Cannons and plaques

Braille plaques and audio guides for five historic statues in downtown St. Augustine should be in place by October, 2013, and cannons in Oglethorpe Park are planned for dedication June 30 as community groups move forward with plans to recognize and better share our history.

St. Augustine Art Association Administrator Elyse Brady won City Commission approval Monday to proceed with TOUCH St. Augustine - an acronym for Tactile Outreach for Understanding Creativity and History. It's supported with a $10,000 grant from the Joann Crisp Ellert/Community Foundation Fund.

Oglethorpe Park cannons rendering

The historic statues are Henry Flagler, Pedro Menendez, the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers, the Menorcans and Ponce de Leon.

And Col. Rik Erkelens of the 450th Military Commemoration Committee won commission approval to site three cannons at Oglethorpe Park in Davis Shores, to raise greater awareness of "the significant battle that was fought here" in 1740.

Teaming up with them is the St. Augustine North Davis Shores Neighborhood Association (SANDS) to improve the park and site the cannons.

The 450th Military Committee is raising funds for the cannons, replicas being produced by Hern Iron Works in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 30 miles east of Spokane, Washington. The city will provide cannon bases and spruce up the park.

Erkelens said a small ceremony will be held at the park March 20 at 5 pm for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Oglethorpe obelisk.  

   "We strongly urge the St. Augustine City Commissioners to rescind their previous position restricting the display of our American flag, the symbol of all Americans and our 1.6 million Veterans in the great state of Florida and allow the American flag to be proudly flown on the Bridge of Lions."

Commissioners Monday appeared more concerned about being on the email list than regenerating the flag issue.

Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad last year endorsed the flying of flags after State Rep Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, who learned of limitations on flying the American flag in a St. Augustine Report item, contacted him."We should be able to display American flag anywhere/anytime!" said Costello.

The secretary responded that FDOT "will install the poles, but the city has to authorize the flag and agree to pay for cost of the materials and for proper maintenance per the flag protocols including such aspects as raising and lowering or lighting if it is left in place."

Mayor Joe Boles said Monday, "Grommets on the restored light poles are replicas of original electric wire eyes, and not suitable for flags. We investigated the cost of installing poles above the light poles and it's cost prohibitive."

How to do 450

Said the mayor, "I tell folks to get yourself a committee, and you need to have a non-profit group that is fired up about your idea."

The committee concept, used effectively in Jamestown's 400th anniversary, was scrapped by the First America Foundation which itself was later scrapped, and the commission has resisted sanctioning a community-based non-profit which could raise funds in the private sector - something city hall as a government agency has been unable to do.

"The city is not a producer, beyond our exhibitions," said Boles. "Mr. (Dana) Ste. Claire is running 10,000 miles a minute coordinating" 450 activities.

The city has so far invested $1.5 million converting the Visitor Center into an exhibit hall, $150,000 for the Picasso exhibit, and $328,000 a year for the 450th, two-thirds of it for a three-member 450 city hall team. 

Pedestrian Spanish Street?

Ron Mickler has had it with traffic - particularly large trucks - on north Spanish Street where he lives. He pleaded with commissioners Monday to make it a pedestrian-only street. It's expected to be continuing fodder for the city's recently reinstalled Parking and Traffic Committee.

Vending ordinance awaits location

City Attorney Ron Brown told commissioner Monday an ordinance has been prepared further regulating vending in the city, and awaits only a new location to move vendors from the Visitor Center promenade area. Likeliest possibility: the north side of the parking facility adjacent to West Castillo Drive.

Earth Hour plus

City Manager John Regan won commission support Monday to recognize Earth Hour March 23 by darkening City Hall's towers all weekend. The international turnoff of all non-essential lighting is 7:30-9:30 pm March 23.