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Published by former Mayor George Gardner June 19 2013
The Report is an independent publication serving our community.
Contributions are greatly appreciated.
or mail to
George Gardner 57 Fullerwood Drive St. Augustine FL 32084
Click to order St. Augustine Bedtime Stories -
two sets of twelve, $15 each set
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Mumford a test for sustainable tourism
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What 25,000 looks like -
Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee
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Mark Litzinger is planning for the next 25,000-ticket event - the one after the September 13-14 Mumford and Sons Gentlemen of the Road Tour (GOTR) at Francis Field.
The city comptroller, tasked with making anticipated traffic and parking work, says, "This event gives us the opportunity to put together something that's been talked about for years, a plan to support sustainable tourism.
"If we can't do this, it won't work (for the future)."
The plan, with funding help approved Monday by the county's Tourist Development Council (TDC), will create satellite parking at the regional airport and bus shuttles from there and St. Augustine Beach condos, hotels and campgrounds over the 2-day period. The shuttles will be timed to arrive every 15 minutes.
Riders will pay $15 for a two-day wristband. Litzinger estimates 10,000 riders to generate $150,000, along with $81,953 in reimbursed Francis Field services for $231,953 in revenue. That includes $25,000 at $1 a ticket the promoters are giving the city.
Parking and shuttle expenses are estimated at $220,523 and additional services $140,916 to total $361,438. The difference of $129,485 is being picked up by the TDC.
The event will take some reeducation of Litzinger's estimated 5,000 day trippers and 2,700 area residents and workers who regularly come into the city. They'll be expected to park at the airport and shuttle into town.
Litzinger says the goal is to reduce downtown traffic and protect the quality of life of St. Augustinians both for this event and draws like the annual Fourth of July fireworks and Arts and Crafts, Rhythm and Ribs and Seafood festivals.
He says a contract with final details should be ready for City Commission review in July.
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Monument
featured
The St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Monument is featured in a cover story of FlaVour magazine's spring issue.
Sculptor Brian Owens writes, "This particular article is about me, not the Monument itself, but I was gratified that they decided to use this image. It's one of my favorites."
Published by FlaVour Media in Clearwater, the magazine focuses on black Florida life and style.
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Fitting 25,000 into
Francis Field venue
How do you fit 25,000 on Francis Field? City Comptroller Mark Litzinger said the concert promoters described it simply - blow out the area.
Begin by removing trees, shrubs and fencing and placing temporary fencing further out. The Francis Field tennis courts and Ketterlinus School play areas are part of the event footprint to be used during the weekend.
Details, details
Litzinger's notes are filled with figures - location of every ticket holder, St. Johns County room count, even email addresses of every ticket holder.
It's standard procedure for promoter AC Entertainment of Knoxville Tenn., handling major events worldwide. In the preliminary agreement signed in February, AC Entertainment outlined needs for the event footprint: "Based on a 25,000 person event, we estimate needing 4 paramedics, 4 EMTs and 4 ambulances. ... we estimate needing 20 uniformed officers. This is in addition to the private uniform security GOTR will provide."
And those email addresses ticket holders provided when buying tickets through the promoter will be a major communication tool before and during the event.
By the numbers
Most of the 25,000 ticket holders for the Mumford concert, 18,001, are from Florida, with 4,791 from Jacksonville and 2,446 St. Augustine.
Those 25,000 concert-goers will have 7 square feet of space each - about 2.5 by 3 feet.
There will be 130 law enforcement officers at the event, as well as 200 security personnel provided by the promoter.
Premium parking
While the term sheet between the city and promoters called for "the securing of the Visitor Center Parking Garage primarily for GOTR patrons on the Friday and Saturday of the event," Litzinger said the city will retain the facility and pre-sell spaces at a higher premium.
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Bloody Mose returns Saturday
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Reenactors prepare at 2012 event
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June 26, 1740, a 300-man force of Spanish soldiers, black militia, and native Yamassee auxiliaries "swept over (Fort Mose) with such impetuosity that it fell with a loss of 68 dead and 34 prisoners," La Florida Spanish Governor Manuel de Montiano later wrote.
The annual reenactment of the Battle of Bloody Mose will be presented at Fort Mose north of the city Saturday at 11 am and 2 pm, a battle credited with turning the tide against British forces invading St. Augustine. Visit the reenactment scene 10 am to 3 pm for living history demonstrations, guided tours, food vendors, and music. Park admission $2/person. Visit www.floridastateparks.org/fortmose or call 904-823-2232.
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Artillery moving in for British siege
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 The first of three replica 18th century cannons is outlined as it rests in the city warehouse, soon to be joined by two more, cast by the Hern Iron Works in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and weighing in at 1,120 pounds each.
They'll be set in replica wood concrete carriages being prepared by city workers and placed at Oglethorpe Battery Park, site of Georgia General James Oglethorpe's artillery in an unsuccessful 38-day siege of St. Augustine in 1740.
Dedication ceremonies begin at 10:30 am Saturday, June 30 - appropriately with cannon fire from both the park and the Castillo. It's a project of the 450 Military Committee, which raised $13,000 in community and civic donations, Project Chair Col. Ric Erkelens says.
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College adds wedding venues
Flagler College enters St. Augustine's wedding venue arena, offering the Grand Ballroom in the former Hotel Ponce De Leon, Historic Markland House, and Crisp-Ellert Art Museum. The program will launch in spring 2014, with bookings for spring and summer events only. Visit www.flagler.edu/weddings or call 904-826-8617.
Excellent Eco Tours
 St. Augustine's Eco tours has earned a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, an accolade "which honors hospitality excellence (and) is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide," according to the travel website.
Learn more about Eco Tours and their offerings here.
Fun Run and Walk
Sertoma offers a 5K Sprinkler Fun Run and Walk at St. Augustine Shores Riverview Club on July 4th, 8 am to 1 pm, to benefit Home Again St. Johns. The run and walk is a morning event with a lunch barbeque (hamburgers/hotdogs) and open pool party following at the Riverview Club. Registration includes run, t-shirt, goodie bag and lunch. For registration and sponsorship information, visit Sertoma's website.
Car commercials' small print
Notice the small print disclaimers below TV car commercials? "Professional drivers on closed circuit course; do not attempt this," etc. One disclaimer added, "You will not be allowed to do this on a test drive."
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History's Highlight
Battle of Bloody Mose
2 years, 2 months, 21 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
Saturday's reenactment of the Battle of Bloody Mose is pure fact, set where the battle actually took place. This account is drawn from Fort Mose, in St. Augustine Bedtime Stories. Click for further information on this fascinating historic series.
Predawn, June 26, 1740, both the wisdom of Spanish Governor Manuel Montiano in establishing this northern outpost and refuge for escaped slaves, and their fighting will against the hated British, would be tested.
 Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose - Fort Mose (Mo-SAY),was established two years earlier as a matter of both religious pressure and military expediency. It answered the moral dictates of the Catholic Church, and would weaken the plantation economy of the British colonies.
That early morning of June 26, Fort Mose was occupied by British and Scottish forces after being abandoned by its black settlers to the security of St. Augustine's Castillo.General James Oglethorpe, founder and governor of the British colony of Georgia, was poised to seize the Spanish colony of St. Augustine.
Governor Montiano saw recapture of Fort Mose as key to defeating Oglethorpe's plans. Gathering his officers, including Fort Mose's Commander Francisco Menendez, a former slave, a surprise attack in the predawn hours was planned.
Spanish soldiers, black militia, and native Yamassee auxiliaries made up a 300-man force that "swept over (Fort Mose) with such impetuosity that it fell with a loss of 68 dead and 34 prisoners," Montiano later wrote.
"At length they came on again sword in hand and entered the gate. At the same time another party entered one of the breaches so that the fort was at once full of Spaniards, it being then about half an hour before the day," a surviving British soldier recounted.
The attack came to be known to the British as "Bloody Mose," and successfully helped end Georgia's invasion of Florida.
The black militiamen rebuilt Fort Mose in 1752, and it prospered until 1763, when Spain ceded Florida to Britain by treaty. Its commander, Captain Menendez, and black residents of Fort Mose - knowing slavery would return under the British - fled to Cuba with most of the Spanish citizens, where they formed a new community, Ceiba Mocha, in the Matanzas province. Menendez is believed to have died in Havana.
St. Augustine Bedtime Stories - Dramatic accounts of famous people and events in St. Augustine's history - in booklets designed for quick reads before bed. Information here.
Click to order St. Augustine Bedtime Stories through Paypal.
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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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