and his contributions have made a tangible difference in the community.”

He has tried to allay fears about the Granada Pointe project since 2018.

The citizen group CANDO 2 (Citizens and Neighbors Dedicated to Ormond) has been the most outspoken opposition to it. Former City Commissioner Jeff Boyle is one of its founders. The group’s concerns included damage to the environment, noise and traffic.

Mr. Holub addressed the concerns of the group and much of the original opposition has calmed.

He said people need to understand the public benefits and the long process these projects take, which include meetings with many different groups. His hope is that, like his other projects, “eventually people will shake his hand being happy with the finished product.”

Past projects of Holub Development, which has been in business since 1986, include Tuscany Shoppes on Granada, and Chili’s, Applebee’s and Steak & Shake on Williamson Boulevard, just south of Granada.”

— Correspondent Regina Barkley, writing in Hometown News Volusia, “Shoppes at Granada Pointe moving forward in Ormond,” Thursday, October 5, 2023   

Many thanks to Hometown News Volusia’s Regina Barkley for so eloquently pointing out why the Volusia League of Cities has become little more than a tax supported fraternity for local elected officials – and an apologist for a developer whose “selflessness and generosity” resulted in the wholesale destruction of 2,061 specimen hardwoods – the decimation of an old-growth suburban forest, wildlife habitat, and natural buffer that was clear-cut and ground into splinters to accommodate another convenience store and drive-thru car wash… 

Remember?  I do.

In many ways, that February 2018 environmental atrocity served as an ominous warning to Halifax area residents of the wave of nonsensical and poorly planned development to come in a greed-crazed cart-before-the-horse strategy that continues unabated.  

At the time, civic activist Jeff Boyle spoke before the Ormond Beach City Commission, as quoted in the Ormond Beach Observer:

“With obvious heavy hearts, we join thousands of Ormond residents who mourn the senseless devastation on West Granada.” Boyle said. “None of us were prepared for the massive deforestation or to be told by this commission developer property rights required you to vote yes.”

He said Ormond’s Tree City designation has become a joke and that environmental standards seem to be “turning the wrong way” with the current city commissioners. He added that the city trusts them to look after their quality of life.

“The tragedy on Granada violates that trust and our sense of place,” Boyle said.”

Sound familiar Ormond Beach and Volusia County residents? 

It should, because sacrosanct “property rights” will be the same dodge used by our craven elected and appointed officials when Belvedere Terminals finally breaks ground on their threatened 20-million-gallon bulk fuel terminal on Hull Road… 

Now, what the developer promised would be a tony retail complex with a specialty grocer, posh “shoppes,” upscale retail outlets, possibly a bank, restaurant, and other amenities has sat vacant, an ugly and often overgrown veld – complete with a mudhole that rivals a Namibian warthog wallow – most mornings little more than a commercial parking lot that now serves as the centerpiece of Granada Boulevard – a highly visible monument to the malleability and acquiescence of the Ormond Beach City Commission.

Inconceivably – five-years on – much of the property (including 1.3 acres of “mitigated” wetlands) that were publicly sacrificed on both sides of the street remains empty – with a vacant lot and washed-out dirt road replacing the “reforestation” we were promised.

Guess what, suckers? 

Last week we learned in Hometown News Volusia that, instead of the elegant shopping and dining outlets we were sold, residents of Ormond Beach will be getting just another godawful strip center – a 20,000 square foot conjoined eyesore, you know, “…now that much of the original opposition has calmed…”

Bullshit.

A cursory search finds hundreds-of-thousands of square feet of retail space currently available for sale or lease in the Halifax area – much of it in half-empty strip centers – but it appears not even the law of supply and demand can stop the insatiable appetite of those who seek expediency and mediocrity over quality of life, desirability, and sense of place.  

How sad. 

And Another Thing!

Look, it truly pains me to say this – because I believe the quaint City of New Smyrna Beach is one of the few communities in Volusia County that consistently “gets it right” – carefully conserving those amenities that enhance its ‘livability’ and working hard to preserve the unique coastal lifestyle residents and visitors have come to expect. 

Unfortunately, in my view, the NSB City Commission got one wrong last week when they decided to pass over a known entity in search of the elusive “expert from out-of-town” when opting for a national search after City Manager Khalid Resheidat announced his retirement next August. 

At a recent workshop, the commission was presented with three options – to include promoting current Assistant City Manager Ron Neibert, who has served under Resheidat’s tutelage since last year – a “localized” recruitment process, or the hiring of a consultant to conduct a national search.

In my experience, one of the many benefits of small and mid-sized communities is the ability to develop talent outside the bulk and static inherent to unwieldy bureaucracies, an opportunity to know (and grow) key senior staff members – to truly understand them warts and all – then promote based upon identified competencies rather than roll the dice on an unknown commodity who appears out of the mist with a smile and shoeshine. 

After serving over three-decades in a municipal government that once experienced a revolving door of city managers – I can tell you that institutional knowledge beats a glossy resumé every time – and the only one who wins when a “consultant” is brought in to parade a host of retreads before the elected decisionmakers is the consultant…

When I read that the NSB City Commission elected to bring in an outside ‘expert’ to throw a nationwide net, I thought, “Hey, maybe they know something about Neibert’s suitability the rest of us don’t?” 

Then Mayor Fred Cleveland said he would “favor the option that says Ron Neibert is a candidate and applies, regardless of whether we go inside or outside,” while Commissioner Jason McGuirk remarked that Neibert is “…going to be the bar for me,” and “Is there somebody out there that I feel is head and shoulders or above that?”

Probably not.  Because education and experience elsewhere mean exactly jack squat if the manager is not a ‘good fit’ for the organization and the community. 

Trust me.  I have seen quality internal candidates passed over for an odd ball with an impressive sheepskin who didn’t possess the common sense to pour piss out of boot with the instructions on the heel…  

All of which makes me wonder why NSB taxpayers are spending $25,000 to $50,000 for a cattle call? 

In my experience, because Mr. Neibert is a known commodity – he will have a tough time competing against candidates presenting the best version of themselves during a stilted interview process – even though most “Managers in Transition” come with a fair amount of baggage in tow…

Unfortunately, I suspect if Mr. Neibert does not receive some concrete assurance that the job is his – he will quickly move to a community that values his talents – which means another expensive trial-and-error process for a suitable assistant during the instability inherent to any senior leadership transition.

Best of luck to Mr. Resheidat on his well-deserved retirement – and to the good citizens of New Smyrna Beach as their ‘powers that be’ undertake this crucial decision for the future of their community.  

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

After recently cutting into Sheriff Michael Chitwood when he objected to a leading question from a reporter, this week, The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s editor John Dunbar continued his one-man crusade against area law enforcement with an over-the-top editorial bashing a Daytona Beach Police Department K-9 officer who used reasonable and appropriate force in subduing a violent felony suspect.  

In my view, Dunbar’s lopsided hit piece had all the usual tropes, carefully painting the offender in the softest light possible, while demonizing the police officer who performed his dangerous duty and intervened to stop an in-progress felony crime when the suspect, Richard O’Donnell, was reportedly burglarizing a vehicle at a Daytona Beach dealership during the early hours of April 8. 

When confronted by officers, the suspect was brandishing a tennis racket and repeatedly refused lawful commands.

After multiple warnings to get on the ground, O’Donnell assumed an aggressive “fighting stance” and K-9 Officer Vezer was released to lawfully subdue him.  In response, the suspect violently resisted arrest – physically choking the dog by squeezing it between his legs, violently kicking, and using the tennis racket in an effort to injure the police K-9.   

In turn, Vezer’s handler, Officer Joshua Martin, disarmed O’Donnell and used the racket as an improvised impact weapon to protect Vezer from harm.  According to Dunbar, “A bloodied O’Donnell still refused to put his arms behind his back. He was tasered at least three times and finally relented and was taken into custody.”

In accordance with proper police procedure, Officer Martin’s use of force was thoroughly investigated and found to be within department policy and the law – and O’Donnell later entered a no contest plea to the charges in Volusia County Veteran’s Court. 

According to reports, even though O’Donnell has multiple previous arrests, he was credited with 79 days served since his arrest, and the charges in this case will be dismissed if he successfully completes the terms of a supervised plea agreement…

Apparently, rather than let those inconvenient facts get in the way, Dunbar hires an “expert” to tell him what he wants to hear…

Since Mr. Dunbar apparently has no personal experience subduing violent felony suspects, in an effort to make a point, he engaged a professional “Monday morning quarterback” in Dr. George Kirkham – who obtained his Doctorate in Criminology from the University of California at Berkeley – and now bills himself as the “Professor who became a cop.” 

According to Kirkham’s “professional vita,” that means he took leave from the Ivory Tower of academia, and “…after attending and graduating from a police academy, Dr. Kirkham spent six months as a patrolman on a high crime beat in a major American city” (?) – before rejoining the faculty at Florida State University while continuing his illustrious law enforcement career as a part-time officer with four different agencies (?). 

Based upon the dates of his academic publications, Dr. Kirkham’s learned opinions may have been perfectly applicable to Adam-12’s Reed and Malloy, but according to his website, Mr. Dunbar’s expert hasn’t been a “certified police officer” in the State of Florida since 1992…

Regardless, from behind the safety of his desk as “Professor Emeritus” at FSU, he now charges defense attorneys (and, apparently, vindictive newspaper editors) for his second-guessing opinions – a service which begins with a $9,500 retainer – and, according to a menu on Dr. Kirkham’s website – includes a fee of $3,500 for depositions, $7,000 plus expenses and per diem for expert witness testimony “due and payable at the time of my trial appearance,” $400 per hour for mediations, etc.

You get the idea… 

In this case, I would suspect Dr. Kirkham and Mr. Dunbar were both safely asleep in their beds at 2:10 a.m. on April 8 when Officer Martin, K-9 Vezer, and other Daytona Beach police officers courageously confronted a violent felony suspect, armed with a tennis racket, and refusing to comply with lawful commands. 

Yet, according to Dunbar, based on body-worn camera footage, Dr. Kirkham still has the prescience to label the officers’ actions “outrageous” and guilty of a “firing offense.”

According to Kirkham’s expensive bilge:

“…the dog should never have been released in the first place. He compares the use of the dog as having the same degree of severity as striking a baton blow.

“There was nothing I saw that would justify taking that dog off the leash,” he said. “You’ve got a lot of other options. You want to de-escalate the situation.”

He recommended a “tactical disengagement.” Back up get out of reach proximity and call for back-up. Keep caustic spray handy and utilize the Taser if necessary. As for the tennis racket?

“There are situations where you can improvise but this ain’t one of them,” Kirkham said.”

My ass. 

I certainly don’t hold myself out as an “expert” – but during over three-decades in law enforcement and the course of hundreds of felony arrests, I never had the luxury of a “tactical disengagement” – running “out of reach proximity” and keeping “caustic spray” handy while an armed suspect presumably chased me around the Maypole…

In my view, that “could’ve, should’ve, would’ve” bullshit might work in the cloistered halls of academia, but it’s dangerous when confronting an armed, aggressive, and actively resisting suspect in a dimly lit alley at 2:10 a.m…

In my view, most people are smart enough to see through the asinine opinion of an egghead with six months full-time experience in law enforcement – and, once again, Mr. Dunbar doesn’t do himself, or the News-Journal, any favors by thinking it provocative to use what remains of our hometown newspaper as a platform to launch repeat attacks on Volusia County law enforcement…

The fact is Volusia County and its municipalities have some of the finest law enforcement officers anywhere. I can state that as a fact, having personally served with many of them – men and women who serve grateful communities with honor, integrity, and courage.

Sadly, Mr. Dunbar’s attempts to sensationalize the realities of policework looks like what it is – desperation…

As the bow of the S.S. News-Journal continues its inexorable slide beneath the waves of a dwindling readership, perhaps Mr. Dunbar should realize that the vast majority of law-abiding citizens everywhere are growing weary of being victimized by an increasingly violent criminal element who have turned the streets of many American cities into a dystopian wasteland – and social engineers who have gutted our criminal justice system and vilified law enforcement.   

Not here.   Not yet. 

In Volusia County, the brave men and women of law enforcement are out there now, boldly holding the thin line between the rule of law and anarchy – willingly placing themselves in harm’s way – and paying the price of protecting your family and mine from oppression and victimization with their blood, sweat, and tears.

In my view, their extraordinary dedication and personal sacrifice in service to others is well deserving of our admiration and support. 

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 Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald

I hate to point out the obvious, but Volusia County government is suffering a serious credibility problem, made worse by a new bureaucratic mouthpiece who blatantly spins fabrications with arrogant confidence in some misguided attempt to divert attention from the multifaceted issues facing our elected and appointed officials in DeLand.

Last week, we learned in a report by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal that former Corrections Director Mark Flowers has now filed an amended lawsuit against County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald, Public Protection Director Mark Swanson, and county government alleging First Amendment violations, retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and interference with the Family and Medical Leave Act. 

This ugly shitshow came to light last year and quickly dissolved into serious accusations and counteraccusations of misconduct and maladministration between Flowers and Volusia County – an internecine brawl which exposed dangerous conditions at Volusia County jail facilities that continue on Swanson and Recktenwald’s watch.  

So far, the only one held accountable has been Mark Flowers…     

According to the report, “Flowers raised concerns about an alleged use of excessive force by corrections officers in April of 2022. Inmate Justin Caruthers said he was “pummeled,” slammed against a wall and the floor and injured. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation and state attorney’s office review led to no charges against the officers.

The lawsuit says that after Flowers raised concerns about the incident the county took away his job duties and had him work from a conference room instead of his office. The county fired him in January after placing him on administrative leave.

According to the lawsuit, the county’s “retaliatory actions in response to Plaintiff’s protected expressions were motivated by Plaintiff’s protected speech.”

The Caruthers incident wasn’t the only issue, according to the document. Flowers heard that corrections officers used excessive force in other incidents while he was on medical leave for a cancer diagnosis “and nothing was being done to stop it.”

Then, on Tuesday, a dozen courageous Volusia County correctional officers stood boldly before the Volusia County Council to report unsafe practices with harrowing stories of improvised weapons, violent encounters with inmates, chronic understaffing, recruitment and retention issues, historically low morale, mental abuse by inmates “and the administration,” stressed inmates who remain locked in their cells up to 18-hours a day – a deteriorating situation described by one officer as a “recipe for disaster – waiting for someone to die…”

Inconceivably, just days before, Community Information Director Michael Ryan couched the allegations contained in the amended Flower’s suit in a much different light:

“County spokesman Michael Ryan said in an email that the corrections system operates “at the highest levels of professionalism and safety in the interest of all inmates, officers, and civilian employees…”

My God. 

After months of horror stories emerging from the cloistered confines of Volusia County Corrections – including firsthand accounts by dangerously overworked and understaffed corrections personnel who have repeatedly come before the Volusia County Council to warn of a potential disaster in the making – this shill has the unmitigated gall to ignore those cries for help and paint things as “safe and professional”? 

Really? 

As concerns continue to mount, Director Ryan had no problem cutting into Flowers in the media, openly opining on unresolved personnel issues, besmirching his professional reputation, and defending his bosses with blame-shifting, distortion, and defensive projection. 

What does this scorched earth HR strategy say to current Volusia County employees who do not have a highly paid mouthpiece to give their side of the story in the media when they get sideways with the administration?

And what will Ryan’s public obliteration of Mr. Flower’s character and reputation ultimately cost We, The Little People who pay the bills? 

“Flowers, 60, of Volusia County, started working for the county in 2014 and became acting corrections director in 2016. He had more than 30 years of corrections experience when he began working for Volusia County and served as the director of Standards and Accreditation for the American Correctional Association from 2006 – 2009, according to the lawsuit.

County officials said Flowers’ termination was not about retaliation but rather about performance issues and leadership concerns. Swanson’s notice of dismissal to Flowers said he lost the support of many of the correctional officers at the jail.

Other allegations from the county include that Flowers had an inmate improperly placed in a four-point restraint, and ordered an inmate who was on a type of suicide watch to be moved without medical clearance.

Ryan said via email Flowers had a pattern of behavior “characterized by a reluctance to accept personal accountability for his actions and a tendency to attribute fault to others.”

County spokesman Ryan said that Flowers “remains reluctant to acknowledge his failure to effectively oversee his team while employed with the County. Unfortunately, he chooses to continually place blame elsewhere even though the claims he brought against his own staff have been discredited by an internal affairs review and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.”

That’s rich…

The fact is, the review by FDLE found that internal surveillance cameras failed to capture what occurred inside Caruthers’s cell, and the county’s own internal affairs investigator wrote at the time, “Based on the information gathered during this investigation, I am unable to determine if the force used against (inmate Caruthers) on April 26, 2022, was excessive in nature.” 

Ultimately, based upon the findings of the FDLE review, the Office of the State Attorney found “…insufficient evidence to proceed and no further action is warranted by this office.”

Look, you don’t have to be Zebulon Brockway to understand the direct correlation between understaffing and dangerous conditions inside the walls of a correctional facility to an increase in use of force, stress, and deteriorating morale. 

In August, corrections officers began employing body worn cameras, although Volusia County Public Protection Director Mark Swanson would have us believe the decision to add the protections “…had nothing to do with Flowers and was really about transparency.”

During the closing comments section of Tuesday’s council meeting, Mr. Recktenwald and County Attorney Michael Dyer callously accused those brave correctional officers who stood before the elected representatives to explain the tinderbox conditions at Volusia County jail facilities by describing their fervent pleas as a “negotiation tactic” – little more than sensationalized misinformation provided away from the bargaining table – once again turning the tables, devaluing employees, refusing to accept constructive criticism from the tip of the spear, while painting themselves as victims of a “planned attack.”

Bullshit.

Why is everyone in Volusia County government’s hierarchy afraid to admit mistakes and learn from them? 

Why are Volusia County correctional officers chronically underpaid and underappreciated?

And why is Director Michael Ryan allowed to spew untruths without question or condemnation from those we have elected to represent our interests? 

I mean, who is this guy?

In my view, the toxic culture of the Recktenwald administration – with the acquiescence of the Volusia County Council – is literally defined by “a reluctance to accept personal accountability” – and “a tendency to attribute fault to others” – as institutionalized mediocrity has increased at the same rate as the astronomical operating budget…

Regardless, as questions continue to mount on numerous fronts, our elected dullards seem incapable of recognizing that constituent confidence in county government is further damaged each time Director Ryan opens his mouth – and, in the midst of major credibility problems, such as the raging Belvedere Fuel Terminal debacle – that suspicion and distrust won’t bode well for those politically accountable Council members who must stand for reelection next year…

Angel               DeBary City Council & City Manager Carmen Rosamonda

According to sociologists, “unintended consequences” are outcomes of a purposeful action that are not planned or foreseen.

I am certainly no social scientist, but I have watched the machinations of government long enough to know there is also a phenomenon called “unintended benefits” – the direct result of legislation that enriches the same special interests who hold the paper on the political souls of those elected officials who they bankroll each election cycle… 

Sound familiar?

The quaint riverside community of DeBary recently got a down-and-dirty lesson on how those “unintended benefits” work when City Manager Carmen Rosamonda explained that incentives resulting from Florida’s Live Local Act – legislation, we were sold, was crafted to promote “affordable housing” – may result in the loss of a $100 million commercial development. 

At last month’s meeting of Volusia’s Knights of the Roundtable, Mr. Rosamonda warned that the developer of a proposed industrial park may allow the current development agreement to expire, then sell the land to an apartment developer.

According to Rosamonda’s report, once complete, the industrial park would have created some five hundred jobs and boosted the city’s tax revenue by over $1 million a year. Conversely, under provisions of the Live Local Act, if the property is turned into affordable housing units, the project would be tax-exempt…

That’s frightening.

Because anyone paying attention knows the gory fate that awaits any local government who dares to control the grim fate of their community by denying a speculative developer whatever their land use attorney can conjure as the “highest and best use” of the land… 

Even if that use drastically increases the population of a small community, taxes everyone else to pay for necessary infrastructure improvements, and forever alters the quality of life for existing residents…

According to Mr. Rosamonda, should the property off US 17-92 – for which the DeBary City Council approved zoning and land use changes in 2019 – be developed for affordable housing, “They’re not only 100 percent tax-exempt for city taxes but for state taxes, for county taxes and taxes for schools.” 

As I understand it (and I’m not sure I do) the law also requires that local governments automatically rubber stamp “multifamily and mixed-use residential as allowable uses in any area zoned for commercial, industrial, or mixed-use if at least 40 percent of the residential units in a proposed multifamily rental development are, for a period of at least 30 years, affordable.”

It is a very lucrative time to be a developer of “affordable housing” (or anything else) in the Sunshine State – and transportation, utilities infrastructure, school capacity, increased density, environmental protections, emergency services, water consumption, and other “concurrency” requirements be damned… 

On Wednesday evening, the DeBary City Council hardened their tenuous position when they voted to approve the first reading of an ordinance imposing a citywide nine-month building moratorium, excluding projects within the city’s Transportation Oriented Development overlay district. 

The moratorium is ostensibly designed to allow city officials time for “careful consideration and necessary changes” to the city’s land development code which have been under revision since 2020. 

In my view, once you look beyond the legalese, the City of DeBary is doing everything in their power to protect the best interests of residents, businesses, and property owners by creating standards and requirements for commercial and multifamily residential development before the potential tsunami of “affordable housing” applications hit City Hall…

How this tactic ultimately works in an environment where the legislative deck has been stacked exclusively in favor of developers remains to be seen.  But I applaud Mayor Karen Chasez, the members of the DeBary City Council, and City Manager Carmen Rosamonda for thinking outside-the-box to develop solutions to this very serious threat. 

Other Florida communities should take note. 

Although I do not expect the political insulation committee that is the Volusia Knights of the Roundtable to do one damn thing to pressure state legislators into fixing the unintended consequences/benefits of the Live Local Act – it is refreshing to see the DeBary City Council take on this David v. Goliath fight as other communities face the threat of shouldering the burden while “affordable housing” developers get fat.  

Stay tuned, folks.  Something tells me things are about to get interesting…  

Quote of the Week

“Dear News-Journal Editor,

Although I have been labeled “un-American” in your newspaper, I have the right to speak my mind just like anybody else in America.

I’ve noticed the Daytona Beach News-Journal takes full advantage of its platform to pick and choose narratives, to criticize others, and to play armchair quarterback.

Those of us who end up under the media spotlight are expected to lay prostrate, play our part and take whatever’s coming.

That won’t be me. I don’t expect glowing positive coverage of every incident or issue, but I can tell the difference between a tough story and a slanted one.

Today I have seen one too many of the latter. I guess it took me longer than most. This is nothing personal, strictly business, but the only real recourse I have is to unsubscribe from the News-Journal and quit commenting in it.

Your column accused me of cyberbullying, scapegoating, and possibly provoking people to “respond with more than words.” If you or your staff are being threatened in any way, let me know and I will immediately put you in contact with an FBI agent. If you believe I’m responsible, I would urge you to notify the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and file a criminal complaint.

I have been subject to plenty of threats, as has my family, so I can assure you I don’t take them lightly.

There are lots of dedicated reporters out there who are tough but fair, and last week we all said goodbye to one of the best ever.

We need more of those and less of the type who believe in accountability for everyone but themselves.”

–Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Letters to the Editor, “Sheriff’s response to column by News-Journal editor,” Sunday, October 1, 2023

For those who have been living on the dark side of the moon for the last, oh, decade – Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood speaks his mind on the issues of the day.

He also wears his heart on his sleeve – openly showing raw emotion and speaking off-the-cuff – something his supporters find refreshing in an era where many elected officials ‘stick to the script,’ never wavering from the ‘talking points’ crafted by some PR flack.  

As expected, Sheriff Chitwood’s tough talk is also a source of fodder for his detractors…

That comes with the territory, and Mike has proven, time-and-again, that he can give as good as he gets – standing up to antisemitism, neo-Nazi hate speech, online threats, and cyberbullying.   

I admire that. 

The fact is, Mike Chitwood genuinely cares about those who live, work, play, and learn in Volusia County – and he has the work ethic of the Amish.     

It is also no secret that Florida sheriff’s – often donning ten-gallon cowboy hats – have set a bar only exceeded by Nature Boy Ric Flair when it comes to outrageous pressers and one-liners, with charismatic Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd reigning as the undisputed King of the Soundbite…

As elected officials who must stand before voters and defend their record every four-years, that swaggering self-promotion comes with the territory. 

But knowing Sheriff Chitwood as I do, he would never place a reporter – or anyone else – in harm’s way. 

In my view, News-Journal Editor John Dunbar stretched the limits of journalistic integrity (is that still a thing?) when, in a misguided defense of reporter Frank Fernandez, he insinuated “…he’s (Chitwood) creating a scapegoat and invoking his followers to tell him “what they think.” What happens if they respond with more than words?”

Come on, man…    

What Sheriff Chitwood did was call out a question posed by a reporter – a concern that apparently originated from a local defense attorney – critical of the physical arrest of an 11-year-old girl who texted false reports of a kidnapping to 911 and defended himself after being labeled “un-American” by a “jury consultant” when he expressed his feelings on the Othal Wallace verdict.    

As is his way, Sheriff Chitwood took to social media and asked the public:

“My office got this email from a reporter this morning. The 11-year-old is the one who called 911 with an elaborate report of a fake kidnapping because she thought it would be funny. I think I know how I want to answer this question but how would YOU respond?”

Regarding the Wallace verdict, he inquired:

“I really don’t care what Allison Ferber Miller has to say in the latest BS report by the Daytona Beach News-Journal defense attorney mouthpiece Frank Fernandez. I don’t take Frank Fernandez’s calls or give him quotes for his BS stories anymore, but feel free to let him know what you think.”

That is a far cry from what Mr. Dunbar is suggesting…   

Now, Sheriff Chitwood has made good on his word and is refusing to comment to the News-Journal.  This week, he intentionally excluded the newspaper from a press conference – which resulted in another editorial from Mr. Dunbar. 

Personally, I have always appreciated Sheriff Chitwood’s accessibility – and his candor. 

He puts himself out there, engages with constituents, mixes it up with critics, and partners with the community.  In doing so, he has become incredibly popular with Volusia County voters and a trusted source of information. 

Unfortunately, The Daytona Beach News-Journal is now viewed by many as just another regionalized and homogenized property of the international media conglomerate Gannett – something that bears no resemblance to our former ‘hometown’ paper – and Mr. Dunbar is going to have a tough time changing that opinion.   

It is no secret that, like a good editor should, Mr. Dunbar has been doing his level best to stop the hemorrhage at what remains of the News-Journal, including a recent entreaty to his dwindling subscribers asking for suggestions to improve the newspaper:

“So this is where you come in. I ask you, what would you like to see more of? What needs more attention? What needs less attention? I’m listening.”

Here’s a suggestion: Pick your battles, Mr. Dunbar.

And allow your journalists to do the same.      

That means stop inflating benign comments on social media into a sensationalized “threat” in a misplaced effort to cast Sheriff Chitwood in a bad light because he publicly challenged a loaded question and a gloating social activist with a law degree…     

Reporters need access to newsmakers, and vice versa.

That starts with hard-earned mutual trust.

In my view, what Mr. Dunbar did with his editorial overreach was to alienate and undermine the important work of those dedicated reporters who bring us the news under increasingly difficult circumstances – and further damages the fragile credibility of The Daytona Beach News-Journal at a time when we need quality local investigative journalism the most.  

And Another Thing!

I find it interesting how different the core beliefs and principles that guide a government bureaucracy can be from those of us who pay the bills and are expected to suffer in silence – values like responsibility, accountability, transparency, a focus on individual and organizational progress, active listening, personal courage, ethics and morality, accepting criticism and feedback, service delivery, genuine gratitude, authenticity – those attributes that form the heart of organizational culture. 

In my view, Tuesday’s meeting of the Volusia County Council shined a bright light on what Volusia County government finds important – and it has nothing to do with you and me… 

After twelve brave Volusia County corrections officers stood before the Volusia County Council and, once again, brought attention to the myriad problems in the Division of Corrections – only to be accused by a clearly embarrassed County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald – of conducting a “planned attack” as the rank-and-file fight for a competitive wage and safe work environment. 

To add insult, when it came time for council comments, Councilman Matt Reinhart – who spent 30-years in the Division of Corrections before retiring as warden in 2017 – pooh-poohed jail overcrowding and made a disheartening comment that all options are on the table for dealing with the concerns expressed by the officers, including a cryptic mention of “…bringing in another agency.”

Wow.  If that doesn’t say – “Quit airing our dirty laundry or you will find yourself replaced out-of-hand,” I don’t know what does…

In my view, it also speaks to how little our elected and appointed senior officials value the service, sacrifice, and contributions of those who serve. 

Chilling.  

Having served the bulk of my adult life in local government, I can tell you the courage it took for those officers – several of whom are tenured line supervisors – to enter the gilded council chamber and speak truth to power, knowing well the repercussions that can befall county employees who expose the inner turmoil or challenge the status quo.

Earlier this week, I received an anonymous note (I get a lot of those, about a lot of things) from someone clearly “in the know” who spoke of personnel turnover and the resultant morale issues in the Planning and Development Services Department – and during this week’s public participation period, a longtime government watchdog spoke of a chance encounter with a recently terminated county employee who spoke of potential problems in the Legal Department. 

Were these the rumblings of disgruntled former employees – or symptoms of larger problems?

We will never know. 

Because the culture at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building is anything but open and transparent – and no one who should seems to care…  

Although Mr. Recktenwald has come to accept mediocrity as an organizational value – perhaps it is time for our elected officials to understand that an “average” wage will no longer attract quality recruits to this difficult and dangerous pursuit – and it will not retain the experience the Division of Corrections desperately needs.

In my view, the question of “what is important, and what is not,” became evident during council comments, when the topic of where to hold next year’s Grand Soiree known as the “State of the County Address” – where elected officials don their finery and preen and peacock with what Councilman Jake Johansson described as the “Who’s Who” of Volusia County – over a rubber-chicken lunch paid for by government contractors seeking a better place in the suckling order at the public teat…

Although I rarely agree with Councilman Danny Robins, I thought he had the most sensible idea when he suggested holding the annual hot-air generator at a regularly scheduled Council meeting – a notion supported by Councilman Don Dempsey – who argued the event should be held annually at the County Seat. 

Who gives a shit? 

That seemed to be both my uncouth sentiment – and District 4 Councilman Troy Kent’s – who announced that not one of his constituents have ever voiced opposition to holding the event at the county owned Ocean Center. 

Not one.

As the timewasting back-and-forth continued, ad nauseum, proposals and motions were made to alternate across the Palmetto Curtain, with Councilman Matt Reinhart opining that the 2024 event be moved to the City of DeLand’s Sanborn Center (without a clue whether the rental venue is available) – with the collective wisdom finally deciding to allow County Manager Recktenwald to check availability…

My God.   

It also confirmed my suspicions that this annual event is an orchestrated sham when Councilman Johansson admitted that earlier this year, he was required to read from a prepared script at the 2023 State of the County Address (I wonder if he received a treat and a pat on the head for his obedience?).

However, Johansson let staff known that he would be speaking his own mind next year – suggesting that the event be more “low-key” than in years past with a “little less effort put into the production…”

Oddly, Chairman Jeff Brower (the star of the show) suggested he enjoys the “theater production” surrounding the event, and thought it was “fun” for the county’s highly paid communications staff to spend their valuable time staging ridiculous videos and goofy vignettes for the luncheon. 

Did I mention this year’s operating budget now sits at an obscene $1.6 billion?

Whatever…

To understand an organization’s “culture” – one must start by examining the principles, standards, and goals that its leadership strives toward. 

In my view, in Volusia County, outside of revisiting problems that have already been solved so council members can say “look what I did!” gutting environmental protections, staring down from the dais like gargoyles at concerned citizens seeking answers, taking cover behind subjective “rules” and policies, and grandstanding over bullshit process, there is no discernable goal.  Or principles…  

Because empty values, as spouted by out-of-touch elected and appointed senior officials, ring hollow to dispirited county employees who recognize their disingenuous “thank you for your service…” for what it is – and, as suspicions around the Belvedere Terminal debacle have shown, concerned constituents are coming to the realization that good citizenship requires active participation. 

And vigilance…

In my view, it is time for the Volusia County Council to have a serious discussion about the direction, tone, and culture of the Recktenwald administration – and what it means for their political futures in an era when voters are beginning to see through the crumbling façade.

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

Asshole           Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright

As regular readers of these jeremiads know – as a former member of the Republican party (like my father and grandfather before me) – over a decade ago, when it became evident that power and ideology were more important to both major political factions than the fate of our great nation, I became a No Party Affiliate and never looked back.    

Apparently, I am not alone.

According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, “A growing share of the public dislikes both political parties. Nearly three-in-ten (28%) express unfavorable views of both parties, the highest share in three decades of polling. And a comparable share of adults (25%) do not feel well-represented by either party.”

Trust me.  What remains of the Republican and Democratic parties have no one to blame but themselves – now that the fringe elements have shouted down any remaining moderate voices – and both party’s piss away any shred of moral credibility protecting their weakest links… 

For the third week in a row, the continuing saga of the powerful Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright – in my view, a highly coiffed wolf in sheep’s clothing who was captured on camera browbeating and physically intimidating the interim CEO of a struggling Daytona Beach domestic violence shelter when she attempted to uphold state law and protect the identities of survivors and their children at the facility on Labor Day weekend. 

Last week, like clockwork, things took an unfortunate (but expected) political bent as opportunistic democrats seized the opportunity to use Wright’s abhorrent conduct as a cudgel – while high-ranking republicans seemed content to ignore the raging conflagration and focus on chipped paint and unmade beds…

According to a report by John Dunbar and Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week:

“Senate President Kathleen Passidomo wrote Friday that Sen. Tom Wright has made some “very serious allegations regarding the living conditions and financial management of the Beacon Center,” Volusia County’s domestic violence shelter, calling the reports “troubling,” and that she is “pleased that they are being reviewed.” Wright, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, has been accused of flirting with shelter residents evacuating ahead of a hurricane and angrily confronting the shelter’s then-interim CEO on Sept. 2, an action caught on video that has been widely circulated.

“As we have seen most recently with the criminal charges against former executives of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, just because an entity is serving a vulnerable population does not mean they are above reproach or oversight,” Passidomo continued, in a statement to the Orlando Sentinel that was provided to the News-Journal on Saturday.

“That being said,” Passidomo wrote, “I take all of these allegations very seriously. Survivors of domestic violence deserve our compassion and support, and their safety is and should remain our focus.”

Wow. 

In the meantime, the shameless Sen. Wright continued to ignore constituent calls for accountability, and media requests for comment, as he pressed on with his exhausting schedule of self-promotion – even brazenly appearing at a ‘town hall’ at the Beacon Center this week – as though he hadn’t been caught on video verbally brutalizing a female in front of traumatized domestic violence survivors and their children – or openly accused of making a creepy come-on to a then 20-year-old victim in the presence of her baby, crudely chatting about Cuban prostitutes and topless women, before offering to fly her to Las Vegas – as the uncomfortable young lady attempted to evacuate The Beacon Center ahead of a hurricane six-years ago… 

My God.

It is now clear that we live in an age when the disgusting behavior of a sitting state senator – conduct which includes video evidence of bullying and credible allegations of grooming behavior at a domestic violence shelter – gets lost in the internecine bickering of craven partisan politicians.

That bothers me. 

Although I am far from the most virtuous soul you know, I was brought up to believe that we have a moral obligation to protect the vulnerable from exploitation and victimization – a sacred duty that transcends status and politics.

Earlier this week, I was touched by the heartfelt resignation letter of Cheri Brant, another staffer who worked to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence and recently left The Beacon Center citing Wright’s belligerence which read, in part:

“All of the circumstances surrounding the Board of Directors, Senator Tom Wright and the assault on our Interim CEO have been causing me such panic and anxiety that it has been incredibly difficult for me to function.  The bullying and harassment in the workplace that has erupted has now made it impossible!”

“Beacon Center has always been more to me than a job or a paycheck.  Beacon Center helped me find the tools I needed to build myself into the person I am today.  I am put together with all the pieces and parts of all the amazing women I have been in contact through this journey back to myself first as a Survivor seeking safety in the emergency shelter, then as a volunteer giving back and now as an advocate & peer support counselor for the agency that gave me (a) chance when no one else would!”

The Beacon Center – like many domestic violence shelters – has been woefully underfunded, sustained by a caring group of employees and volunteers (some of whom were domestic violence survivors themselves) who did their best to provide a haven for survivors, despite the indifference and political posturing of those in power who should have done more. 

In my view, if Senate President Passidomo were serious about protecting the integrity of the institution – and domestic violence survivors – over the now sullied political aspirations of some shit-heel in an expensive suit with the base instincts of Gaius Caligula who allegedly treated The Beacon Center as his private Hellfire Club, she would have immediately commissioned an investigation into Wright’s disturbing behavior and put a stop to the cheap political rhetoric on both sides of the aisle.   

Angel               S. R. Perrott

I like beer.

I also like local companies with a civic conscience and the courage to stand in support of their community when the chips are down. 

This week, it was announced that venerated Ormond Beach beverage wholesaler S. R. Perrott is challenging the air quality permit recently issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to Belvedere Terminals allowing construction of a 20-million-gallon bulk fuel farm near the city’s sports complex, municipal airport, a child’s dance studio, and thousands of homes and businesses.

According to a report by News-Journal reporter Sheldon Gardner this week, “S.R. Perrott, which is near the proposed site, filed an initial petition for an administrative hearing with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in August, but that was dismissed with the opportunity to amend the petition. They are now making another attempt with an amended petition.

Among other things, the latest petition says that “the permit and its safeguards do not fully consider and mitigate the proposed project’s full potential to emit pollutants.”

The challenge also says that legal requirements weren’t satisfied by the public notice of a pending air-quality permit in the Hometown News.”

Since news of the terminal broke this summer in an exclusive exposé by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, residents from throughout the region have mobilized to oppose the plan that would create a hub-and-spur distribution system along the Florida East-Coast Railway – to include the disputed Ormond Beach terminal – which, in the view of many, is proposed for the most inappropriate location on the Eastern Seaboard…

As questions continue to mount about “who knew what, and when” – with senior elected and appointed officials still claiming they were caught flat-footed, even though both entities held meetings with the company in June 2022 – last week, the City of Ormond Beach took a symbolic vote to deny annexation and utilities to the proposed site.

Many in the community rightfully remain skeptical because the City Commission’s vote seemed to contradict previous statements by Ormond Beach planning director Steven Spraker, who last month reported that the city would be required to annex the property as the terminal would use Ormond Beach utilities and existing regulations require the annexation.

However, in a recent press release, Ormond Beach City Attorney Randy Hayes said the city has, “…the discretion to deny utilities to the proposed project.  Exercising this discretion in favor of our community’s safety and well-being is, in our view, the most prudent course of action. The City Commission demonstrated that, unwavering in the commitment to protecting Ormond Beach and its residents from potential harm.”

Time will tell…

Kudos to S. R. Perrott, a great corporate citizen, and the legions of concerned citizens who are fighting valiantly to oppose this potential disaster and preserve the quality of life for residents of Ormond Beach and beyond.

Asshole           Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko

Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko has, once again, proven himself among the worst examples of what passes for “elected representatives” in our horribly cursed Metropolitan Statistical Area…

You may disagree with my assessment, but that is the beauty of this forum – and what remains of our great nation.  We should be able to vehemently disagree, while courageously defending each other’s right to voice an authentic opinion on the issues that affect our lives and livelihoods.  

In my view, that takes an open mind – the self-confidence of a freethinker – unencumbered by suppressive bureaucratic “rules” or lockstep conformity to the rhetoric of political parties now wholly controlled by dark money and demagogues from the lunatic fringe… 

Earlier this month, the always arrogant Councilman Danko started one of his frequent contretemps from the dais of power when he set about bullying a staff member following a benign presentation on expanding the placement of electric vehicle charging stations in Palm Coast. 

Because everything in our lives is now hyper-politicized – the topic of electric vehicles has been seized as a cause célèbre by democratic leftwing moon bats as part of their Henny Penny agenda to control the masses through fear mongering – which, in turn, means republican firebrands are dutybound by party dogma to take things to the opposite extreme and vilify the topic or technology.

In keeping with this Doctrine of Divisiveness, the always controversial Ed Danko performed his caustic Clown Show to exploit the electric vehicle debate to his political advantage as he ramps up a run for the Flagler County Council.

According to a report in FlaglerLive!: 

“Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko verbally attacked and disparaged the city’s resiliency and sustainability officer in a public meeting on Tuesday, baselessly calling her presentation “propaganda,” questioning why she had a job, and sparring with Mayor David Alfin, who brought him under control.

It was the latest in a history of public outbursts for Danko, who has used his position to fabricate lies about a former mayor and have shouting matches with fellow council members, and who previously violated council rules to the point that the mayor threatened to have him removed from the chamber. Danko was also the subject of several complaints by employees. (Tuesday’s outburst was first reported by WNZF’s Rich Carol.)

Maeven Rogers, the chief sustainability and resiliency officer, was appearing before the council to provide an update on potentially upgrading the city’s electric vehicle charging station infrastructure from its lone station at City Hall, and to get guidance on whether and how much to charge at that station.” 

As is his way, Danko cut into Rogers – calling her presentation absurd “propaganda,” while questioning her credentials and the need for her position at City Hall. 

Look, in light of massive budgets, and the corresponding increase in taxes and fees placed on the backs of already strapped residents, I believe we need to have a serious discussion of superfluous positions like “Resiliency and Sustainability Officers” and “Community Involvement Specialists” – as these so-called ‘fiscal conservatives’ we elect pay tacit lip service to our concerns of government expansion – yet refuse to hack the thick rind of fat off area bureaucracies. 

However, openly humiliating a staff member for doing the job she was hired to do, at the direction of the City Manager, for purely political purposes is sensationalistic grandstanding and beyond contemptable. 

I know desensitized residents of Florida’s “Fun Coast” may find this hard to understand – but there are ways in which elected officials can express their views, influence colleagues and constituents, and poke holes in public policies they disagree with without resorting to the personal and professional destruction of the messenger.

That’s the difference between a statesman and a bombastic dipshit… 

If Councilman Danko possessed the human emotion of shame, he would understand that. 

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin stood up to Danko’s aggression, and according to FlaglerLive!, a heated exchange ensued:

“But by then Alfin was trying to intervene, since Danko had directly attacked a staffer, as council members are not allowed to do by city procedures: staffers answer exclusively to the city manager.

“I think I think you’ve made your point,” Alfin told Danko.

“I’m not finished yet,” Danko yelled.

“Yes you are,” Alfin went on, telling him to address his remarks about staff to the city manager as Dank (sic) said he would speak “any way I want.”

“No, sorry, you will not,” Alfin told him.

“You do not control me,” Danko said, his voice rising further. “You’re elected, I’m elected.”

“You also need to understand the organization of the city,” Alfin said as Danko tried to speak over him. “If you have a question about the assignment, you should address it to the city manager. I will not, I will not tolerate your going after staff.”

“I don’t even know why this person has a job,” Danko said, by then repeatedly out of order.

“That’s a discussion that you can have with the city manager. And I am not going to allow your continued attack on staff.”

“Who do you think you are?” Danko went on.

“I am the mayor of this city and I control this meeting,” Alfin said, turning to (Council member) Pontieri for her questions.

Danko was better behaved at the very end of the segment, when he joined the consensus for charging 18 cents a kilowatt hour, and asked for a report back in a year.

Rogers will, in fact, report back in six months, assuming she is willing to risk subjecting herself to more boorish behavior.”

My God.

This is what passes for “governance” in Palm Coast?           

What a damnable embarrassment…

Here’s hoping Flagler County residents finally see Councilman Danko for what he is (and isn’t) and send this incendiary asshole to the political ash heap in 2024.

Quote of the Week

“After the (2022) election, someone mentioned to me our supermajority and they said, ‘Danny, we can make people do anything we want,’” Perez said. “And that might be true. But just because we have the power to do a thing, doesn’t necessarily mean that we should, and just because we think we are right, it doesn’t mean we are justified.”

–State Representative Daniel Perez (R) Miami, recently designated as 2024-2026 Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, as quoted by the Ormond Beach Observer, Monday, September 18, 2023

Certainly not by conscious design – more like the conjuring’s of a weird civic Ouija board – sometimes a crude subliminal theme emerges in these rambling screeds of mine.   

This week, the sad refrain seems to be the corrosive effect of partisan politics and unchecked power on the lives and livelihoods of Floridia families in an environment where elected officials at all levels of government seem to have forgotten who they work for. 

I found Speaker-Designate Perez’ candid comment on the sorry state of affairs in Tallahassee refreshing – or maybe I was just shocked to see the unvarnished truth coming from the mouth of a sitting politician…  

Unfortunately, we now live in a time and place where some politicians view partisan majorities as a means of forcing We, The Little People to bend to their officious will like pompous tinpot dictators who crave power and control over consensus and collegiality.

Upon accepting the speaker designation last week, Rep. Perez gave his thoughts on limited government:

“I believe in limited government because history has taught us what happens when people with power begin to think they know more than the people who gave them their power,” Perez said.

“I don’t believe our state government should be at the center of people’s lives. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a role to play. Government must protect its people from dangers to life and property whether they come from threats to public safety or natural disasters. Government must ensure that we have a society of equally applied laws where any person who is willing to work hard has a chance to succeed based on their individual merit. And we also must be willing to help those who truly cannot help themselves.”

“I grew up in Miami-Dade listening to the stories of the Cuban exiles and listening to the stories of my own grandparents. I heard the fear and anger in their voices as they described the fall of their country. I sat mesmerized at the tales of the Assault Brigade 2506, and their courage in the face of desperate odds. I came to understand how much Fidel Castro had taken from the people of Cuba, and that took root in my mind as a different kind of fear — a fear about how power can be abused and eventually turned into the poor ideology of socialism,” Perez added.

“After all, what makes the American Revolution such an interesting story is not how we won the war, but how we built our peace. Our Founding Fathers understood that man created government to keep ourselves safe, but that the authority of that government also poses the greatest risk to our freedom. They knew that power without restraint leads to tyranny, just as freedom without responsibility results in anarchy.”

Refreshing, indeed…

And Another Thing!

It is natural for good citizens to hope for the best from those we elect and appoint to represent our interests.  We need to trust their instincts and we desperately want to believe that their service is altruistic, independent, and civic-minded.    

As participants in a representative democracy, we elect the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker – often following the chaotic bloodbath of a modern political campaign – then charge our representatives with setting public policy, enacting the laws, rules, taxes, fees, and regulations that govern our lives and livelihoods, and trust that they will allocate our tax dollars for the essential services we rely on in a fiscally responsible way. 

It is a position of enormous public trust – one that should command our respect and appreciation.  

So, why is our collective confidence in local government at an all-time low here on the “Fun Coast”?

Let me give you a few recent examples…

Last week, the Lost City of Deltona was back in the news when the Office of State Attorney R. J. Larizza issued a disturbing statement which, while stopping short of finding criminal culpability, painted a damning picture of how the “people’s business” is apparently conducted by a small clique of elected officials meeting in secret behind closed doors.   

According to the report by Assistant State Attorney Jeanne Stratis, in May, Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. brought forth credible information that Commissioners Dana McCool, Jody Lee Storozuk, and Steven Colwell met in private at Storozuk’s home apparently to conduct an interview with City Manager candidate David Lynch.

In keeping with the “deny everything” strategy we have come to expect when elected officials are caught in a “compromising position,” each of the commissioners involved denied they were discussing city business – which would have constituted a serious violation of Florida’s Sunshine law – a second-degree misdemeanor.  

According to the report “The candidate, David Lynch, refused to be interviewed.”   

My ass.

(Last year, The Daytona Beach News-Journal listed a David Lynch, former City Manager of Newton Falls, Ohio, as one of fourteen finalists for the Deltona position.  According to reports, that Lynch was terminated by the Newton Falls City Commission and later resigned after making “defamatory” comments about a Hispanic resident and community volunteer “working on his green card, we think, folks.”  Reports indicate the resident – a United States citizen born in Florida – later filed a defamation suit against Lynch…) 

Sounds like just what Deltona needs, eh? 

Look, I get it – in the absence of corroborating testimony, the SAO may not have been able to establish probable cause that three Deltona City Commissioners met in private to discuss a topic which they knew, or should have known, would come before the full elective body for official action.

You know, like selecting a permanent City Manager?

But given the presence of tightlipped candidate David Lynch in the room, the inference of a Sunshine Law violation is unmistakable – and when it comes to preserving the public trust – perception is reality…

In a subsequent interview with News-Journal reporter Mark Harper, Commissioner McCool admitted being uncomfortable with the situation:

“I walked into the meeting, or I walked into the space, and recognized within five minutes of being there that I was not OK with the gathering, and politely excused myself within 10 minutes of being there.”

Conversely, Storozuk and Colwell stuck to their clumsily orchestrated script:

“Storozuk said Wednesday he didn’t believe he was breaking any rules by hosting the event.

“Everybody around here knows that Steve Colwell is my best friend and we go on vacations together, but that doesn’t mean we meet and talk about city business,” Storozuk said.

Colwell said simply: “Nothing happened. There was no basis for this complaint.”

Which, I think, are the most words the virtually silent Commissioner Colwell has strung together since he was elected… 

To say that the appalling optics exhibited by McCool, Storozuk, and Colwell is disappointing is an understatement – because even the suggestion of clandestine ‘meetings’ further erodes confidence in Deltona government at a delicate time in the city’s tumultuous history – and undermines the fair and transparent process for selecting the community’s next City Manager that residents were promised following a raucous public meeting earlier this summer.

In my view, another corrosive factor that continues to destroy our faith in local government is the lack of effective communication between constituents and our elected officials who increasingly seek cover and concealment behind suppressive “civility ordinances” and “rules of decorum” that have a chilling effect on our First Amendment right to speak freely on issues of community concern.

Even when that means voicing strong criticism of those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest…

In an eye-opening piece earlier this week, News-Journal reporter Sheldon Gardner recounted a disturbing exchange between Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent and a constituent – Ormond Beach resident and civic activist Lindsay Pate – during the public comments section of a recent Volusia County Council meeting:

“Lindsay Pate of Ormond Beach was fired up about the prospect of a huge fuel terminal being built just outside her city. She is opposed and she wanted the Volusia County Council to know about it. She singled out District 4 Councilman Troy Kent during a recent meeting.

“Combative, aggressive, ready to fight, or eager to fight and pugnacious. Troy Kent used this description of a citizen when they inquired for more substantial answers”―

Kent quickly interrupted, saying under county rules, “all comments need to go to the entire council. Ms. Pate doesn’t know the rules of this elected body, obviously. I’d like to help her and this council. No. 4 says all comments shall be directed to the council as a whole. Comments should not be addressed to a single member of the council or to county staff members.”

Yeah.  I know… 

Unfortunately, this is not the first time our cowardly elected officials in DeLand have stood on policy to protect their delicate sensibilities after being caught with their proverbial pants around their ankles – totally clueless regarding plans to place a massive 20-million-gallon bulk fuel terminal in Ormond Beach.  

To his credit, Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower spoke to Councilman Kent’s thin-skinned deflection in the News-Journal report:

“I don’t think Councilman Kent got it right that time,” Brower said. “The rule is that the speakers have to address the entire council. … That doesn’t mean that they can’t criticize me or anyone else or mention us in their comments favorably or unfavorably. That’s a violation of the First Amendment. What they don’t do is directly speak to Troy Kent or anybody else and direct comments to them and elicit a response.”

The fact is the damage is done – Volusia County residents have been effectively censored, forced to amend their thoughts and comments from the public podium to conform to a publicly compensated elected official’s tetchy hypersensitivity – and Councilman Kent damn well knows that.

This week, in a feeble and cringeworthy response to the public outcry over the proposed fuel terminal, Volusia County officials announced they are establishing a website “dedicated to updates” on the Belvedere Terminal project – you know, a convenient place where the County’s mouthpiece can control the narrative outside of any public debate the elected officials may find embarrassing? 

(To learn more from independent sources not manipulated by County government, please see www.protectormondbeach.com or on Facebook at Ormond Beach Citizens Against Belvedere Fuel Terminals/Grupo Mexico at https://tinyurl.com/2kt3b25b )

And that, my friends and foes, is the grim result of what happens when citizens no longer trust their government… 

As Speaker-Designate Perez said in his inspiring remarks quoted above, “Our Founding Fathers understood that man created government to keep ourselves safe, but that the authority of that government also poses the greatest risk to our freedom. They knew that power without restraint leads to tyranny, just as freedom without responsibility results in anarchy.”

He’s right. 

In 1776, fifty-six brave souls signed the Declaration of Independence – knowing that the price of treason against the British king was death – yet boldly stood and affixed their signatures to our nation’s founding document with incredible courage and conviction: 

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

How far we have fallen. 

Today, our elected “representatives” suppress public debate, trample our inalienable protections, and cower in frightened silence behind subjective “rules” when a few well-meaning ladies from Ormond Beach exercise their constitutional right to demands answers… 

My God.

I hope you will remember that hard-earned wisdom at the ballot box next November. 

Caveat Emptor…

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, 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               The Great Claire Metz

Over the course of an incredible 39-year career in broadcast journalism, the great Claire Metz of WESH-2 became a household name and a trusted source of information on the most important stories of our time.

She is one of us.  Our beloved Claire.    

Whenever news broke in Volusia County – from the emergent to the mundane – the incomparable duo of Claire Metz, and her longtime photojournalist Hutch Breneman, were there to educate and inform – and when rumors spread through the community at digital speed, the immediate response from anxious residents on social media became “Ask Claire.”

I had the unique pleasure of working with Claire during the entirety of my career in public service, and I came to rely on Claire and Hutch to push critical information to the community.  Her assistance in helping develop leads in criminal cases, reassuring residents during threatening weather, and the ability to tell complex stories in a clear, calm, and cogent way made her an invaluable partner with area law enforcement, emergency management, and public safety organizations. 

Over time, we developed a trusted friendship and in retirement one of the things I miss most about my working life are those daily phone calls with Claire to catch up on developing issues. 

This week, WESH-2 paid tribute to Claire’s indelible contributions to her profession and our community: 

“Claire Metz’s retirement marks the end of an era in Central Florida journalism. Throughout her career, she has been a source of inspiration, education, and comfort for viewers. Her unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity and deep connection with the Central Florida community has made her a beloved figure.

Hail and Farewell, dear Claire.

Congratulations on the culmination of your incredible career of service.

You have set the Gold Standard for all who come after, and it is my pleasure to join your legion of loyal viewers, colleagues, and friends in wishing you all the best in your well-earned retirement! 

Thanks, Claire.  For everything. 

We’re glad you passed our way. 

Angel               Holly Hill Police Officer Andrew Barrett   

Few things give me more pleasure than seeing exceptional law enforcement officers recognized for their difficult and often dangerous work.

Especially so when those brave souls serve with my beloved Holly Hill Police Department.   

I had the pleasure of meeting Inv. Andrew Barrett while assisting a group of Holly Hill officers obtain their FAA remote pilot certificates as the department integrated drone technology to assist with public safety operations.    

In my experience, Inv. Barrett is a shining example of the new generation of law enforcement officers who have so admirably devoted themselves to serving and protecting others.

Recently, Inv. Barrett was honored by Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida as the 2023 recipient of the coveted Spirit of Law Enforcement Award – a special recognition presented by the Crime Stoppers Board of Directors to those who have distinguished themselves through exceptional heroism or extraordinary achievement. 

In my view, Inv. Barrett sets the bar in both categories.   

According to the award citation:

“On January 12, 2023, the New York State Police requested the assistance of the Holly Hill Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division with an ongoing investigation involving the disturbing case of a 13-year-old victim who was exploited by a sexual trafficking ring.

Although these despicable acts are alleged to have taken place in the State of New York, the primary suspect in the case recently relocated to the City of Holly Hill, and the investigation was assigned to Investigator Andrew Barrett.

The results of Investigator Barrett’s interview were extremely influential in the State of New York obtaining a felony indictment leading to the suspect’s arrest.

In total, eighteen additional suspects have been arrested in connection with the trafficking ring in the State of New York.

We’re proud of Investigator Barrett, the nominees, each Officer of the Year that was selected by the Crime Stoppers Board, and all of the law enforcement officers throughout the State of Florida, and the United States.”

I can think of no greater calling – or urgency – than protecting children from violence and sexual exploitation.  Inv. Barrett’s extraordinary work is a stellar example of how interstate cooperation between law enforcement agencies casts a wide net to ensure these monsters have no place to hide. 

In addition, Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida presented awards to exceptional officers from throughout the region – a fitting tribute for their tireless service. 

Kudos to Inv. Barrett – and all law enforcement officers, emergency telecommunicators, and support staff whose heroism and self-sacrifice all too often go unrecognized.

Well done. 

Asshole           Sen. Terrible Tommy Wright

The older I get, the less I care about the haughty self-promotion and time-wasting endeavors of the governmental upper crust or the inane chattering from our ‘movers & shakers’ that others find important. 

For instance, on Monday, The Exalted Roundtable of Volusia County Elected Officials – a political insulation committee comprised of politicians from each of Volusia’s cities, county government, the school district (and their overseers from that camera stellata over at the CEO Business Alliance) who meet every other month during the day (when you can’t be there) to jabber amongst themselves while the bulldozers roar and Rome burns…

They have performed this purposeless kabuki every other month for the past eight-years.  Is your life appreciably better for the effort? 

Me neither.

But doing the same thing over-and-over (with the same do-nothing politicians in the wheelhouse) while expecting a different result is the “Volusia Way.”

Increasingly, what I worry about are the basic underpinnings of our system of governance – the moral imperatives of honor, integrity, transparency, and accountability – and the foul legacy of irresponsibility, narcissistic “leadership,” and institutionalized mediocrity we are leaving for my grandchildren and yours.

One shining example of how off-the-rails things have gotten is the escalating scandal surrounding Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright – a stroppy asshole with the ungentlemanly instincts of a broke-back snake – whose videotaped browbeating of a female employee of The Beacon Center in the presence of displaced domestic violence survivors and their traumatized children was covered in back-to-back articles by both The Daytona Beach News-Journal and Orlando Sentinel last week.

Wow.  We didn’t know the half of it…  

Now it appears that Wright’s previous behavior at the center was apparently worse than anyone knew – and his constituents are beginning to ask why those in Tallahassee charged with protecting the integrity of the Florida Senate are mysteriously silent on Wright’s boorish behavior at The Beacon Center?

Call me cynical – but I’m not surprised…

We live in a time and place when holding one’s political peers accountable for their loutish behavior is anathema in the hallowed Halls of Power – now that powerful elected officials practice transactional politics, money is the only thing that matters, political campaigns are a blood sport, and the rules are for the “little people.”

According to the Orlando Sentinel’s report, this was not the first time Sen. Wright’s weird behavior at The Beacon Center raised the eyebrows of administrators:

“The Beacon Center is the state-designated, community-based center for victims of domestic abuse in Volusia County, which has one of the highest rates in a state that has a domestic violence crisis. Its location is undisclosed and clients’ identities are protected.

Wright’s behavior is especially concerning given that he was once a member of the center’s board of directors, and he should know the state and federal rules prohibiting interaction with staff and residents, (former CEO Angie) Pye said.

He also is a member of the Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs, which hears and votes on legislation dealing with child welfare and domestic abuse issues.

Wright filed a complaint with the Department of Children and Families two years ago claiming that the center was involved in drugs, prostitution and human trafficking that all proved to be unfounded, Pye said. He also interfered with the organization’s private fundraising efforts, Pye said.

It got to the point that six of the center’s board members resigned over the summer, followed by Pye and her program manager two weeks ago, just before Wright’s latest visit.

“Anybody in their right mind would leave us alone,” said Cynthia Perez, a domestic violence survivor who has used the center’s services. “These women are already stressed out, and the last thing they need is this guy coming over and stressing out the staff, who are holding the center together.

Pye, a 25-year veteran of what she calls “hardcore advocacy” for battered women, came on board the Beacon Center as CEO in 2016, when it was still called the Domestic Abuse Council. Wright was a volunteer at the time, which has the capacity to house up to 80 women and their children, she said.

“He had free rein” of the place, Pye said.

She said she told him that his presence could result in the confidentiality of the women at the shelter being endangered, which would violate the federal Violence Against Women Act.

Pye also said she witnessed him flirting with a survivor.  “To many people, it would have not raised a flag, but given what I do for a living, I was not comfortable with it,” she said.

She said she suggested he join the board of directors so he would no longer have contact with the survivors. Wright agreed but only showed up for one board meeting in October 2016, Pye said.

Two months later, he invited her to a Christmas party at his home. She said she couldn’t attend, telling him that staff couldn’t interact with board members.

He showed up at the shelter the next day to announce that he had made arrangements to feed the residents and have Santa Claus visit the children. When he was told he couldn’t do that, he berated a staffer and threatened to withdraw the money he’d donated and give it to some other organization, Pye said.

Pye said she and the board made several attempts to meet with Wright to talk things over, but he refused. At one point, he screamed at another staff person, at Pye and at the board chair.

“I knew it was not appropriate to have him around there, and I was happy he disappeared,” Pye said.”

Read the sordid details for yourself here: https://tinyurl.com/4df24yuf

In a follow-up, the Orlando Sentinel reported what Interim CEO Jessica Rivers – a domestic violence survivor herself – experienced (literally) at the hands of Sen. Wright. 

According to the report, Rivers’ recollection of the event was supported by Linda Parker, CEO of Women in Distress in Broward County, who has a contract with the state Department of Children and Families to provide shelters in distress with support services:

“Things didn’t heat up until after the residents were loaded onto just one bus and Wright stepped onto it to talk to the driver, he told police later. Rivers stopped him, telling him it was against the law to talk to be on the bus with the abuse survivors.

That’s when things got physical, Rivers said.

Fearing he was going to strike her, she said loudly enough for the women on the bus to hear, “Do not put your hands on me!”

Hearing her yell, an employee of Parker’s stepped in between Rivers and Wright to intervene, she said.

“What Sen. Wright did was not appropriate,” Parker said. “That is not behavior we want to see from any sitting senator. No one should ever have to feel threatened by anyone.”

A video of the confrontation provided by Daytona Beach Police shows Wright, who stands a good head and shoulders above Rivers, touching her shoulder and yelling.

At that point, he started to walk away shouting something about “thanks for looking after them,” Rivers said.

She responded by saying that state and federal laws prevented him from having contact with survivors in order to protect their identities.

“He came back at me shouting, ‘Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!’” Rivers said.

He walked away from Rivers to confer with (Beacon Board Chair Carmen) Ruiz and the DCF officials present.

The tour apparently was requested because Wright planned to provide funding to the Beacon Center, Rivers said. Whether it was his own money or state money, she wasn’t sure.

“I’ve handled donations for the six, seven years I’ve been at the Beacon Center and I have not seen a single dollar come from him,” Rivers said.

Wright got his tour, and Rivers was confined to a part of the building he was not inspecting.

At that point, she called police and reported what happened, and officers showed up as the tour was winding down.”

Whoa. 

Sadly, “The day after that confrontation on Sept. 2, the Beacon Center Board of Directors held an emergency meeting to demote Rivers, who’d only been interim CEO for three days after long-term CEO Angie Pye stepped down earlier that week.

Rivers said she “resigned under duress due to an extremely hostile work environment” a few days later after the stress of the attack and aftermath put her in the hospital.”

Read the incredibly ugly details here: https://tinyurl.com/55rt7ues

Then, things deteriorated from bad to worse…

On Thursday, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, who originally broke the story on September 2, published a shocking piece describing Sen. Wright’s creepy come-on to a 20-year-old domestic violence survivor, in the presence of her baby, while she was evacuating the Beacon Center ahead of a hurricane:

“Six years ago this month, Shelby Dunlap and her baby were aboard a short bus fleeing Hurricane Irma from the domestic violence shelter where they had sought refuge.

A local philanthropist was also on board, amid a small group of women from the Beacon Center, Volusia County’s only shelter for survivors of domestic violence, she recalled.

“I think he paid for the trip,” Dunlap said.

And he was flirtatious, she added, talking about prostitutes in Cuba, topless women on a boat, and offering to fly her to Las Vegas.

Nothing happened. She didn’t go to Las Vegas, but the conversation still causes her discomfort.

“It’s kind of embarrassing to say, but whenever you’re going through that, especially I was only, like, 20 years old, but you feel like, OK, there’s this rich guy, like, that could help me out of my problems,” she said. “But now I realize, you know, he was a creep.”

The philanthropist, she said, was Tom Wright. A year later, he became Florida State Sen. Tom Wright.”

My God…

Cuban prostitutes? 

Topless women?

Offering to jet off to Sin City with a vulnerable victim of domestic violence? 

In the company of children?

Really?

Trust me.  You’re going to want to read the despicable details here: https://tinyurl.com/wec5ds5z

Unfortunately, it appears the only one to be held responsible for Sen. Wright’s abusive behavior was his victims…

Although Sen. Wright is still refusing to answer growing questions from the media and his outraged constituents, according to the News-Journal, it appears failed Volusia County School Board candidate Kim Short – who is now employed by the district as something called a “Community Involvement Specialist” (?) – is Sen. Wright’s Facebook fixer:

“But according to a recent Facebook post, Wright did discuss the Beacon Center with a local club, the United Patriots of Volusia County.

“Senator Tom Wright gave a detailed update on what is going on at the Beacon Center, and also answered questions from our attendees,” Kim Short the group’s education chair posted on Sept. 8. “Much more on this situation exists and details, with evidence, will be revealed over the coming weeks.”

Oh, I’ll just bet there are a lot more “revelations” to come from this sleazy Pandora’s box…

Considering the salacious revelations by Ms. Dunlap, and Ms. Short’s obvious ambitions – as a tax-supported public employee – she might want to distance herself from Sen. Wright’s constricting circle of support as these things have a way of tainting the political futures of everyone involved…    

In my view, it is now time for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo to do her sworn duty and commission a formal investigation into these scandalous assertions to determine if Sen. Wright has abused the power of his high office, acted inappropriately with vulnerable domestic violence survivors and Beacon employees, used his status to file false allegations against administrators of The Beacon Center who challenged him, and physically menaced a female employee who attempted to protect the confidentiality of survivors. 

Based upon the reporting of both The Daytona Beach News-Journal and the Orlando Sentinel – the integrity of the Florida Senate is now in question – and it is time for President Passidomo and Governor Ron DeSantis to act decisively to enforce the rules of the senate and give concerned residents answers as these shocking allegations continue to emerge.   

Angel               Daytona Beach Police Officer Jason Raynor  

“As police officers, we know that our job comes with inherent risks to our safety and we know that there is a chance that we could lose our lives in service,” Young wrote. “Although we accept the fact that the unthinkable could occur, we expect that those responsible would be held accountable and that justice would be served. Today’s verdict contradicts that expectation.”

–Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young, as quoted by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Daytona Beach police chief says manslaughter verdict for Raynor’s killer is an injustice,” Saturday, September 16, 2023

I am incredibly proud to call Chief Jakari Young a friend and former colleague.   

He is a gentleman of great intellect, skill, and poise who epitomizes what it means to be a professional public servant. 

In the aftermath of Saturday’s inexplicable verdict in the case of State of Florida v. Othal Wallace, my heart breaks for Chief Young and the brave men and women of the Daytona Beach Police Department, my brothers and sisters in Volusia County law enforcement, our great State Attorney R. J. Larizza, and his dedicated prosecutors, investigators, and staff who worked so diligently to seek justice for Officer Raynor. 

When the lesser Manslaughter verdict was returned for the brutal murder of Officer Raynor, like many in our community, I was filled with rage, and my thoughts remain with his family, friends, and colleagues as they grapple with an incomprehensible outcome that many view as a miscarriage of justice that cheapens the lives of law enforcement officers everywhere.

As Sheriff Mike Chitwood so aptly stated, “The message I take away from this jury is that it’s open season on law enforcement.  A lesser charge of Manslaughter for the MURDER of Daytona Beach Police Officer Jason Raynor is a slap in the face of everyone who puts on a uniform.”

He’s right.

In addition, the Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association expressed their disappointment in a statement, “The cold-blooded murder of a police officer is not and never will be ‘manslaughter.’ Justice was not served today for our departed colleague, member, and friend Jason Raynor or his beloved family. We join the entire law enforcement community in mourning for Jason while urging our heroes everywhere to remain vigilant and prepared now more than ever.”

Well said.

If you have ever worn a badge – or come from a law enforcement family – you understand early the inherent risks of an often-thankless pursuit made more dangerous by a societal shift that vilifies the sheepdog and mollycoddles the predator.  

You also learn that good does not always prevail over evil…

Make no mistake.  There is a war on law enforcement in this nation.   

When “social activists” scream death threats in the streets of America, openly calling for the wholesale murder of law enforcement, then we see officers dying in increasingly frequent violent attacks – only a fool would deny the direct and menacing correlation – now culminating in a Clay County jury’s senseless decision in a case where Officer Raynor’s coldblooded murder by an avowed cop hater was captured in its bloody entirety on his body worn camera…

My God.

Where is the United States Department of Justice? 

Why isn’t Attorney General Merrick Garland swooping in from on high to appropriately charge Othal Wallace with a federal civil rights violation for his blatant hate crime against Officer Raynor?

Yeah, right…

In my view, as our community grieves the tragic loss of Officer Jason Raynor – and officers across the nation continue to die with horrific regularity – it is time We, The People take a stand in support of the brave men and women of law enforcement.

They damn well deserve it.

Quote of the Week

“The city of Ormond Beach is saying no to Belvedere Terminals. No utilities. No annexation.

“Not no, but heck no,” Mayor Bill Partington said at the City Commission meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20. “This city will not provide utilities for a project that is so adverse to our residents’ quality of life.”

The commission unanimously approved two motions at its meeting stating that the city has no desire or intention to provide utilities and annexation to Belvedere Terminals, which is pursuing the construction of a 16-tank fuel storage terminal at 874 Hull Road.

“I don’t know if that will stop the project, but I think it’s important that this company knows that we’re going to battle them at every level, at every angle, at every possible time and opportunity to make sure that this project never happens, and we’ll drag it out for years and spend as much money as you have to spend,” Partington said.”

–Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington, as quoted by the Ormond Beach Observer, “Ormond Beach won’t provide utilities — or annexation — to Belvedere Terminals’ proposed fuel farm,” Thursday, September 21, 2023

According to a press release issued by the City of Ormond Beach:

“City Attorney Randy Hayes, who rigorously examined the situation, remarked, “After assessing all the available options and considering the potential repercussions to our community, it became clear that we possess the discretion to deny utilities to the proposed project. Exercising this discretion in favor of our community’s safety and well-being is, in our view, the most prudent course of action. The City Commission demonstrated that, unwavering in the commitment to protect Ormond Beach and its residents from any potential harm.”

In line with this stance, the City of Ormond Beach has been proactive in its opposition to the project. It has dispatched letters of objection to Belvedere Terminals and solicited the backing of key figures, including the Volusia County Legislative Delegation, Governor DeSantis, Congressman Waltz, and FDEP.

The City reaffirms its dedication to working collaboratively with Volusia County, supporting any of its legal endeavors to halt the project and explore alternative, more suitable locations. This collaborative effort underscores the City’s commitment to finding resolutions that best serve its residents’ interests.”

Stay tuned, folks – and do not let your guard down.

In my cynical view, it is too early to tell if Mayor Partington’s saber-rattling – or the symbolic motions adopted by the Ormond Beach City Commission this week – truly represent a “commitment to protect Ormond Beach and its residents from potential harm,” or are just a time buying strategy ahead of the 2024 campaign season… 

Again, time will tell…

And Another Thing!

For years, concerned residents who try desperately to peer through the smoke and mirrors of Volusia County government have complained about the abysmal quality of the audio/visual capabilities in the gilded Council Chamber – which, in a bloated bureaucracy with a budget now well exceeding $1 Billion annually – seems to strategically malfunction whenever contentious issues heat things up between angry constituents and their cowardly elected officials.

I have likened the rickety audio system in the chamber to an early model of Bell’s Harmonic Telegraph (although, acoustically, it sounds more akin to two rusty soup cans connected by a taught waxed string in the style of Antonio Meucci’s Teletrofono) – the difference being that one can decipher what is being said by either of those early means of voice-communications.

And Volusia County taxpayers still do not warrant a public access television channel – which means unless you want to navigate the County’s web feed or YouTube – We, The Little People who cannot attend the meetings in person are SOL… 

On Tuesday evening, during the public comment portion of the Volusia County Council meeting – at a time when frightened residents are demanding answers to mounting questions surrounding the proposed placement of a 20-million-gallon bulk fuel terminal in Ormond Beach – the audio portion of the video mysteriously went mute.

For almost two-hours… 

Apparently, no one who should give’s two-shits in the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand. . .

Why? 

Because it is now unmistakably evident that our so-called “elected representatives” do not want us to hear (or see) the sausage being made – or they would damn well do something about it…

Now that questions outweigh answers – and testy exchanges are increasing between opponents of the Belvedere Terminal and elected officials who claim to have been caught flatfooted – some officials are now blaming citizen activists for spreading misinformation in Volusia County’s patented ‘circle the wagons’ approach to crisis management.

In typical fashion, Councilman Danny Robins transmogrified in front of our eyes – shapeshifting from an elected official responsible to his constituents into a hand-wringing policy wonk – using his long-winded pettifoggery to silence and marginalize Chairman Jeff Brower for actually engaging with residents during public participation and trying to pry information out of County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald, who continues to quibble the “who knew what, and when” question. 

Ugly. 

In my view, if Mr. Robins and the others were sincere in their lip service opposition to the Belvedere terminal, they would encourage the civic engagement of concerned residents, demand accountability from the bureaucracy, and work diligently to ensure a thorough investigation into how something of this magnitude – that could ultimately impact the lives, property values, and physical safety of thousands of residents – could have escaped the attention of senior management?   

More importantly, the Volusia County Council should demand answers from Mr. Recktenwald on exactly what steps are being taken to ensure this never happens again. 

They won’t – because accountability in the senior ranks of County government is considered corrosive to the status quo.

However, in an unusual move, Councilman Troy Kent of Ormond Beach took the extraordinary step of calling for formal evaluations of both County Manager Recktenwald and County Attorney Michael Dyer. 

In my view, the two most monstrously overpaid hacks in all the realm…

Rather than continue with the traditional practice of merely gifting The Wreck and Dyer massive pay increases each December as a foregone conclusion, Kent is suggesting an objective written assessment, based upon established metrics, such as competency, leadership, problem solving ability, management style, interpersonal relationships, planning and organization, fiscal management and reporting, and team building skills.

Look for this interesting development to be brought back for discussion next month…    

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

Asshole           Sen. Tom Wright

I don’t know about you, but I was ready to move on from the Sen. “Tommy the Terrible” Wright controversy – just chalk it up to the abhorrent conduct of another self-absorbed bully with an elective honorific in front of his name…

However, last week, I was taken to the proverbial woodshed by several of Wright’s apologists for instinctively reacting to something I saw with my own eyes on that incriminating video of the Senator browbeating a female employee of Volusia County’s only certified domestic violence shelter.

Nice try.  But feigned indignation doesn’t fly with me…

In the aftermath, it appears a few of Sen. Wright’s misguided supporters want to defend the indefensible, blaming everything and everyone except the Senator for his abominable behavior in the presence of domestic violence survivors at The Beacon Center. 

Since we are still chitchatting about it, here is a synopsis of how we arrived at the nadir of Sen. Wright’s all-too-weird career:

In a story originally told by reporter Mark Harper in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Senator angrily confronts domestic violence worker after shelter leadership resignations,” we learned that Sen. Wright put his hand on a female employee of The Beacon Center – then launched a verbal barrage that left his victim reeling – during a heated confrontation outside a busload of Beacon Center residents.

According to the News-Journal’s report, “State Sen. Tom Wright put his hand on a worker outside Volusia County’s only domestic violence shelter Saturday in an angry confrontation that later involved Daytona Beach police, witnesses said.

Wright has been at the center of an implosion of the Domestic Abuse Council of Volusia County Inc., which oversees the operation and programs at the Beacon Center. Approximately 26 women and children were living there last month in an effort to escape dangerous situations at home and rebuild their lives.”

The damning video shows the powerful Sen. Wright boarding a bus occupied by domestic violence survivors and their children (who were uprooted while Wright was “touring” the facility with Department of Children and Families officials) in contravention of state privacy laws. 

When a Beacon Center employee attempted to stop him, Wright can be seen reaching out and touching the female against her will.

After briefly turning away, Wright returns in a rage – screaming in the employee’s face – placing his hands behind his back, aggressively leaning forward, bearing down, and advancing on the employee as she recoiled from the Senator’s tirade, while another female courageously attempts to put herself between Wright and the target of his wrath… 

Ugly.

Don’t take my word for it, watch it for yourself here:  https://tinyurl.com/4zsa7xrk

This week, Wright’s defenders have been trying desperately to explain “his side,” blaming the victim, insinuating mismanagement, claiming he was “set up,” and spreading rumors of financial irregularities at the center, maintaining that the Senator will be vindicated once the “rest of the story” emerges…  

Sure.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even if all those allegations were true – the results of any inquiry will now appear to be what they are – base retaliation by Sen. Wright for his embarrassing tantrum in the presence of traumatized women and children.

Look, nothing can justify physically and verbally menacing a female in the presence of domestic violence survivors and their frightened children in the very place they sought safe haven. 

Nothing.

In my view, Sen. Wright, and those obsequious sycophants who support his repulsive conduct, are clearly playing a vile brand of revenge politics – rewarding apologists and punishing perceived enemies – denying everything, making counteraccusations from the influential bully pulpit, and vilifying anyone who challenges the abuser’s self-justification.  

It is called creating a “diversion” – shaming the victim while shifting attention away from the Senator’s cruel behavior – then controlling the narrative with useful idiots willing to deny the obvious and repeat the message until your adversary is marginalized and silenced.

Except these are not political opponents…

In this “David and Goliath” clash at The Beacon Center, an incredibly powerful multimillionaire Senator’s “opposition” are former administrators of a long struggling non-profit and underpaid social workers trying hard to make life better for women and children who have been traumatized and displaced.

Now, with Sen. Wright currently restrained by a trespass warning for The Beacon Center, his concerned constituents are waiting for those in Tallahassee charged with protecting the public’s confidence in the honor, integrity, and independence of the Florida Senate to condemn his aggression and take decisive action to protect domestic violence survivors, and those who serve them, from the Wrath of Wright.

Angel               Halifax Humane Society Employees and Volunteers

What does it mean to do ‘God’s Work’?

We all have our own definition, I suppose – or can point to a worthy pursuit performed by selfless souls who struggle to make a difference in an indifferent world – doing important work that contributes to the common good, often with little recognition or compensation. 

These altruistic individuals do not seek credit for their contributions – they simply see a need and devote themselves to a cause greater than their own self-interests.

In my experience, those who find it in their heart to serve abused and neglected animals – sentient beings who can give nothing in return – gifting their time and boundless compassion to provide comfort, care, and companionship in the frightening and often heartbreaking environment of a shelter are a truly special breed (pun admiringly intended).

Because these dedicated individuals are willing to give their heart and soul in service – it takes a lot to break their Volunteer Spirit – even when bullied and belittled by toxic “leaders” or demoralized by chaotic circumstances that destroys morale and distracts from the organizations mission. 

Once the commitment and enthusiasm of donors and volunteers is crushed, community confidence is often impossible to recover…

In a disturbing report by Katie Kustura writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week, Halifax area animal lovers learned of a tumultuous environment at the Halifax Humane Society.

According to accusations brought by “former staffers, volunteers, and others with knowledge of shelter operations” some insiders believe a senior HHS official demonstrated a bias against the pit bull breed, which may have resulted in potentially adoptable dogs without behavioral issues being euthanized, among other controversial management decisions and internal policies. 

“More than a dozen individuals say Christina Sutherin, the shelter’s current chief operating officer, was responsible for essentially disassembling the dog behavior team which resulted in additional responsibilities for an already stressed and overworked staff and led to low morale, high turnover, and mental health problems.

Some ex-staffers said if management found out someone had voiced concerns about the goings-on at the shelter, they would be terminated, or told to leave sooner if they’d already put in notice.”

The possibility of “breed bias” hit home for me. 

You see, since I was a child, my family has welcomed pit bulls as loving, well-mannered, and intensely loyal family members, which includes our current fur baby Nola – an HHS adoptee – who we love beyond words (and is sleeping at my feet as I write this…)

Unfortunately, it appears the internal workings of the shelter have dissolved into a ‘he said, she said’ distraction, with senior officials refusing to answer the News-Journal’s questions citing “misinformation,” and departures “marked by dissatisfaction.”

However, volunteers and former employees were open and transparent with their criticism of senior management…

For me, one revelation in the News-Journal article was particularly hard to swallow:

“Lindy Knapp joined the shelter last October and put in her notice in May. Knapp, who worked as a vet assistant, echoed the concerns others raised about Sutherin.

She pointed to a group of puppies Sutherin brought down from north Florida around February that had to be euthanized due to canine parvovirus, which has a high mortality rate if not caught early and treated.

“When you don’t have enough room for the animals you have, you don’t go and get more animals,” Knapp said.

Shauna Sewell, who worked in vet services for nearly two years before quitting in March, said having to euthanize sick puppies because of poor decisions by management was a traumatic experience.

“I’ll remember that for the rest of my life,” Sewell said.

Former staffers said when Sutherin again brought in puppies that wound up being ill, then-head veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Green resigned in March.

On April 1, Daytona Beach police received an anonymous tip about the shelter “neglecting the animals due to a high volume of staff quitting their jobs at once” after Green’s resignation.

After a walkthrough of the shelter, the officer said she had concerns about the dirtiness of the adoption kennel area and vet services.

Knapp said her last day was to be June 1; however, after she expressed concerns to human resources and Sutherin about Sutherin failing to follow proper procedures while euthanizing a sick kitten, Knapp said management told her May 17 was her last day.”

Damn.  How sad…  

Fortunately, in May, Adam Leath, the former director of Volusia County Animal Services, joined HHS as chief executive officer.  By all reports, he brings a wealth of experience in shelter operations and management – and the Board of Directors appear confident that he can calm the internal turmoil, demonstrate strong leadership, and restore public confidence in this critical service.

According to a quote by Leath in the News-Journal, “[Animals] deserve us to be intentional and to be purposeful around understanding what their individual needs are,” Leath said. “Cramming more into a building does not mean that you’re providing better welfare, and it doesn’t mean that you’re able to find more positive outcomes, which is why we’d be better off investing in resources in the community.”

In addition, I know that the wonderful HHS Board President Mel Stack, and at-large member Nancy Lohman, are both ardent animal lovers, dedicated activists, and generous philanthropists who have given graciously of their time, money, and talents to address the needs of at-risk animals in our community. 

Given the nature and similarities of the anecdotal reports from former employees and volunteers, in my view, it is critical that the HHS oversight board commission an external investigation into these disturbing claims – then develop a transparent response to calm growing fears in the community – and rebuild confidence in the source of much-needed financial support and critical resources to support the important mission of the Halifax Humane Society. 

Quote of the Week

“As your mayor, I am extremely aware that the residents of Ormond Beach have deep concerns about the adverse effects of the proposed Belvedere fuel terminal. The idea of a fuel terminal so close to our homes is not just about potential environmental, health, and safety concerns; it’s about preserving the quality of life we cherish.

Firstly, the increased truck traffic from the terminal threatens the very essence of our peaceful town. Imagine waking up to the continuous rumble of heavy vehicles instead of the familiar sounds of children playing or birds chirping. The air, thick with exhaust fumes, replacing the fresh air we’ve always taken for granted. Such disruptions are not mere inconveniences; they pose genuine health risks, especially for our children and the elderly with respiratory issues. Not to mention the traffic delays and dangers in the very busy proposed area that does not have the appropriate infrastructure to handle a project of this size and impact.

Think of our local sports complex, the hub of youthful energy and community gatherings. How will these recreational sports and tournaments fare with constant disruptions and the looming shadow of tanker trucks?

Now, picture the vibrant, bustling energy during Bike Week and Biketoberfest. With the proposed traffic, these cherished events could turn from exciting festivities into logistical nightmares. The very thought of 167 tanker trucks navigating our already busy streets from incoming tourists during this timeframe is alarming.

And let’s not forget the I-95/US 1 interchange. Already considered one of the most dangerous intersections in the state of Florida, with additional strain, we might be turning it into a ticking time bomb of potential accidents. The transportation of hazardous materials, such as fuel, always carries inherent risks. Any mishap or leakage could have devastating consequences for our community, including contamination of our water sources, soil, and air. The long-term effects of such incidents on our health and the environment are simply too great to overlook.

The possible depreciation in property values is another wound in the fabric of our community. Many have invested their life savings into their homes here, drawn by Ormond Beach’s charm and promise.

From the action taken at the last Ormond Beach Commission meeting, it is clear that our resident’s concerns are shared by the entire commission and are being taken seriously. We’re not just discussing policies; we’re shaping the future of our town. The health, safety, and very essence of Ormond Beach hangs in the balance, and we have sprung into action to protect our city.

I urge you, each one of you, to lend your voice, share your stories, and remain involved in this process. As I liaise with leaders and officials, we will call on Belvedere authorities to see us not just as a location but as a living, breathing community that will be detrimentally affected by their project. We will continue to ask them to consider alternative locations for the terminal, well away from residential areas and as far as possible from Ormond Beach and Volusia County, to protect the well-being of our community.

Let’s come together, unite our voices, and ensure the spirit of Ormond Beach shines bright, now and always.

–Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington, writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, Guest Opinion, “Mayor Bill Partington says city has sprung into action to oppose fuel farm,” Tuesday, September 5, 2023 

Whew.  I thought I was the only one who could write 500 words and say absolutely nothing of substance…    

We can take a break if anyone needs to down three-fingers of a strong antiemetic. 

I know I do…

There now. 

I grew up in Ormond Beach – over on North Halifax Drive, when it was little more than a two-lane fire trail – just a short walk from what I still consider the best beach in Florida. 

There is much to be proud of in my once quaint hometown, and until recent iterations of our ‘powers that be’ saw fit to sell us out to land rapists and speculative developers, we enjoyed a unique seaside quality of life, rich with history, culture, and ecological wonders (See: What remains of the Ormond Scenic Loop), back when wildlife habitat and old growth forests took precedence over another damn convenience store…

Unfortunately, things are changing quickly in what was once a charming Old Florida community – much of it lost forever in the name of “progress.”

Now, with even former golf courses being targeted by greed crazed developers, those stuck in near gridlocked traffic on Granada Boulevard are left to wonder just how much more ‘progress’ we can stand?        

More to the point, residents are asking where Mayor Partington’s impassioned manifesto was in June 2022?    

In my view, Mayor Bill Partington has proven to be an empty suit.  A shameless opportunist who will use any crisis – even one his gross inaction helped create – to his advantage as he claws his way toward a seat in the state legislature next year. 

Unbelievable.

In what is the worst example of group disorientation on record – Ormond Beach and Volusia County officials claim to have been blindsided by a recent report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal announcing a proposed bulk fuel storage facility on Hull Road – dangerously close to the city’s airport, sports complex, a children’s dance studio, and established residential areas.

In places where good governance is a priority, those elected and appointed to positions of power are expected to maintain a strategic awareness of the civic, social, environmental, and economic factors that may affect the lives of their constituents. 

Rather than lethargically reacting to newspaper articles like a bloated sloth, professionals concentrate on effective monitoring and planning to ensure sufficient infrastructure, appropriate zoning, confirm concurrency, provide adequate housing options, and secure ecological protections that safeguard drinking water and preserve the environment.

By listening to the concerns of their constituents and using that information to their advantage – actively involved civic leaders detect trends and make educated predictions that can be used to anticipate “What comes next” – so that effective strategies can be developed in advance of a potential catastrophe. 

That requires a level of vigilance beyond claiming faux solidarity with outraged voters once a crisis breaks.

Sound familiar? 

According to the News-Journal’s initial reporting on the proposed Belvedere terminal:

“While some have only recently learned about the project, it’s been known to city officials for more than a year, at least ― as well as its potential traffic impacts.

The Ormond Beach Site Plan Review Committee spoke about the project in June of 2022, according to meeting minutes. At the time, officials expected the project to bring about seven trucks an hour and over 160 trucks in a 24-hour period. The truck route was expected to be from Harmony Road to Hull Road, and out to U.S. 1.”

This week, I received some disturbing documentation from a Barker’s View contributor that shows Volusia County officials were well aware of Belvedere’s objectives in June 2022, when company representatives submitted a “Pre-Application Meeting Form” to Volusia’s Growth and Resource Management Department for a proposed “…bulk fuel storage and distribution terminal where petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel) and liquid propane will be received by rail car for bulk storage on site for wholesale distribution to gas stations and other commercial users in the surrounding market area.”

In addition, the application package included a detailed conceptual site plan with clear overlays of the terminal’s location, footprint, nearby residential areas, and roadways – even the facility’s proposed encroachment on existing wetlands. 

They literally drew Volusia’s planning officials’ pictures…

Interestingly, the meeting between six Volusia County development officials and Belvedere representatives occurred on June 9, 2022 – thirteen days before Belvedere’s Zoom meeting with Ormond Beach’s Site Plan Review Committee – and concluded that no rezoning of the property would be necessary to accommodate the fuel farm.

A follow-up memorandum commemorating the meeting explained:

“Based on what the applicants are looking to do they don’t actually need a rezoning as the property is already I-2/A-2 in the airport protection overlay as they are looking at developing a rail freight terminal for distribution of oil, fuel, propane. They had thought because the I-1 permitted uses allowed a rail yard they needed to rezone to that, and didn’t understand that the I-2 zoning allowed the less intense industrial uses as well. They will not be moving forward with a rezoning case.”

Now, one would have thought that the information gleaned in that pre-application confab might have been passed along to County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald so that he could brief our elected representatives on what someone either knew, or should have known, would be an incredibly controversial issue… 

Why didn’t that happen? 

Or did it?

In fact, many residents of Ormond Beach and beyond are beginning to question the who, what, when, and why of things. 

For instance, given the fact Belvedere telegraphed their intentions for the property to government staffers over a year ago – why are our elected and appointed officials acting like this is the first they have heard of it? 

Last week, during a meeting of the Ormond Beach City Commission, residents once again stood before their elected representatives to express their collective outrage over the proposed fuel terminal which, according to a recent News-Journal report, looks like a foregone conclusion from a legal standpoint.    

During the meeting, one resident, identified as Arthur Armstrong, who owns property in two residential locations which will be adversely affected by the fuel terminal, passionately spoke of the political accountability that should rightfully result from this unfolding fiasco.

“Every one of you will not be here next election.  I promise you that.  I promise you.  And you on Zone One (Commissioner Lori Tolland) we don’t hear anything from you.  We’ve got to have meetings at the clubhouse.  I own property in both places, Bear Creek and over in Ormond Lakes.  We don’t see you.  We don’t see you.  You need to be there.  You need to fight for us, not just sit up here and look good…” 

That honest criticism from a clearly frustrated resident resulted in an angry rebuke from Mayor Partington – a scolding from the dais that sharply deviated from the horseshit, pap, and fluff stuffed into his commiserating manifesto in the Ormond Beach Observer…

During his thunderous lecture, Hizzoner roared at Citizen Armstrong – “If you’ll direct your comments to me and I take offense to that because I know how hard she (Tolland) works for this community.  Listen, she works hard.  She’s been working harder than I’ve been working and I’ve been working really hard these last two weeks.”  

My God…  

Another speaker approached her elected “representatives” with another dire warning of the political consequences they now face:

“We are watching your actions.  We are watching your inactions.  We are watching your body language.  We are watching your interactions.  We are watching your moves and how they don’t seem to add up.  We are watching your attitude when you claim you are also in disgust.  Technology is so advanced anyone can do it. 

Search for the information, contact news stations.  We are watching you and all of your conversations.  You were elected to represent us and make the best decisions for our livelihoods.  We are watching you make decisions that are not in any way good. 

Be careful of what you say you did and didn’t do, because in the end, we are all watching you.  Lack of opposition and lack of concern.  These are the same things that may cause us to burn.  We only answer questions pertaining to electricity.  Water and electricity.  We didn’t think you’d be on the team for annexation into the city.

Did you stop to ask what the environmental impacts would have had on our health?” 

Imagine what could have been accomplished if Mayor Partington had put half that passion and effort into protecting our quality of life from the threat of a massive 20-million-gallon fuel farm when there was still time and standing to do something about it? 

Last week, area residents awakened to the disturbing news in an article by News-Journal reporter Sheldon Gardner that our elected officials may now be powerless to prevent the Belvedere Terminal.

According to the report, “If the county tried to change the land regulations to no longer allow the use, the property owner could sue under the Bert J. Harris Act.

“Florida enacted the Bert. J. Harris Act in 1995 to seek to redress government actions considered short of an official ‘taking’ that still negatively affected property owners’ existing rights,” according to a memo from the county attorney’s office.

That could end with the county having to pay up.

The memo includes an example of a 2018 case in Indian River County which lasted several years and led to a judgment against the county of $4.7 million in damages and attorney’s fees, according to the memo. A concrete business sought to build a concrete plant under the county’s regulations and had the right to do so, but county officials changed the zoning to keep that kind of development from happening.

There’s another legal issue with trying to change the land regulations.

Senate Bill 250, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, limits the county’s ability to add “more restrictive or burdensome” land regulations before Oct. 1, 2024, because the county was within 100 miles of where Hurricanes Ian and Nicole made landfall in 2022.”

Welp!  There you have it, folks. 

The deck was stacked in favor of developers and massive corporations years ago – and in Florida, the Golden Rule remains: Those with the gold, make the rules…

When plans for the Belvedere terminal became known a few weeks ago, the halfhearted initial reaction of the flummoxed Ormond Beach City Commission was to send letters to state lawmakers and regulators stating their opposition to the fuel farm.   

I found the volleying response from Sen. Travis Hutson telling. 

And frightening…

“Volusia County has sent a letter to at least nine elected officials asking for help in getting Belvedere Terminals to voluntarily move the project.

Florida Sen. Travis Hutson, one of the elected officials the county contacted, said he’s willing to be a part of the effort but that local leaders should be at the helm.

“It really needs to be handled at the local level. If they need to come in to ask questions or need help finding a solution, I’d be glad to try,” he said.”

Translation: “We’re screwed…”

In my view, it is time Mayor Partington and his mealymouthed “colleagues” in Ormond Beach, Volusia County, and State government come clean about who knew what, and when – because their ‘Aw shucks, who knew!?’ shoulder shrugs and bullshit naïveté is not going over well with the angry masses…

If this fuel farm is allowed to progress (as many ‘in the know’ believe it will) our clueless ‘powers that be’ can expect serious political repercussions for those elected officials who treated taxpayers like mushrooms – keeping us in the dark and feeding us bullshit – for far too long.

And Another Thing!

“I have not deserved the time of leave that I have been placed on and I certainly do not deserve anything less than the position I currently have as Principal of Bunnell Elementary,” she wrote in her resignation letter.” I have willingly followed the process for investigation and been as quiet as I can during this process so as to preserve that process, believing that the truth and legacy that I have built would result in restoration of my name and a chance to truly show what BES is capable of under my continued leadership. Since this is not the direction that things are going at this time, I am offering up my resignation.”

–Former Bunnell Elementary School Principal Donelle Evensen in her letter of resignation, as quoted by FlaglerLive!, Thursday, September 7, 2023

To save you the time, “I” or “my” appear in this snippet from Ms. Evensen’s resignation eleven times…

Clearly, Ms. Eversen has a high opinion of herself. 

In my view, rather than wallow in self-pity, she could have used this unfortunate experience as a teaching moment for her students, demonstrating by leadership, poise, and deportment the importance of accountability in education – and in life – rather than teaching them to play the victim when poor decisions come home to roost…

As regular readers of these screeds know, I crow – ad nauseum – about the ancient principle of accountability commensurate with responsibility by those who accept public funds and are expected to serve the public interest. 

Unfortunately, it appears that sacred concept is now outdated – exchanged for cheap political expediency – as our compromised elected and appointed “leadership” abdicate their oversight responsibility and accept personal and professional misbehavior – no matter how abhorrent – to protect the status quo. 

In the case of former Principle Evensen, the segregated assemblies that saw so-called “educators” sequestering Black children, telling them they are a “problem,” who would be killed or end up in jail if they failed to achieve on standardized tests – then pitted them against each other in a scholastic competition for fast food – occurred on her watch, and she was rightly suspended pending an investigation initiated by the district’s new Superintendent LaShakia Moore.   

Once parents became aware of the situation at BES, it quickly turned into an international embarrassment for Flagler County Schools – whose board members responded in the most ham-handed example of what not to do during a crisis – to include allegations of multiple Sunshine violations as the elected officials struggled to get their political ducks in order. 

Unfortunately, this crisis of leadership is not limited to Flagler County Schools. 

From local governments to the highest offices in the land, we live in an era of diminishing expectations – a time when nothing our “leaders” say or do shocks our conscience anymore…

I worry about the long-term societal consequences as our children and grandchildren become accepting of narcissistic leaders and the inherent fraud of a pernicious “system” laser focused on the personal enrichment of a few at the expense of the public trust.   

In my view, the time-honored principles of honor, personal responsibility, and accountability should be taught at home – and reinforced by those authority figures who once served as ‘role models’ in schools, the workplace, and government – as we work to turn the grim tide of young people mimicking the dishonesty, division, and chaos they see around them.  

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