Pressure to move Plaza monument
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Published by former Mayor George Gardner January 11 2014
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Warriors' last stand
Pressure to move monument to war dead
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UNSIGHTLY NEIGHBOR
Electric panels obscure monument to war dead
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A St. Augustine native and frequent visitor calls it a dishonor to the city's war dead, the chairman of the Veterans Council of St. Johns County says it's "indicative of an attitude towards Veterans by local and state governments, the president of the Pilot Club maintaining the monument says, "We'll need help" (moving it). We're a small club."
A monument to the city's war dead was erected in 1946 at the Charlotte Street/Cathedral Place corner of the Plaza, with plaques added over the years. Added as well over the years are electrical control panels installed by Florida Power and Light adjacent to the monument.
Robert Jones of Tallahassee first raised concerns to Pilot Club's Kay Burtin. Bill Dudley, Veterans Council chair and National Vice President of the Navy League of the United States, said, "When a memorial is erected for those who have gallantly served our Nation during a time of war, it should be preserved in such a manner as to never be obscured or allowed to fall in to disrepair."
The City Commission is expected to take up the matter at its regular meeting Monday, beginning at 5 pm in the Alcazar Room at City Hall.
(Ed. Note: City staff suggested an alternate Plaza site for the Foot Soldiers Monument during its planning - a site more toward the center of the eastern section. that site is still available.)
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Changing
of the Guard
Daily in colonial St. Augustine, frequently in years past, and today restricted by city code to three times a year, St. Augustine's Spanish Garrison will conduct a 1740 Changing of the Guard Ceremony tonight.
That ceremony begins at 5:30 with one unit marching from the Spanish Bakery on St. George Street to the City Gate, another unit to the Governor's House to explain the purpose of the Changing of the Guard.
At 6:30 the first unit will march down St. George Street to the Governor's House for the Changing of the Guard.
The Changing of the Guard reenacts a nightly drill in St. Augustine in the early 1740's as Spain was at war with the British in Georgia.
Armed soldiers were posted at the Governor's house. Relief soldiers arrived and loaded their weapons while those being relieved discharged their muskets and returned to their quarters.
The Changing of the Guard is presented with authorization by the city and funding by the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.
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Case in point:
Tree vs. restrooms
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The St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board workshop scheduled for January 15 at 2 pm in the Alcazar room at City hall hopes to tackle the tough issues - key among them preservation of trees while allowing development.
Case in point - the University of Florida Historic St. Augustine Inc. last Tuesday sought to remove an oak tree for expansion of public restrooms on St. George Street, but brought no backup plan for both preservation and expansion.
Billy Triay, property manager for UF Historic St. Augustine Inc. which manages 34 state-owned historic properties here, said a state grant is only for the plan as presented.
The plan board rejected the application.
Board Member John Valdes said he looks for workshop discussion on "all the things we talk about on the Planning and Zoning Board but don't have the tools to deal with."
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PBS 450 documentary
seeks $75,000 from city
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City Manager John Regan will brief city commissioners Monday on a Public Broadcasting System (PBS) film documentary project "that will tell the complete 450 year history of St. Augustine."
The University of Florida and PBS plan a four hour documentary and classroom materials for Florida schools and will ask commissioners for $75,000 to assist in production.
"It is expected this film will substantially deliver the true and accurate history of St. Augustine, which is the major goal of the 450th Commemoration," Regan says.
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Resolution: repeal
flood insurance act
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New parameters established by the Biggert Waters Act and FEMA's revised advisory base flood elevations "could financially devastate the local economy and real property values in the City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County," according to a resolution to be considered by city commissioners Monday.
The resolution would seek immediate Congressional action to repeal or delay the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, arguing, "as real property owners in the City of St. Augustine and other areas of the United States have discovered, the Biggert Waters Act imposes unreasonable flood base elevation requirements and unreasonable increases to flood insurance premiums."
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Period-dressed 'hosts' in VIC contract
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Period-dressed "On-the-Street-Hosts" in St. Augustine's historic district "in accordance with all applicable local regulations" is a provision in a city/county contract for $160,000 in bed tax funding to support the St. Augustine St. Johns County Visitor Information Center (VIC).
The contract and provision - one of several - are on the City Commission consent agenda for approval Monday. The consent agenda is usually passed without comment unless an item is pulled for discussion.
Period-dressed hosts to provide visitor assistance would bring back a former "townsfolk" program, discontinued for lack of funding. Today a city ban on performances, distributing literature and such activities along St. George Street would likely quash such hosts along that street.
Assistant City Manager Tim Burchfield said recently, "We are attempting to develop some sort of street presence that will not violate the City Code."
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Commemorating African-Americans
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Arbor Day trees at Galimore Center and an original symphonic composition with the opening of a Visitor Center exhibit, Journey: 450 Years of the African-American Experience, will recognize the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the St. Augustine Foot Soldiers movement that led to it.
Five Redbud trees will be planted at the center Friday, January 17 in a brief ceremony starting at 11 am, with entertainment by the students of Ketterlinus Elementary School and Smokey the Bear assisting in distributing saplings.
An original composition, Someday, will be presented by the St. Augustine Orchestra Sunday, January 19, at 7 pm at Lewis Auditorium as part of the Discover First America Let Freedom Ring program. The composition is a symphonic reflection on the American Civil Rights Movement, composed by Composer in Residence Bob Moore for the St. Augustine Orchestra.
The following day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, features the Marin Luther King Breakfast at 7:30 am at the Calhoun Center and the opening of Journey: 450 Years of the African-American Experience at the Visitor Center. The state-of-the-art exhibition will feature authentic objects, original documents, powerful photographs and interactive elements that depict the journey African-Americans have experienced from our country's beginnings.
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History's highlight
'OCEOLA Patriot and Warrior'
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1 year, 7 months, 29 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
January 31, 1838, sensing the inevitable, Osceola directed his followers to dress him in his best finery, and he laid back and quietly expired. His remains are buried at the military cemetery at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina.
Many Floridians to this day believe he should be reinterred in this state where, as a patriot warrior defending his homeland, he joined the legendary ranks of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Geronimo.
 Osceola first appeared in 1832, sitting at Chief Micanopy's side at Payne's Landing as the United States continued negotiations, trying to move Florida's Indians west of the Mississippi. He was immediately recognized by U.S. officers as a force to reckon with. The Indian agent, Wiley Thompson, called him "bold and dashing."
Negotiations, skirmishes and frustration began in 1818 and would continue on both sides, breaking into all-out war in 1835 - the Second Seminole War, which would stretch to 1842 and become the most costly Indian conflict in United States history.
Osceola's mind was clear. He would not be moved from his homeland. He made his point December 28, 1835, in a well planned and spectacular pair of incidents which formally started the war. At points 40 miles apart, he mowed down the Indian Agent Thompson outside Fort King at Ocala while a force of 180 8under Miconopy massacred a relief force of 110 under U.S. Major Francis L. Dade on its way to Fort King.
Skirmishes continued with a frustrated U.S. military, fighting its first guerrilla-style war in the dense subtropics.
October 21, 1837, a visibly ill Osceola and Coa Hadjo, another principal leader of the Seminoles, camped at Fort Peyton southwest of St. Augustine under a flag of truce to meet with the U.S. commander, Maj. Gen. Thomas S. Jesup.
They were unaware that General Jesup was no longer recognizing flags of truce.
He was imprisoned in the St. Augustine's Castillo (then called Fort Marion) until late November, then transferred to Fort Moultrie, away from potential influencing of his Seminole followers. There he died two months later and was buried with full military honors in a grave outside the military base.
On his marker, military authorities inscribed, "OCEOLA Patriot and Warrior."
Image: Portrait of Osceola, painted by American Artist George Catlin at Fort Moultrie, January 1838.
Excerpts from Osceola, 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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