Published by former Mayor George Gardner April 25 2015

The Report is an independent publication serving our community

By email weekly and at http://staugustinereport.net

Contributions are appreciated

Trees grow on agenda

Appeal to remove, resolution to plant

Inlet Place cedars City commissioners Monday will decide whether to allow removal of nine southern red cedar trees on Inlet Drive and whether to plant 20 date palm trees along the San Sebastian Bridge medians on SR 16.

The commission meeting begins at 5 pm in the Alcazar Room at City Hall.

The city Planning and Zoning Board split on the request by Bradley Cooper to remove the trees for new home construction at 165 Inlet Drive, the 3-3 vote after two months of debate resulting in denial.

Representatives for Cooper argue that the trees are past maturity and impacted by power lines, and the loss - 21 debits in tree code parlance - would be offset by 26 credits in preservation of remaining trees on the three-lot waterfront site.

Gilded age

of fans

"The fan, an item originally created out of necessity, evolved into an object of high fashion during the 18th and 19th centuries," says Lightner Museum Curator Barry Myers.

His monthly tour May 6 at 10 am will explore The Language of the Fan.

"It became a vehicle for coquetry, elegance and manners for the upper class," Barry says. "Fans have a unique connection to St. Augustine due to its Spanish heritage."

The Lightner Museum has about one hundred fans in its collection.

Tours are included in the price of admission and begin in the front lobby of the Museum at 10 am the first Wednesday of each month. Admission is free for St. Johns County residents with valid identification.

Click to read

Click for our web page

Click for our web page

Click for our web page

Click for your Hometown Pass

Fancy dress palms

Date palm City Manager John Regan last December urged prompt action "because we've been pushing FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) for more beautification along our medians."

Four months later, commissioners Monday will consider an agreement with FDOT for the highway department to plant and city maintain 20 date palms along the San Sebastian Bridge medians on SR 16.

The city's Street Tree Advisory Committee had recommended planting sabal palms, but FDOT landscape architect Ken Cheek urged more expensive date palms to "make more of a statement."

Public Works Director Martha Graham says in a memo to commissioners "grounds staff estimates that the cost to maintain 20 Date Palms is $200 per year; and $4,000 a year for the entire project. The work would cover pruning, watering and general attention over that of a Sabal Palm which requires little to no maintenance."

Special events venues

ordinance on agenda

An ordinance "placing the Special Event Venue use into zoning districts as a permissible use or a permissible use by exception" in the city code will be considered by commissioners Monday for public hearing at a later meeting.

The proposed ordinance, prompted by plans to turn the Davis Shores "castle" into such a use, went through a Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) town hall meeting and regular session before the board's recommendation to the commission.

Residents made clear at that town hall meeting that special events venues not be in residential neighborhoods but that family gatherings be distinguished from event businesses.

Under the proposed ordinance a special event venue would go before PZB for a use by exception if not already permitted.

A call to arms

Vet's Council chair calls special meeting on clinic

Dudley

Veterans Council Chairman Bill Dudley has issued a call for veterans to attend a special meeting next Thursday, April 30, at 7 pm at the Elks Lodge "to focus on a matter of extreme importance to all Veterans in our community...our Community Based Outpatient Clinic and our Veterans' health care.

"Our Veterans only need read the paper each week to see another glaring report of mismanagement, broken commitments, and waste of taxpayers' dollars, denials, and abysmal service by our VA leadership," Dudley says. "We have reached a threshold where this lack of transparency and leadership is no longer tolerable.

"Our meeting will be the platform for discussing the steps we intend to take to have our voices heard in Washington and Gainesville."

The VA is currently paying rent to remain in the US 1 facility, sold to Lowe's Home Improvement Center several years ago with closing last month.

State VA Director Thomas Wisnieski announced an interim outpatient clinic would be completed by September on Old Moultrie Road near the current location, with a long-term replacement clinic in two years.

Rendering of proposed Vilano Hotel by Architect Les Thomas

Hotel surge continues here

Four hotel plans continue their march to realization here as hoteliers respond to a healthy tourism economy.

The latest plan is by Farid Ashdji - a three-story, art deco style with 65 rooms for the Vilano Beach Town Center. It would replace the Vilano Extended Stay located at Vilano Road and Loja Street.

Meanwhile three other hotel plans continue to press against wariness over requested Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning.

Ashdji goes before the city Planing and Zoning Board (PZB) May 5 for the construction of a 40-foot tall Hyatt Hotel to replace his Quality Inn on US 1.
David Corneal is also on that PZB agenda for his proposed conversion of the former Dow Museum of Houses into a Cordova Inn, and
Kanti Patel has requested a continuance until the June PZB meeting for his proposed Ponce Hotel on the former Bozard Ford site on US 1.

Lawsuits continuing

7-Eleven, Whetstone and Wendler

Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. This scarecrow of a suit has, in course of time, become so complicated that no man alive knows what it means.

First chapter of Dickens' Bleak House

7-Eleven's appeal of the city's revocation of a building permit for the May Street/San Marco Avenue intersection has been continued, with no reason given.

The city was due to respond this week to the court filing by 7-Eleven before County Judge Howard Maltz.

City Attorney Isabelle Lopez says, "The parties have agreed to a continuance," but when asked why, she replied, "I'm not at liberty to discuss details of the case, I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, commissioners Monday will consider approval of periodic legal fees in two other continuing cases.

Gunster law firm's current bill is $1,495 for Whetstone vs. City of St. Augustine and Marks Gray law firm $6,221.80 for Wendler vs. City of St. Augustine.

The Whetstones are appealing city denial of a dock across what it maintains is city land south of the Bridge of Lions. Donna Wendler is suing on the city's denial of demolition permits for historic properties for a proposed boutique hotel along King Street.

History's highlight

Herbs for 18^th century ailments

137 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary

On September 12, 1740, Jose Diaz was listed as the Garrison boticario (Apothecary) in San Agustin. His assignment was to provide medicines for the soldiers and sailors stationed here.

Herbs Medicines were hard to come by, so herbs were obtained from Native Americans. Diaz had to ship some herbs from Spain or Cuba, which was expensive. His income was supplemented by treating locals and providing the Medico (Doctor) and Cirujano (Surgeon) with medical supplies.

Herbal medicines might be tinctures, extracts, syrups, ointments, oils, poultices, or pills. The boticario was skilled in the preparation of each.

Among the applications of herbs, many still practiced today:

Lavender - Pains of the head, falling sickness, dropsy, convulsions, fainting colic, and aids sleep.

Basil - Draws poison to place bitten by venomous beasts, wasp or hornet.

Mint (Tea) - Stomach aches, insomnia, anxiety, and dizziness. Applied to the forehead and temples to ease pains in the head, stops vomiting, used for the bite of a mad dog, takes away roughness of the tongue by rubbing with leaves.

Sage - Provokes urine, stays bleeding of wounds, cleans ulcers and sores, helps with falling sickness, dull and heavy of spirit and palsy.

Garlic - Mad dog bites, venomous creature bites, kills worms in children, remedy for plague, sore or foul ulcers, ear infections, falling sickness, cramps, takes away spots or blemishes on the skin.

Rose (Leaves/tea) - A purging agent, regulates bowels, very good for headache, pains in the eyes, ears, throat and gums. Honey of roses used in gargles, lotion to wash sores in the mouth, throat or other parts.

Parsley - Bruised leaves used for contusions, diuretic.

Tobacco - Powdered leaves kills lice, eases rheumatic pains. Smoked leaves kill worms.

Onion - Juice kills worms, lethargy, scalds, burns, coughs (syrup) asthma, bronchitis.

Thyme - Kills worms, gout, improves appetite.

Licorice Root - Small amount breaks up congestion, large amount used as a laxative.

Oregano - Sooths coughs, aids digestion.

Rosemary - Tea for cold diseases of the head, stomach, liver and belly. Improves memory, loss of speech, relieves pain in the gums and teeth, quickens senses, dried and smoked in a pipe for coughs.

Bay Leaves - Kills and expels worms.

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 a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com or gardnerstaug@yahoo.com