Published by the Department of Public Affairs, City of St. Augustine. Florida January 25 2011 |
Jail time sought for graffiti | |
The city will seek jail time for two suspects believed to be involved in a recent rash of spray-painting graffiti in the historic district, including the Castillo and Lightner/City Hall building.
Assistant City Attorney Carlos Mendoza said the 22-year-old male and 20-year-old female, both from Jacksonville, "defaced the fort, our city's Mona Lisa, and it can't be removed without damaging the walls."
The pair faces first court appearance in February, and Mendoza promises to plead for the stiffest possible penalties. |
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450 news
conference
First America Foundation (FAF), the private, non-profit foundation designated by the city to manage the upcoming commemorations, will hold a news conference tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Historic Society's Llambias House.
It will be the first public outline of the organization's activities since its designation last August with $275,000 in start-up funds from the city.
City commissioners, unhappy with the foundation's lack of communication over the past five months, decided at a recent meeting to hold a workshop in February to review details from tomorrow's news conference.
They'll also seek quarterly reports and monthly updates on FAF progress.
Mayor Joe Boles is on FAF's 22-member board of directors. |
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M&M Market
Carriage ordinance
Bayfront design
City commissioners Monday listened and deferred action on three major items: future use of the M&M Market, a proposed carriage ordinance, and reconnecting the Castillo and bayfront. |
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Museum, market, restaurant were recurring comments as commissioners listened to the Lincolnville community on the future of the M&M Market building, purchased by the city in a settlement after its seizure in a police raid in November.
Primary, Commissioner Leanna Freeman noted, is "The people of Lincolnville want someone there who cares about Lincolnville."
The property's history - once the home of Maria Jefferson, founder of St. Augustine's Daughters of the American Revolution chapter, and present - the owner of neighboring Chill Grill expressed interest in expanding and developing a market, were part of the discussion.
Commissioners invited continuing ideas and proposals to be submitted to City Manager John Regan.
Carriage ordinance
Returning to the City Commission once again after a two-month hiatus, a proposed horse carriage ordinance got further tweaking and will come back in February.
A five-year review of the proposed franchise system, and adjustments to notification on charter carriage rides were the latest in continuing adjustments by commissioners since the ordinance's first presentation last May.
Proposed is a limit of 25 carriage permits, with no more than ten to a single applicant, and a permit fee of $1,000 or 2.5 percent of gross annual revenue.
Commissioner Leanna Freeman pushed for the five-year review. "We need the opportunity to see how it's working," she said. Commissioner Bill Leary called for modification of the charter rides provision, to allow short notice for weekend off-route requests. |
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Reconnecting the Castillo & Bayfront | |
City Manager John Regan won City Commission approval to "regroup" after criticism of a program to redesign bayfront traffic nearly scuttled it.
Regan said the federal Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks grant program surfaced during the city's search for funding opportunities, "and this program is right in line with the 1995 Vision Plan developed under Mayor Greg Baker."
The Halback Group has been working on designs with a $250,000 planning grant. Under the program, three future grants of $3 million each would be sought for the modifications.
Regan hoped for commission approval of a design Monday to proceed with application for the first project grant in April. But historic district business people complained of "construction burnout" after five years of bridge restoration, and commissioners were concerned about the impact of lane changes.
The city manager will hope to present a stronger case at the commission's February 14 meeting. |
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Beefing up city security | |
City Manager John Regan told city commissioners last night the city is tightening its security based on safety recommendations being carried out across the nation. "We now have two police officers at commission meetings, and rooms outside the Alcazar meeting room are closed off to prevent someone from hiding in them," Regan said.
Andrew Young Crossing
Commissioners endorsed Mayor Joe Boles' proposal to name the intersection of King and St. George streets Andrew Young Crossing in recognition of the Civil Rights leader's accomplishments, noting particularly his recent documentary, Crossing in St. Augustine.
King/Cordova intersection
Those plastic "quick curbs" at the King/Cordova streets intersection and signal timing "have improved traffic flow, and we're designing permanent mountable curbs with some sort of attractive tops," Public Works Director Martha Graham told commissioners.
Jorge Biassou Marker
Commissioner Errol Jones got commission approval to develop a city historic marker commemorating black Haitian General Jorge Biassou, in the late 1700s Florida's highest ranking officer. The plan is to mount the marker on the Arrivas House, Biassou's residence while here.
But the city will need approval by the University of Florida. The state-owned property is now managed by the university.
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History's Highlight
Letters of Menendez - the French
4 years, 7 months, 15 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
From the translation of seven letters from Pedro Menendez to King Phillip II of Spain, August 13, 1565 to January 30, 1566.
In his second letter to King Phillip, written from "this Province of Florida the 11 of September in the year 1565," Pedro Menendez reports on confronting the French and founding St. Augustine.
". . . On the 4 of September and the same day at two in the afternoon we discovered (the French harbor) and four ships anchored there showing the flags of Captain and Admiral.  
". . . that by falling suddenly on these four ships we should be able to take them, I decided to attack, and being yet half a league away from them there came up great thunder and lightning and rain and then the wind left us becalmed.
"But about ten at night it came on to blow again and it appearing to me that in the morning the ships that might be in the harbor would come out with reinforcements for these four, I resolved to anchor alongside of them with the intention of attacking them at daybreak.
"So I anchored between the Captain and Admiral with my flag ship and ask(ed) what they were doing there and who was their Captain.
"They answered that they had Jean Ribault for Captain General and that they had come to this country by command of the King of France, and asked what ships were ours and who was our General.
"I answered them that I, Pero Menendez, by command of Your Majesty, had come to this coast to burn and hang the French Lutherans whom I should find there and that in the morning I should board their vessels to see if any of that people were on them, and that if there were any I should not fail to execute upon them the justice that Your Majesty commanded.
"They answered that it was no use and that I might come on and not wait till morning. As it appeared to me that this opportunity was not to be lost, although it was night, turning my ship from stem to stern I ordered cable to be paid out so as to come alongside of her, but they cut their cables and hoisted their sails and all four of them took to flight.
"We were able to fire five heavy guns at the Admiral and we suspect that we sank her . . . I chased the three ships that night but, as my galleon was dismasted by the storm, they sailed faster than I, and so at dawn, finding them five or six leagues distant from me, I returned to the harbor . . .
"Being yet half a league off from it we perceived three ships anchored there with flags and banners flying, and on shore two more flags. It appearing to me that there was no reason for wasting time there, as my flag ship could not go in there and the little ones could enter only with great risk, I decided to turn back to the Bahama Channel to look for a harbor where I could land near them.
"Eight leagues from that harbor by sea and six by land, I found one which I had reconnoitered before on St Augustine's Day, being in about twenty nine and a half degrees.
Next: the founding of St. Augustine
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The St. Augustine Report is published by the Department of Public Affairs of the City of St. Augustine each Tuesday and on Fridays previewing City Commission meetings. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, former St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a longtime newspaper reporter and editor. Contact The Report at gardner@aug.com |
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