Published by the Department of Public Affairs, City of St. Augustine. Florida April 8 2011 |
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City Commission table to be replaced | |
Lightner Museum will move it to new board room
The great mahogany table that dominates the Alcazar Room City Commission chambers, on loan from Lightner Museum since 1972, will be moved to the museum's new board room.
Discussion of how to replace it, and other modifications to update the room, are on Monday's City Commission agenda.
Leading off that meeting will be a public hearing and final action on the long-discussed and tweaked horse carriage ordinance.
Commissioners will also hear presentations on a bayfront redesign and an Andrew Young Crossing Monument, consider a county offer of $400,000 for Galimore Pool rehabilitation, and check the calendar for a joint city/county workshop.
The commission meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Alcazar Room at City Hall. |
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Slow Food
Tour de Farm
St. Augustine's own Lincolnville Community Garden will be included in Slow Food First Coast's first Tour de Farm, Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
It's an opportunity to visit more than twenty local farms in St. John's, Baker, Bradford, Duval and Putnam counties, meet the farmers who produce local food, and the chefs and artisans committed to using locally-grown ingredients.
In St. Augustine, you can find tour books for the event at The Floridian, Leonardi's Nursery, Old City Farmers' Market, and Southern Horticulture. |
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Otto Lightner purchased
table from estate in 1930s | |
The six-foot deep, 14-foot long mahogany table used by City Commissions since 1972 "was purchased by Otto Lightner in the 1930's from the Blackstone estate in Chicago," Lightner Museum Director Bob Harper says.
"It still has the original twelve chairs, all made of solid mahogany. These very straight and uncomfortable seats made the commissioners look quite dignified for decades. They were replaced with the current leather upholstered ones several years ago.
"Lightner Museum used the table in the old 'cut glass room' from 1948 to 1972," Harper says.
City officials see the table move as an opportunity to adapt the former Alcazar Hotel Ladies Parlor to more effectrive modern use, "which could include construction of a dais to elevate the administrative table and seating, and repositioning of the door between the Alcazar Room and the adjoining conference room."
Carriage ordinance hearing
With two of the city's five commissioners absent two weeks ago, the scheduled public hearing and final action on a horse carriage ordinance was tabled until Monday and, as promised to a roomful of potential speakers, it's first on the agenda.
The ordinance proposes a limit of 30 horse carriage permits, issued with franchises and fees of $1,000/each or 2.5 percent of gross annual revenue, whichever is greater.
City officials documented more than $20,000 a year in horse carriage-related city expenses to justify those fees.
$400,000'fair' for Galimore pool
"After reviewing cost estimates to rehab the Galimore pool and operate the pool for one summer season (June thru September), city staff believes that $400,000 is a fair offer" by the county as it plans to turn responsibility for the pool over to the city.
The offer, subject to approval by the County Commission, was made after the county failed to get any bids to rehabilitate the pool. City officials say it would take three to four months to bid out the rehabilitation project and contract with a suitable company to operate and run the pool. |
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Bayfront redesign pedestrian friendly
Following concerns by commissioners about lane closures and shifts, Halback Design Group's Jeremy Marquis will return Monday night with new bayfront designs "pleasing to pedestrians without ripping up the town," as City Manager John Regan suggested at a previous meeting.
Among notable ideas: a 13-foot wide seawall walkway, dedication of Orange Street's eastbound lane to pedestrians, and parking bulb-outs.
Sidewalk widening along the west side of Avenida Menendez is also proposed for funding through the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Grant Program, designed to improve traffic and pedestrian flow around national parks and monuments. | |
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Riberia Street Project begins April 18
The long-awaited Riberia Street rehabilitation project will begin April 18, the first phase stretching from King to Bridge Street and continuing through January 27, 2012.
The work includes excavation along Riberia for flood control and utility placement. Riberia Street traffic will be detoured along Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Bridge Street.
Preliminary work has included relocating underground the overhead utility wires.
Responding the pleas from Lincolnville residents, the city has set aside bond money to complete the entire length of Riberia Street, rather than seeking funds for a series of phases. | |
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Foot Soldiers monument unveiling May 14 | |
Six years of community effort culminate May 14 with the dedication of a St. Augustine Foot Soldiers monument in the city's Plaza de la Constitución.
The unveiling will be at 4:30 p.m. in the southeast corner of the Plaza, adjacent to the Plaza's market building.
More than $70,000 was raised by the community-based non-profit St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Remembrance Project for the monument.
Four bronze figures, an older black man and woman, a white college student, and a black teenage girl, represent "the diversity of foot soldiers who took part in St. Augustine's Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s," Project President Barbara Vickers says. "None should be forgotten."
The sculpture's backdrop is a bas relief depicting marchers in the Plaza, flanked by the market building -scene of demonstrations, and former Woolworth building where sit-ins occurred. |
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History's Highlight
Unpleasant start to British Period
4 years, 5 months, 1 day to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
An account drawn from The History of St. Augustine by William W. Dewhurst, 1885
Major Ogilvie of the British army received the town from the Spaniards, and immediately entered upon an administration of the affairs of the province which was most unreasonable and impolitic.
His impolitic behavior caused all the Spaniards to remove to Havana, which was a deadly wound to the province, never to be cured again.
So oppressive was the course of this commander, that it was said that not more than five of the Spanish inhabitants consented to remain in the province, and only by the efforts of the officer in command were the Spaniards prevented from destroying every house and building in the town. 
The governor did destroy his garden, which had been stocked with rare ornamental plants, trees, and flowers.
By the articles of peace the King of Great Britain guaranteed "the liberty of the Catholic religion," but the prejudices of the Spaniards were deeply rooted, and the transfer of the territory was distasteful beyond measure.
Governor James Grant was sent out from England to take charge of the province, and immediately upon relieving Major Ogilvie, issued a proclamation October 7th, 1763, intended to conciliate and retain those Spaniards who had not withdrawn, and recall those who had, as well as to encourage persons in England to remove to Florida.
Governor Grant had been high in command at the capture of Havana. It was said of him that, hearing of any coolness between those about him, they were brought together at his table (always well provided) and reconciled before they were allowed to leave it.
His conduct was not exempt from unfriendly criticism, however, and it was charged that he would not allow the transfer of Spanish landed interest to be good, although mentioned in the treaty; that he reigned supreme without control, even in peace, notwithstanding the frequent murmurs of the people and the presentments of the grand juries, occasioned by his not calling an assembly, which they thought was a duty incumbent upon him. |
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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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