$2 million campaign to renovate Legion Hall

Published by former Mayor George Gardner October 26 2013

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$2 million campaign

to renovate Legion Hall

Current Legion Hall and proposed renovatio

Promising "a self-sustaining entity capable of continuing existing activities as well as providing expanded educational programs, especially in support of students," the nonprofit

Forward March, Inc. Thursday night unveiled plans for a $2 million renovation of the American Legion Hall on the city's bayfront.

Among the plans:

Two dining rooms, memory gallery and grill and lounge overlooking the bay on first floor

Museum hall, chapel, conference rooms, and exterior terraces on second floor

Forward March officials emphasized the renovated building, currently open to the public and serving lunch and dinner, will serve the community at large as well as Legion members.

Hamblen's Blenmore

The ambitious campaign's civilian honorary chair is Bo Bozard of Bozard Ford and military honorary chair retired Sgt. Major Ray Quinn.

The building was built by St. Augustine merchant C. F. Hamblen as his home, Blenmore, and his will provided it be a social club "for male wage earners and men of small income where such men may have a place of resort...open to all well behaved men regardless of religious belief or political views ..."

Davis Shores Developer D.P. Davis used the property in the late 1920s as his real estate office, converting the Victorian style to Mediterranean in keeping with his development vision across the bay.

American Legion Post 37 has occupied the property since 1942. For details and support information, visit 4wardmarch.org/.

Time capsule

for 2065

Joining the State Library's "Viva Florida 500" program, and for St. Augustine's 450th Birthday, the St. Johns County Library System is gathering 2013 items and community notes for a time capsule, to be sealed and stored with Library Administration until St. Augustine's 500th birthday in 2065.

To write a note for the time capsule, get a piece of archival paper at your local branch library or email hgeorge@sjcfl.us. Library officials look for a full capsule telling future readers about themselves, their communities, or their thoughts on the world today.

Growing city sites

for National Register

St. Augustine has 39 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places Properties Listed/Removed 1966-2012.

Another is on its way to the US Secretary of the Interior, and two more will seek City Commission approval Monday to move forward.

Waterworks building on San Marco Avenue was approved by state officials this week and now seeks final approval in Washington

A Lincolnville group will seek support to add Eddie Vickers Park at the end of Riberia Street

Planning and Building Director Mark Knight will ask for $5,000 to pursue listing of the miniature golf course on the bayfront

City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline, preservationist Paul

Waterworks building

Weaver and City Historic Preservation Planner Jenny Wolfe made the successful pitch for the waterworks building in Tallahassee this week. It's been closed for five years and the city is pursuing grants to begin repairs.

At Monday's commission meeting, beginning at 5 pm in the Alcazar Room at City Hall, former Lincolnville resident Gwendolyn Duncan and Flagler College sociology professor Casey Welch will make the case for Vickers Park's role in the civil rights movement, as a golf course at the turn of the century, the original location of the Lincolnville Festival, and military training during World Wars I and II.

Commissioners recently approved retaining the golf course and adding a seawall walkway and multi-purpose area.

Fee waivers sought for events

Four events pleading their public value to St. Augustine will seek waiver of city event fees at Monday's commission meeting. Under new regulations approved by the commission effective June 1, event organizers are responsible for all related city costs, like police and street and grounds services, unless public value is shown.

The events and fees totaling $15,915.50, prepared by Public Affairs Director Paul Williamson, include:

St. Augustine Christmas Parade Saturday, December 7, $5,746

British Night Watch Saturday, December 7, $858

St. Patrick's Day Parade Saturday, March 8, 2014, $2,974.50

St. Augustine Easter Parade Sunday. April 20. 2014, $6,337

Stormwater rate adjustment

An ordinance to level the stormwater runoff field for residential and commercial properties goes before the City Commission Monday.

Public Works Director Martha Graham says new utility rates would create a base single family unit of 2,752 square feet at $7 a month per unit for both residential and non-residential properties, create a tiered rate structure depending on property size, eliminate the cap on non-residential properties, and allow a 30% credit for properties with a permitted on-site stormwater management system.

There is currently a flat fee of $5 a month.

Graham will recommend an effective date for the changes on March 1, 2014, "to allow time for outreach, education, and to prepare the billing database and implement the software changes."

Six vie for HARB vacancy

Six applications go before the City Commission Monday to fill one vacancy of the city's Historic Architectural Review Board. Applicants include Walter O'Kon, Antoinette 'Toni' Wallace, Martha Mickler, Steve Cottreil, Matthew Armstrong, and Sean Michael Forrest.

Carriage wine on tap

Public hearing and final action to allow alcohol consumption on horse carriages, tabled at a previous meeting for review by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, Florida Highway Patrol and Attorney General, is on Monday's commission agenda. The ordinance would exclude horse carriages from the open container ban, provided the driver holds a valid commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement.

New carpet for commission rooms

Plans are ready to replace the carpet in the Alcazar Room and conference room. General Services Director Jim Piggott will recommend to commissioners Monday that $17,000 be drawn from reserves for the project.

$21,226 grant for police upgrades

Commissioners will be asked Monday to approve a $21,226 grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Criminal Justice, which Police Chief Loran Lueders says can be used to purchase crime analysis software, radar systems for police vessels, training room tables and wireless communications systems for police motorcycles.

Winter wear for homeless kids

There are more than 500 students in the St. Johns County School District classified as Homeless. Coats for Kids program Somebody Cares St. Augustine and the district's Homeless Student Task Force will be collecting winter clothing for these kids throughout November.

Winter clothing items including coats, raincoats, umbrellas, rain boots, socks, and belts, new or used in good condition and without logos for alcohol or tobacco companies can be brought to your church during the month.

They'll be delivered to the St. Johns County School District's clothes closet December 3 and 5, which will be open 9 am to 5 pm at King Street Storage, Unit 316, at Palmer and West King streets.

Head Uptown Saturday Night

San Marco's galleries, antique shops and unique stores between Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum and the Mission of Nombre de Dios keep their doors open tonight 5 to 9 pm for the traditional end-of-month Uptown Saturday Night - a party-like atmosphere with meet-the-artists, book signings, live music, refreshments and other special events.

Special day at Tolomato Cemetery

Historic Tolomato Cemetery on Cordova Street, normally open to the public on the third Saturday of every month, will add a special opening Saturday, November 2, noon to 3 pm, for All Souls Day, including a blessing of the graves at 2 pm. All Souls Day has traditionally been a day for visiting cemeteries and joining in prayers for the repose of the souls of those buried there.

History's highlight

The siege of 1702

1 year, 10 months, 14 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary

The fall of 1702 was a period of war - in Europe the War of Spanish Succession, in North America Queen Anne's War, and in St. Augustine, the Siege of 1702.

"The enemy is approaching by land and by sea and they are bringing the means to attack and besiege the royal fort."

November 6, 1702, Governor Joseph de Zuniga y Zerda issues his proclamation to the garrison and people of St. Augustine.

English forces under Carolina Governor James Moore have overrun a half dozen Spanish settlements north of St. Augustine in rapid succession. They are at the St. Johns River, 30 miles north - the last barrier to attack of the garrison. Cannon at night

The governor orders all inside the fort, including "all priests, friars, women, children, Negro slaves, free Negroes and all Indians of whatever nation which have rendered obedience to his Catholic Majesty."

Urgent messages have been sent to the Spanish garrisons at Apalachee and Pensacola, to the French garrison at Mobile, and to Spanish headquarters at Havana, Cuba.

English Carolina Governor James Moore, with 1,000 troops out of Charleston, 500 on land under Colonel Robert Daniel and 500 under sail with Moore, must seize this Spanish base on the North American continent.

November 7. At 8 a.m., three English sails are sighted on the northern horizon; later in the day, 10 more appear.

Zuniga and his officers review the garrison strength. Of 412 men, only 18 infantry and 18 militia are experienced in battle. He hasn't the strength to counterattack. The only option is to gather inside the massive fortress, completed just seven years earlier, and wait out a long siege.

That siege continues through December.

December 26. At midday, four sails are sighted on the southern horizon. As they near, they are identified as men-of-war. Finally, the welcome report: They are Spanish, the relief fleet from Havana. Now the English ships come about in the inlet, preparing to set sail if necessary to avoid entrapment.

Somehow the Spanish fleet and fort fail to communicate. The fleet commander could turn the siege into a decisive Spanish victory on land and sea. But he is preparing to return to Havana, assuming the English have captured the fort. A launch from the fort reaches his ship in time to report the situation.

December 29. The sight of the Spanish fleet is enough to make the English retreat; delay by the Spanish fleet allows a safe retreat. The English decide a retreat by sea would be stopped by the Spanish fleet; they destroy their own ships and flee on foot.

Excerpts from Siege in St. Augustine Bedtime Stories. Click for further information on this fascinating historic series.

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