Published by former Mayor George Gardner September 16 2015
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Protocol developing
for royal visit Friday
 At least two features are set for Friday's visit by Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia - a reception line of current and former mayors and other officials at the Castillo de San Marcos at 11 am and an address from the balcony at Government House at noon.
The city's public affairs department has been scrambling to sort out protocol, but during a meeting with city officials in July the Spanish Ambassador and Consul General said the Royal Couple indicated an interest in St. Augustine's historic sites.
The United States Spain Council Annual Forum will be held Friday-Sunday, and has been traditionally opened by Felipe as crown prince and now king. Forum headquarters is at World Golf Village, but there may be some sessions at Flagler College and the Casa Monica Hotel.
The council focuses on international trade, investment, education and culture.
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90 years as
Sister Cities
St. Augustine - Aviles, A 90 Year History of 2 Sister Cities, a 200-page color pictorial book recapping the relationship between St. Augustine and Founder Pedro Menendez' birthplace Aviles since a city delegation's first visit to Aviles in 1924, will be introduced tonight at 7 pm in Flagler College's Flagler Room.
On hand for the free presentation will be the author, Aviles Councilman Roman Alvarez, and photographer Nardo Villaboy.
The publication is a 450th project of the St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc., whose President, Len Weeks, says, "We hope that several of the families who are descendants of some of the original group that went to Aviles in 1924 will be there to participate in the evening's presentation."
The books are expected to arrive in early October and a presale price of $45 is available, said Weeks.
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Riberia Street rezoning
moves to public hearing
City commissioners Monday shared the Planning and Zoning Board's concerns with potential increased intensity of uses in a request to rezone Riberia Street property adjacent to the St. Augustine Distillery from Maritime Use to Residential and General Office (RGO) zoning, but voted unanimously to move the matter to public hearing at a later meeting.
"What is the maximum practical use of the property" Mayor Nancy Shaver asked rhetorically, echoing other commissioners' concerns.
While the property owners, a brother and sister, were present, their plans weren't asked for. As several commissioners pointed out, current plans can change with circumstances.
Planning and Building Director David Birchim said the current zoning allows 70 percent lot coverage for marine uses while the proposed zoning, while reducing lot coverage to 50 percent, allows a wider variety of uses.
But he noted "any development requires parking, stormwater retention, landscaping buffers etc."
Lincolnville residents have been sensitive to potential commercial development, turning out two years ago to oppose several development plans for Riberia Pointe at the south end of Riberia Street and most recently, at a meeting of the Lincolnville Community Redevelopment Agency Steering Committee, in a straw vote rejecting proposals for overlay zoning to create commercial corridors in the neighborhood.
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City Attorney to probe
defamation charge
 City Attorney Isabelle Lopez was directed Monday to study and report back to commissioners case law and standards after Commissioner Todd Neville accused Historic City News Editor Michael Gold of defaming him in an article.
"It went beyond criticism of me, this commission and our city," Neville told fellow commissioners at the end of Monday's commission meeting. "It's an attack on our process. We need to protect the integrity of the process."
Neville sought a lawsuit for defamation of character, but Lopez said he would have to bring it before the commission.
The article noted that Dow Museum of Houses Developer David Corneal contributed to Neville's election campaign and Neville later voted in favor of controversial planned unit development zoning on his property.
At Neville's request, Lopez had sent a letter to Gold seeking a retraction.
Gold refused the retraction, and yesterday wrote, "The idea that a dysfunctional city commission could instruct the city attorney to retaliate against the press for exposing political campaign financial donations taken by an elected public official from principles in a controversial rezoning application is anathema to a free press."
Mayor Nancy Shaver responded to Neville Monday, "My first reaction is this is a lot to absorb. There are many issues in terms of legality, freedom of the press ... I'd certainly like to hear from the city attorney.
"On a personal note," said the mayor smiling, "I'm just running through my head all the slings and arrows that have appeared in the press and elsewhere, and now that I know (City Attorney) Isabelle can be brought into play, it's an interesting moment for me."
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Monk's Vineyard goes to HARB
 The iconic Monk's Vineyard on St. George Street goes before the Historic Architectural Review Board tomorrow as a potential new owner unveils modifications to develop a two-floor bar with seating in an historic theme. The meeting begins at 2 pm in the Alcazar Room at City Hall. Most notable change would be partial removal of the knee wall in front of the building, but also planned are an extension of the balcony and ten new windows along south elevation. Dan Hamann told the Planning and Zoning Board in April he is not planning to have music. "Actually we had music in another restaurant we operated and took it out. We found it didn't impact our business. I would hope that I don't need that ... I hope our historic theme will draw patrons." |
Fraser demolition request returns
 The house that time forgot returns to the Historic Architectural Review Board tomorrow for a second time. Fountain of Youth's Fraser family is asking that the property at the Williams Street entrance to the Fountain of Youth be demolished.
Last month the board asked that the owners consider restoration as an early attraction entry feature and evaluation of the building for its local significance, and provide greater detail on the architectural and structural integrity of the building.
City Historic Planner Jenny Wolfe suggested the building, built about 1917 and moved to the present site in the late 1930s by former mayor and Fountain of Youth owner Walter Fraser, could be recognized as an early example of St. Augustine Colonial Revival Style.
But Architect Les Thomas explained conversion of the building to a St. Augustine Colonial Revival Style "was a mistake. People stuccoed over wood frame buildings, this one right to the ground, which allowed water to penetrate and rot the framing."
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Never too old to learn
 As in Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, real estate, drawing and painting, photography, yoga, sewing, cooking, conversational Spanish and Japanese language, belly dance, guitar, banjo, ukulele and bluegrass string band. The St. Johns County School District offers a variety of Community Education courses twice annually at school locations throughout the county. Classes are now posted for registration on the Community Education website. Classes are held in the evening and last from 1-2 hours, Community Education's Tommy Bledsoe says. Most classes are appropriate for all ages, including young learners.
Classes meet weekly for 2 to 9 week sessions. Prices range from $7.50-$10 per class hour.
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St. Augustine museums join Museum Day Live!
Lightner Museum, Ximenez-Fatio House Museum and St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum are among museums nationwide participating in Smithsonian magazine's 11th Annual Museum Day Live! September 26. The event represents Smithsonian's commitment to make the spread of knowledge accessible to everyone, giving museums across the nation the opportunity to follow the free admission policy of the Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C.
Tickets are required. Find them free here.
Event organizers say last year's event attracted more than 400,000 participants nationwide.
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History's highlight
Matanzas - right or wrong?
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An account by Sister M. Adele Francis Gorman, O.S.F., historian for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, considers arguments for St. Augustine Founder Pedro Menendez' massacre of French soldiers at Matanzas after his capture of the French Fort Caroline in September, 1565.
 Spanish Ambassador Francisco de Alava listed five reasons why Menendez was justified in putting the French to death: there was not enough food for both French and Spanish in Florida; the French were not regular soldiers, therefore they met pirates' deaths; they were preaching evil doctrines to the natives; they outnumbered the Spanish, therefore, it was a matter of survival, and, there were not enough ships to send them home. There are facts which nullify what Ambassador Alava called the necessity of Menendez's brutality.
For the Spanish there was food sufficient to last, with rationing, until January 1566, and Menendez had already sent to Spain for more supplies. In addition, the rich supplies brought by (Jean) Ribault to Fort Caroline were still in the fort until after the first massacre when Menendez ordered the burning of the fort.
That Menendez thought the French to be pirates cannot be denied and, of course, pirates could claim no protection under any flag. The presence of ministers also seemed to verify Menendez's belief that the intruders were preaching evil doctrines.
The minimum number of French saved from Fort Caroline and from shipwrecks south of St. Augustine was 500, including about 440 men. Menendez gave the number for those who traveled with him from Spain to St. Augustine as 800. Of these, 500 were soldiers, 300 of whom were at San Mateo (the new name for Fort Caroline), and 200 were sailors who had remained with the fleet. Therefore, he had approximately 200 men to care for twice as many French captives.
Finally, Menendez claimed that he had not enough ships to send all the French prisoners back to their country. Two of the Spanish ships had already returned to Europe for more supplies, and two had gone to San Mateo to take the French women and children to Santo Domingo.
None of the French ships had been captured. Reducing the number of captives by the number at San Mateo, and placing a full load of French on the one French ship, would have diminished the unevenness in ratio of French to Spanish.
It is almost impossible to find an unbiased recounting by eyewitnesses; one can only try to adhere to a middle course. A study of the state papers from the various embassies and other sources uncovers a number of discrepancies which might easily alter what appear to be valid conclusions.
Image: http://timetravelerssociety.weebly.com/blog
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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 a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com or gardnerstaug@yahoo.com
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