Published by former Mayor George Gardner June 20 2012
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George Gardner 57 Fullerwood Drive St. Augustine FL 32084 |
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Volunteers are back at work on a 16th century boat shed at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park - with a 21st century building permit.
The signature project of the community-based nonprofit Saint Augustine Maritime Heritage Foundation is to construct two 16th century vessels, a chalupa - similar to today's whaleboat, and a caravel, the workhorse tall ship in the fleets of Columbus, Ponce de Leon, and St. Augustine Founder Pedro Menendez.
Fire proofing of the roof thatch will be required, but otherwise the boat shed, reviewed by an engineer, was approved.
St. Augustine officials stopped the project two weeks ago as the volunteer team was laying palm frond thatch on the 40 by 20 foot post and beam structure, a period replica using historic designs, tools, and methods.
The keel and portions of framing for the chalupa rest within the boat shed. After its completion, work will begin on the caravel. Keep up with progress at http://staugmaritimeheritage.org/blog |
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Students take
on legislation
Middle schooler Nick Hudson interrogates the author of a proposed bill on annual inspection of motor vehicles as Samantha Cosme and Rohan Bhargava await their turn during a recent mock legislative session in the county commission chambers.
They're part of a group of 6-9th graders learning to "debate ideas not people," the formation and debate of legislation, in a program Sponsored by the YMCA of Florida's First Coast.
Of the Florida Youth in Government program, Nick said, "I can see how this will help me a lot after I get my law degree," while Samantha remarked, "I learned a lot I didn't know before I started doing research for my bill about historic preservation." |
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College homework
to HARB Thursday |
Flagler College goes before the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) Thursday for the third time, hoping it will be a charm to proceed with plans for a classroom building complex at Cuna and Cordova streets. The meeting begins at 2 pm in the Alcazar room at City Hall. The college's Planned Unit Development was earlier given an opinion of appropriateness by HARB and was hoping to return for a certificate of appropriateness after review by the City Commission. But hearing strong arguments from neighbors the commission, which doesn't like to override lower boards, returned it to HARB on the basis its original review didn't include a required streetscape relationship with surrounding buildings. In that second review last month, HARB determined the college's revised lower height made the roof pitches lower than historically correct. The proposed 20,000 square foot communications facility has five building units, three of them two stories high. |
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Developer George Arnold, who won the latest round with city codes by buying original roof tiles from Echo House for $2,000 for his property on the bayfront, may be seeking to ameliorate the relationship as he seeks HARB approval Thursday to add new trees and water fountains to the former Casa de la Paz property.
Arnold has had a running battle with the city over several years which began when HARB rejected his request to replace original tiles with modern facsimiles. In what City Manager John Regan called, "two organizations with vastly different understandings of the property," owner St. Paul AME Church sold Arnold the tiles, removed by volunteers.
Efforts by the city to reclaim the tiles failed. |
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Mojo Kitchen, BBQ to open |
A mix of original blues music, Southern folk art, and "a vibe that doesn't resemble any other barbeque joint in town," Mojo Kitchen, BBQ Pit and Blues Bar hopes to open by July 4 in the former museum-theater property on Cordova Street.
The eatery grew from North Carolinian Todd Lineberry's backyard experimenting on a tiny smoker in 2003. Today, among his expanding locations, there are four in Jacksonville.
The property at 5 and 7 Cordova Street - the former St. Augustine city theater-museum building and adjacent two-story house, was originally to be a Max & Erma's restaurant, a casual dining restaurant chain based in Columbus, Ohio.
The website http://www.mojobbq.com/mojobbq/ says Mojo refers to blues song lyrics describing a good luck feeling or vibe "and with a cool clientele and a relaxed atmosphere the blues-filled space at Mojo's offers, that's just the way Mojo likes it."
"I spent quite a bit of time traveling and researching the big four barbecue regions: North Carolina, Texas, Kansas City and Memphis," says Lineberry. "Barbecue, it seems to me, is the most debated food in the world - the wood, the sauce, the meat, the spice, the rubs, the seasoning." |
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Drive 'back' to Magic Beach Motel | |
If you agree the good old days were best, revisit them today at 4pm at the Opening Celebration of the renovated Magic Beach Motel in the Vilano Beach Town Center. 
"This Town Center project is yet another significant milestone in Vilano Beach Main Street focusing on historic preservation and revitalization of the community," says Main Street Chair Vivian Browning.
The motel, built in 1951, retains the original flavor of the historic motor court era and even retains original murals in each room from its earlier days.
The 1990s Warner Brothers television series "Safe Harbor," starring Rue McClanahan known for her role as Blanche in "The Golden Girls," was filmed at the motel. Newly repainted flamingoes adorn the walls with bright Florida colors - the "look" of a vacation paradise.
Owners Earl and Remy Jensen have been working on the motel's restoration since 2011. |
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Ponce is coming - what to wear? |
The arrival of Ponce de Leon to discover Florida - for the 500th time - is nearing, and the reenactment community wants to make sure we're properly dressed for the occasion.
A Mini-Clinic on the garb and gear of the Juan Ponce de León period will be presented Thursday, June 28 at 7pm at the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse on St. George Street. The wine-and-cheese reception/presentation will feature examples of period clothing, equipment, weaponry and personal goods used by soldiers, sailors, and attendants in León's journey of 1513.
Suggested donation of $10 to offset cost of refreshments. Living history reenactors note the material culture of 1513 was quite different from that of St. Augustine Founder Pedro Menendez some fifty years later. Look for displays of period clothing and equipment, and local sutlers and seamstresses to assist on making and supplying clothing and accessories.
Elaine Fraser and Michelle Reyna are sponsors. Contact Michelle at (904) 669-1485 mreyna@destinationplanning.com.
Battle of Bloody Mose Saturday
Witness the third annual Battle of Bloody Mose Commemoration Saturday, June 23, at Fort Mose Historic State Park.
Battle reenactments, military demonstrations, theater, cooking demonstrations, and children's activities are part of the daylong (10am - 4pm) free event (museum admission $2).
Reenactment of the battle that turned back Georgia's James Oglethorpe June 26, 1740, will be at 11:30 and 2:30.
Parking is limited, but free parking will be available at The Old Jail Museum with complimentary shuttle service by Old Town Trolley Tours. Contact (904) 823-2232 floridastateparks.org/fortmose |
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Check your voter registration | |
The double whammy is a presidential election and redistricting year.
Elections Supervisor Vicky Oakes hopes to clarify with a mailing of new voter information cards to all registered voters in early July.
"Voter cards are very important this year as they contain all of the new districts, precincts and polling locations following the process and precinct changes," Vicky says.
Your mission, should you accept it, is to make sure Vicky has your current mailing address. To verify, you can call 823-2238 or email elections@votesjc.com. |
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History's Highlight |
America's costliest Indian war 3 years, 2 months, 20 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
The Indian wars in the American west in the mid and late 1800s were immortalized in movies and television, but earlier in the century, America fought its longest and costliest Indian war - in Florida. 
The Seminole or Florida Wars extended sporadically from 1814 to 1858, but the second, from 1835 to 1842, was most notable, from the rise of the legendary Osceola in 1835 to the parting words of Coacoochee in 1841.
Osceola's fierce determination to resist American government efforts to remove the Seminoles to the west led to the massacre of an army relief column and ambush of the US Indian agent within hours of each other 40 miles apart on December 28, 1835.
Two years later, November 29, 1837, Coacoochee made the only recorded escape from the Castillo de San Marcos, squeezing through a small opening in the southwest angle of the fortress, then called Fort Marion.
Coacoochee continued a resistance campaign for three and a half more years until, on June 4, 1841, he and his followers submited to removal.
However much was lost or reworded in translation, these are the words reportedly spoken by this Seminole leader upon his capture after six years of his people's struggle:
"I was once a boy; then I saw the white man, and was told he was my enemy. I could not shoot him as I would a wolf or a bear; yet like these he came upon me; horses, cattle, and fields, he took from me. He said he was my friend; he abused our women and children, and told us to go from the land. Still he gave me his hand in friendship; we took it; whilst taking it, he had a snake in the other; his tongue was forked; he lied, and stung us. I asked but for a small piece of these lands, enough to plant and to live upon, far south, a spot where I could place the ashes of my kindred, a spot only sufficient upon which I could lay my wife and child. This was not granted me. I was put in prison; I escaped. I have been again taken; you have brought me back; I am here; I feel the irons in my heart."
Accounts of Osceola (left above) and Coacoochee are in St. Augustine Bedtime Stories. Click for further information on this fascinating historic series. |
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The St. Augustine Report is published weekly, with additional Reports previewing City Commission meetings as well as Special Reports. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com |
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