Published by the Department of Public Affairs, City of St. Augustine. Florida February 1 2011 |
University DSO convenes next week | |
The University of Florida (UF) Direct Support Organization (DSO), created to manage 34 state-owned historic properties here, has its inaugural meeting February 11 at Government House - a full day session covering everything from its Mission, Vision, and Strategic Plan to a walking tour of the properties taken over by the university last July.
Chairing the DSO is Allen L. Lastinger, Jr., a life member of the University of Florida Foundation and former president and chief operating officer of Barnett Banks.
Among the speakers: University President J. Bernard Machen, St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles, and UF Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus Michael Gannon, and Vice President for Business Affairs Ed Poppell.
The DSO is authorized by state law "to receive, hold, invest and administer property and to make expenditures to or for the benefit of a state university."
The UF strategic plan notes that, "Precedent has been set by the University of West Florida, in which a DSO has been established to manage twenty historic properties, ten of which function as interpretive properties that are open to the public.
"The West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc. is run by full-time staff, students, and volunteers. (The university's) Board of Trustees has direct oversight for the DSO, which operates independently, sells memberships, writes grants, fundraises, and buys and sells properties."
The public session opens at 10 a.m. and continues to 4 p.m. |
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Tips for Kids dining tonite
Enjoy dinner out tonight and help the Big Brothers Big Sisters program with a generous tip to your celebrity waiter.
City and county officials and community leaders will don servers' aprons from 5 to 8 p.m. in 17 local restaurants for the 16th Annual Tips for Kids Sake.
Get the full list of servers and restaurants here. |
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January is supposed to be a quiet month in the oldest city, but take a Saturday with temps crowding 70 and . . .
 The School of the 16th century at the Fountain of Youth drew dozens of reenactors and featured Historic Florida Militia Founder Bob Hall discussing reenactments of historic events ("We feel they need remembering").
A kissing contest at Blue Water Jewelers drew three couples vying for a $10,000 engagement package with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Crowds filled the walkways around the Castillo.
A full house of friends remembered Jack Williams at a memorial service in the
multi-purpose building at the Northeast Regional Airport.
Longtime friend Pat Wickman noted Jack's passion for historic weapons and artifacts: "He said, 'These are the things that speak to me.'"
Williams' research led to the discovery of Fort Mose. |
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Light on!! Thru Sunday | | First Friday Art Walk and St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine 29th Annual Pilgrimage Weekend can take advantage of an extended week of Nights of Lights through Sunday.
 Art Walk is 5-9 p.m. Friday at local galleries. The Shrine Pilgrimage includes Friday ceremonies at 11:30 a.m. at St. Photios Chapel on St. George Street and 5 p.m. at Tolomato Cemetery, Great Vespers at St. Photios Chapel Saturday at 5:30 p.m., and Feast Day Luncheon at 1 p.m. Sunday at Casa Monica Hotel.
. . . Then lights off!
City officials urge cooperation from area businesses in turning off their holiday lights after Sunday.
"Just as the community's participation is critical to the success of the Nights of Lights, we now need the community to participate by turning their lights off," said Paul Williamson, Director of Public Affairs.
"Having the city decorated just during the Nights of Lights is what makes the Nights of Lights special."
County asks, 'How are you?'
St. Johns County's Health and Human Services Advisory Council wants to assess health and human services needs in the community. A brief survey is available on the St. Johns County website www.sjcfl.us and at public libraries. Deadline to complete the survey is next Monday.
Correction
It was the Salcedo House on St. George Street, not the neighboring Arrivas House, where black Haitian General Jorge Biassou took up residence in the late 1700s. A city historic marker is planned to commemorate Biassou. |
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History's Highlight
Letters of Menendez - the founding
4 years, 7 months, 8 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 September 11, 1565, Pedro Menendez reports on confronting the French, and then founding St. Augustine.
I decided to turn back to the Bahama Channel to look for a harbor where I could land near (the French) and 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. 
There on the sixth I landed 200 soldiers and on the 7th three small vessels went in with the other 300 and the married men with their wives and children and I discharged most of the artillery and ammunition. It being eight o clock on Our Lady's Day while we were engaged landing the other hundred persons who were to go on shore with some guns and ammunition and much store of provisions, the flag ship of the French Captain and Admiral came down within a half league of us sailing round and round us.
We anchored as we were making signals to them to come alongside and at three in the afternoon they made sail and went to their harbor and I went ashore and took possession in the name of Your Majesty and took the oaths before the captains and officers as Captain General and Admiral of this land and coast in conformity with Your Majesty's instructions.
Many Indians were present, many of them chiefs, who showed themselves to be very friendly to us and appear to us to be hostile to the French.
. . . the people who have come with me are laboring with great zeal and good will and it appears to me that Our Lord visibly strengthens and encourages them in their work at which I am greatly contented. I sent on shore with the first two hundred soldiers two captains in order to throw up a trench in the place most fit to fortify themselves in and to collect there the troops that were landed so as to protect them from the enemy if he should come upon them.
They did this so well that when I landed on Our Lady's Day to take possession of the country in Your Majesty's name, it seemed as if they had had a month's time, and if they had had shovels and other iron tools they could not have done it better. For we have none of these things - the ship laden with them not having yet arrived. I have smiths and iron so that I can make them with dispatch as I shall.
When I shall go on shore we shall look out a more suitable place to fortify ourselves in as it is not fit where we now are. This we must do with all speed before the enemy can attack us and if they give us eight days more time we think we shall do it. |
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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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