Published by former Mayor George Gardner September 3 2014
The Report is an independent publication serving our community
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Town hall on VA clinic
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Veterans will face Director Thomas Wisnieski of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans health System tomorrow in a town hall meeting at 1 pm at the Elks Lodge on Anastasia Boulevard, and
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while his concern is reducing the backlog of appointments and improvement of services throughout the VA system, their concern will be the future for the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in St. Johns County.
"I intend to press this issue with the director as the point of paramount importance to the veterans of St. Johns County," says Chairman Bill Dudley of the county Veterans Council.
"Our elected officials, Senators Rubio and Nelson and Congressman Ron DeSantis, have all written personal letters to (VA Secretary Robert McDonald) requesting information on the plans for the St. Augustine CBOC, as has our local County Administration officials," Dudley said.
"Their requests for information have been met as the same requests we have made of the leadership in Gainesville - silence and non-response.
"I find this totally unacceptable and extremely arrogant for an organization that is charged with the responsibility for the health care of our Veterans," Dudley said.
County offers to provide facilities for some 5,000 veterans here when the US 1 location is turned over to Lowe's March 31 have been rejected.
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Corner stores
Vintage photo shows the corner of San Marco Avenue and May Street when the Matanzas Café anchored a series of street front stores.
Parking was along the street in front and in a rear lot.
It's what neighbors hope would be resurrected in the future.
With sale and demolition of the properties ten years ago, a sign was erected displaying a similar streetscape. Then the economy weakened.
A drugstore's effort to locate there was rejected, and the eventual result was a finder tagging the property for 7-Eleven.
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7-Eleven project
Hinges on FDOT
With a city building permit issued Friday for the contentious 7-Eleven project at May Street and San Marco Avenue, protesting neighbors and commuters at the busy intersection now pin their hopes on the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
A 20-foot turning radius is required by the city's entry corridor guidelines. FDOT requires a 35-foot radius, but earlier allowed 30 feet for the project. Rejected by city boards and commission, 7-Eleven appealed to Circuit Court.
The permit was issued by Planning and Building Director David Birchim, who said yesterday, "I have not seen any documentation from FDOT (but) we cannot hold a local development permit in anticipation of a state agency permit being approved."
Following Friday's city permit approval the Nelmar Terrace Neighborhood Association fired off an email and letter to FDOT District 2 Secretary Greg Evans, urging review of the project application.
In part it read, "In February 2014 FDOT required safety standards of a recommended 30ʼ driveway width and 35ʼ turning radii. The latest proposal shows relaxed standards in order to accommodate the developer's request to meet applicable city code.
"What would be the basis to relax these previously recommended safety standards?"
The complete letter is here and a fuel truck tracking drawing here.
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Ceremony of Remembrance
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The Fire Department's historic 1900 fire bell will be rung 13 times September 11, once for each year since 9/11, as St. Augustine remembers those who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Ceremonies will begin at 8:30 am at the main fire station on Malaga Street, with a musical presentation by St. Augustine Fire Engineer Ed Purtill and official remarks.
A minute of silence at 8:45 am, coinciding with the time the first plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Center in 2001, will be followed by the tolling of the fire bell.
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2nd city candidate forum in October
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The city's Neighborhood Council will once again host a Candidate Forum, this one for the November Election.
The date, October 7, and time, 7 to 8:30 pm, are set, while location is yet to be confirmed.
The candidate forum for the primary filled the Galimore Center.
The three races include:
Mayor: Joe Boles and Nancy Shaver
Commission: Todd Neville and John Valdes
Commission: Grant Misterly and Nancy Sikes-Kline
"The format for this second forum will be much like the first one," says Council President and moderator Rhey Palmer, "however, this time the questions will be directed toward specific candidates based on their platforms."
Palmer welcomes potential candidate questions by email to rheypalm@comcast.net, with "Candidate Forum" in the subject line. Deadline is September 21.
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Quotable
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(Grass roots) implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures.
Wikipedia
I am for a square deal, grass root representation, for keeping close to the people, against ring rule and for fair treatment.
Ed Perry, vice-chairman of the Oklahoma state committee 1907
This party has come from the grass roots. It has grown from the soil of people's hard necessities.
Indiana Senator Albert Jeremiah Beveridge comment on the Progressive Party in 1912
Shaver has run a big grass roots campaign.
Incumbent Mayor Joe Boles
I plan to win in November ... because I love this place and St. Augustine deserves real representation. The primary vote showed the people who vote here are looking for the right kind of future for the next 450 years.
Mayoral candidate Nancy Shaver
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Five arts grants to city groups
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Five visual arts grants have been awarded to St, Augustine organizations through the Dr. JoAnn Crisp-Ellert Fund, the largest $30,000 to Compassionate St. Augustine for Obelisk Art 450, to place thirty 8 1/2-foot replicas of the city's constitution monument in tribute to St. Augustine's 450th Anniversary.
Other grants include:
Very Special Arts Florida, $11,500 to expand the Hand 'N Hand program for 45 St. Augustine students with disabilities to study with instructors and artists with disabilities, with a public display of the students' work.
Women's Exchange of St. Augustine, $9,875 to restore eight fine art paintings, part of its restoration of 29 fine art paintings for public viewing at the historic Pena Peck House at 143 St. George Street.
Flagler College's Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, $15,000 to support artist lectures and a symposium, Re-Riding History, including an educational outreach program for students and the community-at-large.
St. Johns Cultural Council, $1,900 for the printing of 20,000 brochures for the Art Galleries of St. Augustine. They'll be used for First Friday Art Walks and distributed at the St. Augustine Visitor Center.
The Compassionate St. Augustine initiative includes fiberglass obelisks to be painted by local and international artists "interpreting the storylines of our nation's oldest city through the lens of compassion."
They'll also "provide to St. Augustine's public, charter, and parochial elementary school art departments four-foot obelisks to use as canvases to artistically express equality, freedom, human rights and compassion."
Crisp-Ellert Art Museum will host an opening reception in September 2015, before installation at selected sites from October through December 2015. In early 2016, they will be auctioned, the proceeds going to local organizations serving underserved populations in the St Augustine area.
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History's highlight
Founding in Menendez' words
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371 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
Pedro Menendez' founding of St. Augustine will be reenacted Saturday at 10 am at the Mission of Nombre de Dios.
Menendez wrote seven letters to his Spanish monarch from August 13, 1565 to January 30, 1566. In this second letter, written September 11, 1565, Menendez reports on confronting the French and founding St. Augustine.
I decided to turn back to the Bahama Channel to look for a harbor where I could land near (the  French) and eight leagues from that harbor by sea and six by land I found one which I had reconnoitered before on St Augustine's Day, being in about twenty nine and a half degrees.
There on the sixth I landed 200 soldiers and on the 7th three small vessels went in with the other 300 and the married men with their wives and children and I discharged most of the artillery and ammunition. It being eight o clock on Our Lady's Day while we were engaged landing the other hundred persons who were to go on shore with some guns and ammunition and much store of provisions, the flag ship of the French Captain and Admiral came down within a half league (1˝ miles) of us sailing round and round us.
We anchored as we were making signals to them to come alongside and at three in the afternoon they made sail and went to their harbor and I went ashore and took possession in the name of Your Majesty and took the oaths before the captains and officers as Captain General and Admiral of this land and coast in conformity with Your Majesty's instructions.
Many Indians were present, many of them chiefs, who showed themselves to be very friendly to us and appear to us to be hostile to the French.
... the people who have come with me are laboring with great zeal and good will and it appears to me that Our Lord visibly strengthens and encourages them in their work at which I am greatly contented. I sent on shore with the first two hundred soldiers two captains in order to throw up a trench in the place most fit to fortify themselves in and to collect there the troops that were landed so as to protect them from the enemy if he should come upon them.
They did this so well that when I landed on Our Lady's Day to take possession of the country in Your Majesty's name, it seemed as if they had had a month's time, and if they had had shovels and other iron tools they could not have done it better. For we have none of these things - the ship laden with them not having yet arrived. I have smiths and iron so that I can make them with dispatch as I shall.
When I shall go on shore we shall look out a more suitable place to fortify ourselves in as it is not fit where we now are. This we must do with all speed before the enemy can attack us and if they give us eight days more time we think we shall do it.
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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 or gardnerstaug@yahoo.com
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