A City Commission decision Monday to stop any current plans for Riberia Pointe was a no-brainer after a Lincolnville neighborhood Association meeting last week roundly condemned the idea of a traffic-generating children's museum and aquarium on the site.

   "One speaker said, and that resonated hard with me, 'This will divide the community,'" City Manager John Regan said. "I had hoped the two partners would begin to engage the community," he added, referring to comments that the plan seemed to be presented as a done deal before public input.

   Commissioners Don Crichlow and Roxanne Horvath each said they initially supported the development concept, but agreed it's better to "let the community figure out what it wants."

 

Silver lining - community empowerment

   City Manager Regan said a positive outcome of that neighborhood meeting was realizing "that our community wants to be heard.

   "I've told staff that we're stepping up the empowerment of the community," he said. "While neighborhood associations are private bodies, all meetings our government is involved with will be public under the Sunshine Law so that people can come to a meeting and participate."

   Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline added she'd like to see a neighborhood bill of rights to spell out neighborhood involvement in government actions.

 It took me about 10 hours of research, some e-mails to the claimed "partners" of Hiester's, and a call to the DEP to uncover information that cast serious doubt on Hiester's credibility, identified the site challenges, identified the DEP guideline non-conformance, and the uncertain financial viability of the entire notion.

   Then as you saw, armed with information, citizens do make their voices heard. 

   The City has committed $60K, signed a letter of intent, and spent undocumented man hours on this effort, without doing a modicum of research.

Nancy Shaver letter to St. Augustine Record Editor Kathy Nelson regarding Riberia Pointe aquarium

 

   You can do the right thing and take the necessary steps to protect the trees. It is the difference between just leaving the trees standing or really protecting them so they will continue to thrive and provide benefits for many more years.

Certified Arborist Chuck Lippi letter to Linda Dixon, Director of Operations, UF Historic St. Augustine, regarding expansion of St. George Street restrooms

 

First Child in Spanish Florida

 

1 year, 4 months, 24 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary

 

Martín de Argüelles was the first child born in Spanish Florida, but it took a petition for back military pay 32 years later to prove it - sort of ... Excerpts from a copyrighted pamphlet by Fredrik deCoste, 1965

In the year 1598 a Spanish officer serving in Mexico appealed to authorities for back pay long overdue. Four years, to be exact. He presented a petition, as was the custom, describing the situation and his life from his childhood in Florida.

Officials called for testimony from a number of persons who might be able to verify or deny the statements made in the petition.

Major Martín de Argüelles was not especially interested in telling the story of his life. He wanted his back pay. But in order to get it he must show that he was born of properly married parents, that they were loyal subjects of His Majesty, and that he himself was the person he claimed to be, born in the fortified settlement or presidio of St. Augustine in Florida in 1566.

Among the witnesses, one said he had known the major's parents well. He "saw them living a married life..." in St. Augustine. Another said it was known to him, as to many others, that the petitioner was "el primer español que nació en el fuerte de San Agustín."(the first Spaniard born in the garrison of St. Augustine).

The major's troubles stemmed from the fact that the previous officer left the post without notice or permission. In four years no one knew where he had gone or why. He could not be officially declared dead without royal approval. Meanwhile, payments for the position were held up pending a decision from the only authority recognized by all, His Catholic Majesty.

For an unusual claim to reach the king, the journey was long and complicated. There were stops while officials in Santo Domingo, Havana, and Seville pondered the matter-if they bothered at all with a salary problem of an obscure officer in Mexico.

Back in 1594, when the Governor of Yucatán gave Major Martín his appointment, he wrote the king setting forth clearly the urgent need for the post to be filled. Four years later there had been no response. These earlier points were restated at the 1598 hearings, along with all of the new testimony.

It was a good try, but for all we know the major never did get paid.

Image: Florida Museum of Natural History presumed likeness

 

   St. Augustine Bedtime Stories - 24 dramatic accounts of famous people and events. Details here