Find Your Florida Photo Contest by City of Palm Coast (2014)

Nature’s paradise.
Active lifestyle.
A friendly community.
Beauty, water and a spectacular trail system. 

Palm Coast is that and so much more! 

To share the experiences Palm Coast offers with visitors and newcomers, the City of Palm Coast will have a Find Your Florida Photography Contest, through May 31, 2014. Photographs submitted for the contest will be used by the City for marketing, promotional and public relations purposes.

Eligibility: The contest is open to all, professional and amateur, regardless of age, sex or nationality. Note: Entrants under 18 years of age require the permission of a parent or guardian. By entering the contest, entrants under 18 years of age indicate that they have obtained the permission of a parent or guardian. The contest is not open to employees of the City of Palm Coast or their immediate family.

Prizes: First, second and third place will be awarded. Gift certificates to local businesses will be awarded in the following amounts: First Prize, $200; Second Prize, $100; and Third Prize, $50. Gift certificates will be offered to a variety of businesses, and winners will be able to select from the list. In addition, honorable mentions will be awarded as determined by the judges. Winning photographs will be displayed on the City’s website and at City facilities. Winning photographers will be recognized at a meeting of the Palm Coast City Council.

What is the City Looking For: Photographers may submit up to 20 entries. The theme of the contest is “Find Your Florida in Palm Coast.” Winning photos will illustrate what makes Palm Coast special. Examples of what we’re looking for include: Family Fun at our festivals, sports activities, cultural clubs and organizations, and on our parks and trails; Active Lifestyle such as walking/running/bicycling, sports, swimming, fishing and boating; and Nature such as beautiful landscapes, wildlife and waterways. How do you “Find Your Florida in Palm Coast?” We want to share what’s special about Palm Coast with others!

Judging: Judges will base their decisions on the following qualities: focus, lighting composition, impact, creativity and storytelling. Judging will be conducted during the month of May 2014 by the City of Palm Coast Branding Team. Submissions will be identified by number for judging purposes. Winners will be notified by email or phone once judging is complete.

Entry Period: Photographs must be submitted between March 1 and midnight May 31, 2014.

Submission Rules: Photos must be taken in the City of Palm Coast city limits, and the location must be provided with entry. Free to enter. Photographers may submit a maximum of 20 entries total.  Entry is limited to original works that have not formerly been displayed or exhibited and to which the entrant holds all applicable rights. Works that have won prizes in other contests or that have been submitted to other contests currently under way are not eligible. Works that are entered in other competitions after submitting to this contest will not be eligible. In the case a photograph includes any recognizable people, the photographer just receive permission from those people (parent or guardian for people under 18 years old).

Submission Guidelines:

• Image data files created with digital still cameras (including medium and large-format cameras). 
• Both color and monochrome images will be accepted. 
• Scans of photographs taken by film cameras are not eligible.
• Minor digital enhancements for cropping, red-eye removal, filters and corrective functions are permitted, but images that have been altered significantly will be disqualified. Contestants are not permitted to place borders, frames or backgrounds around their images or to place watermarks, dates, signatures or copyright images onto photos. 
• File format: JPEG or PNG 
• File size: more than 1500 x 2100 pixels/more than 150dpi/at least 1 MB and no larger than 20 MB 
• The standard color space for the judging process is RGB. 

Please name the photos using the following pattern: 
Location_Photographer Name_Title of Photo.
Example: Linear Park_Joe Smith_Family at Playground.

How to Enter: After carefully reading all the information on this page, fill out the entry form, upload your work and submit. CDs, DVDs or SD cards containing contest submissions will also be accepted at City Offices, Attn.: Cindi Lane, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B-106, Palm Coast; an entry form must accompany any submissions made in-person at City Offices.  Entry materials will not be returned.

The entry form includes a Release by the Photographer granting the City of Palm Coast the royalty-free right to distribute, publish and use the photograph(s) in marketing, public relations and promotional materials such as publications, videos and websites to promote the City of Palm Coast. The City of Palm Coast has rights to crop photographs for marketing, public relations, promotional and display purposes, if necessary, and for other needs as required or as it sees fit. In the event that ownership of any photograph submitted to the City of Palm Coast is contested in any manner, the City of Palm Coast reserves the right to discontinue use of said photograph and disqualify the photograph from the contest.

Entries that fail to comply with the contest rules will be disqualified.

The City of Palm Coast reserves the right to change the contest rules as necessary. Any rule changes will be announced on the photo contest website page at www.palmcoastgov.com/photocontest


The City of Palm Coast has rights to use and publish any submitted photographs on its website or in publications in conjunction with this contest. The City also may use the photographs in other publications, in  brochures, in magazines, on websites, and for other marketing, public relations and promotional uses. Photographs may be shared with the media. All submissions become the property of the City of Palm Coast.

Download the City of Palm Coast Photo Contest Entry Form

HTML Boot Camp in Palm Coast

An Interview and Article
by Ezra Salkin
Ezra Salkin is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design.
He is a a writer and illustrator based in Palm Coast, FL.

---

“ Look at how long this is, ”

      ....says Mike Torinese, a young-man in an Abercrombie tee-shirt sitting next to me, who is a Flagler Palm Coast high-school junior.

He passes me his laptop. The first thing I see on his screen is Link, the elfin-looking hero from the acclaimed “Legend of Zelda” Nintendo series, but it’s what’s under the character that he’s pointing out: a near endless paragraph of coding which appears to be pure jargon or, from my uneducated eye, maybe a two-year-old going to town on a keyboard.

The fact that the character’s name is Link is timely, because, at that moment, linking is the subject during this class at COWORK by Office Divvy on Hyper Text Markup Language, more commonly known as HTML.

The value, as expressed in the class’s presentation, is HTML allows the user greater creative control when designing their blog or website. It’s a powerful tool for self-marketing. The class covered everything from the HTML’s origin (it was originally designed by the physicist Tim Berners-Lee for the sharing of documents between researchers of The European Organization for Nuclear Research), how it’s evolved, its basics, as well as how to protect yourself from things that would undoubtedly save hours of the hair-tearing variety.

At one point, the teacher, Alex Ordonez, an 18-year-old computer science student at Stetson University, said:

“ This is something that will be meaningless to many of you, but for those who are impacted, it’ll be a life saver and I don’t want to not save someone’s life by not telling them. ”

Torinese says he’s not interested in coding to help him further another career— he wants to make it his career. “I’m interested in the technical side.” He really wanted to do video-game coding but he says it’s hard to find a place to learn that. What does he hope to get out of the class?

“ Well most of this stuff I already know, ” he says.

It turns out that Torinese is an Office Divvy intern, working specifically under Ordonez, who leads the Office Divvy web development team.

The students in the class range in age from 11 to those within the retirement demographic.

At 44, Keith Claybrook, who has a catering business, falls somewhere in the middle. Claybrook says he knows his way around a computer pretty well, but a nice website would be beneficial to his business.

“ It’s a good skill to have,” he says. “ I got the email, and basically said everybody should learn it, so I figured I don’t know it, so I should really learn.”   He’s tried his luck with HTML before but just never really understood it.  “ This is the basics. This is kind of like the starting point,” he says.

Kathy Shea, a veteran of the Office Divvy classes, worked in the movie business as an associate producer for close to 30 years before she retired to Palm Coast where she now works part-time as a consultant, in addition to helping authors with layout on both e-books and print books; she also does publicity for the Florida Heritage Book Festival. So the benefits for her are tangible.

“ Even though I use InDesign (a design/typography application) to do the layout, when you go to upload there are some tweaks it helps you do it better,” she says of HTML. “ That’s a great way to work as a part-time consultant—using computer programming.”

Marisa Gomez, like Ordonez, is an 18-year-old student at Stetson. She’s also his girlfriend. She studies applied math and has a minor in computer science, though she’s not quite sure how she’ll use what she learned here today.

Marisa says of coding:

“ It’s more of a hobby. I’m interested in learning—I like learning. ” 

She also feels these skills could come in handy for actuarial science (a statistical method assessing risk in either finance or insurance). That’s ultimately what she wants to do. “And she’ll understand what I’m talking about,” adds Ordonez, walking over. Gomez agrees. “I’ll be able to hold up a conversation with him.”

Ordonez has taught himself a few languages—programming languages, that is. “I dabbled a lot early on,” he says. The languages he succeeded in teaching himself were HTML, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), though he failed Javascript and C++. Of course, he had no formal education until he was already a senior in high school. (The ones he initially failed he’s fairly proficient in now.) “I like teaching a lot, because it’s one of the few things I can talk fluidly on,” he says, referring to these languages specifically. “I like the idea of more people knowing how fun coding is—and how useful it is, especially.” Coding…fun? How?

“Solving problems, so it’s like puzzles. But you can create your own, you create your own puzzle, because you can find whatever problem you want and then you solve it by coding it out.”

While it’s true that Ordonez has always been good at math, contrary to popular opinion, you don’t have to be a math whiz to pick up coding, he says. You just need “interest.”

I wondered how he honed his own for something that seemed—to me, at least—so cold and alien. Like his Zelda-appreciating apprentice whom I met earlier, “I was interested in web videogames at the time, particularly ‘RuneScape,’” he says, which was very popular. He was in sixth grade at the time. So he did what any kid that age does; he asked his mom, who he knew managed her own website, what was the first step he should take toward being able to program his own games. The short answer was, he had to learn HTML. So he Googled it. “And I’ve been learning more and more ever since.”

How is he at actual foreign languages?

“I am terrible at foreign languages, but I think that programming languages should count as foreign languages, because they’re foreign to everybody else.”

Too bad he can’t use them to satisfy those college course credits.

So if coding can indeed be described as fun, as Ordonez says, by the end of the class, it was so fun that there was fun and knowledge to spare. Enough to create the need for a second class, as there was still a good deal of HTML material to cover. The follow-up HTML class slated for Saturday, February 22nd.

Flagler County resident to hold an Anti-Tax Citizens-town-hall

Flagler County School Board Member Colleen Conklin held a virtual town hall to explain why the school board is requesting a property tax increase.  Town Hall was held on Google-Hangouts on May 9, 2013, and 11 residents participated.

Colleen Conklin is holding a second virtual town hall on Thursday, May 16 at 8:00 PM, where she will present an overview of why the School Board is asking the community to vote on the referendum and then opening it up for questions.  Conklin's Virtual Town-Hall can be accessed here.

A Flagler County resident, Brad West, is also holding a citizens version of town-hall on Google Hangout, to argue why additional tax request by the School Board may not be a good idea.

He's holding his town-hall 30 minutes prior to Colleen Conklin's, at 7:30 PM on Thursday, May 16th.

In his invitation, Brad West presents his virtual town-hall as:

A real opportunity for your voice to be heard.  My hope is that our School Board and other residents do hear and watch.  I am a resident like you who is concerned.  I am not affiliated with any political party or political group.  

Brad West's Citizens Virtual Town Hall can be accessed here.


____
Note: To access either virtual-town-hall, you need to have a valid google-plus account.

Flagler County NAACP 2013 ACT-SO Regional Competition

Flagler County NAACP's 2013 ACT-SO "Olympics of the Mind" Regional Competion took place on Saturday, April 20th at Matanzas High School Auditorium in Palm Coast, Florida.

Categories included Musical Instrument, Drama, Dance, Vocal, Film Making, Drawing and Sculpting, Writing, and Photography.

Here's a video from the event sampling four of the students who competed:



Winners will be announced at an Awards-Dinner in May 2013, and the National Competition takes place in July in Orlando.  Best of luck to all the Flagler County ACT-SO Student-Contestants!

Backyard BBQ contest at Palm Coast Rock N' Rib Fest

Are you a barbecue king or queen? 

The City of Palm Coast seeks amateur barbecue enthusiasts for an upcoming Backyard BBQ Competition! With a $5,000 purse, the competition will be part of the Rock N' Rib Festival on April 12 and 13, 2013.

Backyard BBQ competition categories include :

• Ribs, 
• Chicken, 
• Boston Butt 
• "Anything But." 

Prizes and awards will be given in each category! 

Barbecuers must provide their own equipment, and the City will provide water service and electricity. Cooking will be done at Central Park in Town Center. Up to 50 competitors can enter. Application fee is steep at $100, but the $5,000 purse may justify it.

Applications are available here.

Rock N' Rib is presented by the City of Palm Coast, Beach 92.7 and Kix Country 98.7.  For more information, contact Palm Coast Events Coordinator Lisa Gardner at (386) 986-2341.

Wonderful Video of Flagler Beach, Florida

Flagler Beach is a 'retro' town with salty style; with a population just under 5,000.

Incorporated in 1925, it also is one of the oldest cities in Flagler and Volusia County.

Friendly locals and open-air restaurants set the stage for a laid-back afternoon. This is where you can enjoy eclectic shops, surfing, a classic fishing pier and a six-mile-plus stretch of spectacular ocean views -- with free access to the beach!

Flagler Beach was also named by Where to Retire magazine as one of the top retirement destinations in Florida (November 2012).

Here is a taste from Flagler Beach:



Well done Visit Florida; this is a wonderful video!

Two End of The World Parties in Palm Coast to Attend

The Mayan calendar has 1,872,000 consecutive individual days and lasts 5,125 years --a length of time known as the Great Cycle.

The End of The World theory makes reference to the Mayan calendar, which will end on December 21st 2012, marking the end of a cycle.

Depending on how you are looking at it, it may be a time for celebration or fear!

If you fear the end of the world on December 21st is a fact, and if you’re looking for safe places to be on the day the world will end as we know it, then you can either head to Şirince (Turkey) or Bugarach (France)

Şirince, a village of around 600 inhabitants in Western Turkey, has a positive energy according to the doomsday cultists; because it’s at a mountaintop, only a stone-throw away from Ephesus, near where Christians believe the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven. 

Bugarach, a tiny French village at the foot of the Pyrenees, is also supposed to survive the end of the world when the Mayan calendar ends. According to New Agers, the local mountain has magical powers as a gate between different worlds. 

Both towns are already overrun with visitors who are seeking safety on doomsday!

The world will not end on December 21, 2012, or any day in 2012 –according to NASA.  And if you are in Palm Coast and Flagler County, and want to celebrate, instead of fear, the End of The World, then there are two parties to attend:

I Decided Not to End The World party will take place at Hollingsworth Gallery, located at the City Marketplace.  The Art Gallery wants to convince God with a work of ART that human race should be allowed to continue.  Party starts at 6 PM and you can RSVP on facebook here.

End of the World Party at Farley’s Irish Pub in European Village will be another fun place to be.  It will also feature a book signing by two local authors who published a Zombie Apocalypse Novella that takes place in European Village: DYING DAYS~The Siege of European Village.

You will enjoy a tremendous beer selection at Farley’s (along with great cocktails and full-liquor bar); and meet the authors Armand Rosamilia and Tim Baker.  What better way to celebrate this momentous day then to pick up a signed copy of this truly unique tale of zombie apocalypse and how it affects the coolest destination in Palm Coast. Who knows? Maybe a zombie or two will even show up!  The party and book signing starts at 7 pm; and you can RSVP on facebook, here.

Want to learn more about the book and read a sample?  Read this article:

Local Authors Release Book with Zombies at European Village

Live Music and Fireworks in Palm Coast on New Year's Eve

European Village is going to be a unique destination in Palm Coast with live music & entertainment and midnight fireworks this New Year's Eve!  Say goodbye to 2012 and celebrate 2013 at European Village with a live show of 60s Groovy Music by "Beach St. A Go Go" along with Fireworks at midnight at European Village.

The Italian Restaurants at European Village also went all out --offering special New Year's Eve menus:

7-Course Meal at Mezzaluna

Starts at 8 pm to past midnight!  $49.95

• Antipasta
• Assorted Pizzas
• Fried Calamari
• Penne Alla Vodka
• Chicken Marsala
• Eggplant Rollittini
• Canoli Cream Cake
• Coffee
• Champagne Toast at Midnight

* Tax, gratuity, beer and wine additional

4-Course Meal at La Piazza
La Piazza is doing two seatings for New Year's Eve Dinner. First seating is for early birds, from 4pm to 6pm priced at $50 per person.

Second seating is for those who want to ring in the new year in style, starting at 8:30pm: $75 per person.

Four-course menu is available for both seatings, and includes multiple choices for first course and the main dish:

1st Course ---Choice of one (1) cold or hot appetizer

• Antipasto Italiano: Pepperoni, prosciutto, capicola, soppressata, mozzarella, provolone, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, with Brushetta
  or
• Clams & Mussels in a garlic & oil white wine sauce, or our homemade marinara sauce.

2nd Course

• Salad: Mixed baby greens with grape tomatoes, cucumbers dried cranraisins, gorgonzola, candied pecans drizzled with homemade Champagne vinaigrette.

3rd Course ---Your choice of (1) one of the following

• Surf & Turf – NY Strip & Lobster Tail with drawn butter, baby vegetables, zucchini, carrots & squash & Potato souffle’.
  or
• Frutti Di Mare – Lobster Tail, Shrimp, Calamari, Clams, Mussels, over spaghetti pasta in our homemade marinara sauce.
  or
• Veal Saltimboca, layered with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, & sage, over a bed of spinach.
  or
• Chicken Picatta, Artichokes and capers, sautéed in a light lemon butter sauce, over spaghetti.

4th Course

• Homemade platter of Cannolis, Cream Puffs & Biscotti served with coffee

* Optional $25 open bar, unlimited house wine & beer.  Second seating includes Champagne toast at Midnight, party hats, noise makers, favors & such. Tax, Gratuity is additional.


Farley's Irish Pub, Humidor and the new Kokoro are also open at European Village this New Year's Eve!

Local Authors Release New Book with Zombies at European Village in Palm Coast

Flagler / Volusia County Authors Armand Rosamilia and Tim Baker launch their first co-written work: Dying Days -- The Siege of European Village.

The book is the latest release in the Dying Days series by Armand Rosamilia, and a first with Tim Baker (author of Water Hazard and Pump It Up).  The book combines both authors' favorite characters with some of the locally known names in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach in one rousing story!  Book includes an Author Interview detailing how the story came about, as well as sample chapters from both authors!

The book's settings are familiar places for Palm Coast and Flagler County residents: from the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine, to A1A, Matanzas Inlet, with the main setting at European Village in Palm Coast --one of the last safe havens in the Nation, where shop-owners and residents join together in fight against the invasion of Zombies...

Here is an excerpt:

     The building itself was massive, with four stories and set in a triangular pattern, three different buildings connected by catwalks and ramps.
     "It looks like shops on the bottom floor and apartments on levels two to four.  Almost like a small city. The sign says European Village. Looks like a nice place to spend an afternoon. Except for the guys with rifles. Oh, and the zombies."
     "This side is gated and I'm sure every other entrance is blocked as well. It looks like a great setup for whoever is living there."
     "The problem for us is they've most likely looted the area for miles around." Darlene snickered.
     "I think we're wasting our time here. Going into Palm Coast will end up being a bust. We need to get back on A1A and find another neighborhood."
     "Where? Everything out there has been picked clean already. Even the extra supplies we couldn't carry and left at the Golden Lion on previous forays have been moved."
     "Did you say foray? Really?"
     "Shut up."
     John's smile faded. "We have company."
     Two zombies, both older men, were shuffling slowly and silently toward them, dead eyes locked onto John and Darlene.....

The book is available on Amazon digital edition (kindle), with the paperback version being released at a press event and book signing session with the authors at European Village in the coming weeks.  You can purchase the Amazon Kindle edition here:

Dying Days -- The Siege of European Village

..and you can connect with the authors on twitter, here: Tim Baker | Armand Rosamilia

Palm Coast Fire Chief Becomes a CFO

Fire Chief Mike Beadle of the Palm Coast Fire Department has successfully completed the process which awarded him the professional designation of "Chief Fire Officer" (CFO).

The Commission on Professional Credentialing met on November. 6th, and officially conferred the re-designation upon Chief Beadle. Chief Beadle is now one of only 908 CFOs worldwide.

The Chief Fire Officer Designation program is a voluntary program designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate their excellence in seven measured components: Experience, Education, Professional Development, Professional Contributions, Association Membership, Community Involvement, and Technical Competencies.

Beadle received his original designation on Aug. 9, 2006. To maintain the designation, individuals need to show they have continued to develop as a CFO in four areas: Professional Development, Professional Contributions, Active Association Membership and Community Involvement.

A Board of Review consisting of members of the fire and emergency services profession, academia, and municipal agencies review each application and recommends successful candidates for designation to the Commission.

Chief Beadle has been a member of the Palm Coast Fire Department for 24 years and currently resides in Palm Coast.

Live Music Concert at European Village in Palm Coast: Southbound

Southbound -- a Flagler/Volusia County based rock-and-roll band will keep the dancers dancing, the bartenders busy, and the crowd screaming at European Village, Palm Coast on Friday November 16, 2012 from 7pm to 10pm.

The live concert is a part of the City of Palm Coast’s Friday Night Live FREE Concert Series at the Courtyard at European Village just in time for the new bandstand. You can bring your chairs, or enjoy dinner at the outdoor restaurants surrounding the courtyars.  FREE ADMISSION.  Note: No coolers allowed.

Flagler County Extension Service and Master Gardeners offer classes

SHORT and SWEET HORTICULTURE PROGRAMS
UF/IFAS Flagler County Extension Service and Master Gardeners

The Fall “Short & Sweet” Horticulture continues Monday October 29th and Monday November 5th,
between 10 am and 12 noon at the Flagler County Extension Service.

Programs presented by Ruth Micieli, Horticulture Program Assistant and Master Gardener Coordinator with the University of Florida, IFAS Flagler County Extension Service Flagler County Master Gardeners and Louise Leister Flagler County Water and Environmental Education Program Coordinator.

Where does the Short and Sweet name come from?  These are “Short” educational programs while enjoying our famous “Sweets” provided by the Flagler County Master Gardener Volunteers.

The series will cover details of managing your landscape and help you get it ready for winter. All programs are based on the Florida Friendly Landscaping™ principles which gardeners save time, money and water!

Program Schedule:
Monday 10/29/12: Holiday Gifts from the Garden – Master Gardener Angela Hill will demonstrate how to create beautiful gifts using items found in your garden, Louise Leister will show you how to create beautiful container gardens and topiaries and Ruth Micieli will make special holiday delicacies from garden fresh herbs and seasonal vegetables. $5.00 per person at the door.

Monday 11/5/12: Winter Landscaping 101 – Louise Leister will cover the do’s and don’ts on caring for your Florida landscape during the winter months. Program also includes winter irrigation schedule, pruning, maintenance and more. There is no charge to attend this program.

Due to popular demand, you must pre-register at least 2 days prior to the event.

Both programs will take place between 10 am and 12 noon at Flagler County Extension Service, located at 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell, FL 32110.  Phone: 386-437-7464

Flagler County and National Weather Service Offer Classes

Flagler County and the National Weather Service are hosting a combined Basic and Advanced Skyward class at 6 pm on Friday, November 2nd at the Emergency Operations Center --located at Building #3 in the Flagler County Government Center at 1769 East Moody Boulevard (S.R. 100) in Bunnell (behind the Government Services Building).

Assistant Warning and Coordination Meteorologist Angie Enyedi from the National Weather Service will conduct the classes. The classes are intended to provide training on what to look for and how to report, potentially dangerous weather conditions. Classes will also provide the necessary training to become a volunteer storm spotter.

To sign up for the free class contact Bob Pickering, Emergency Management Technician at (386) 313-4250 or email BPickering@flaglercounty.org.

Going the Extra Mile in Bunnell

The City of Bunnell invites breast-cancer survivors, friends and supporters to wear your best pink outfit and participate in the 3^rd annual “Going the Extra Mile” walk scheduled to start at the Historic City Hall Saturday, October 13th, at 8:00 am. 

The walk is organized by the City of Bunnell to raise awareness and funding for the fight against breast cancer in Flagler County. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy the music of Tarnished Halo, interact with and/or cheer on the walkers, and get information about the disease. Staff and volunteers will be supporting walkers along the 4-mile route. 

Suggested donation is $10.00 per participant, and children under 13 and pets walk for free. 

100% of the donations go to the American Cancer Society. 

For further information, please contact Gigi Hart with the Department of Grants, Community Projects and CRA at 386-437-7425, or visit the website for City of Bunnell.

Flagler Beach's Golden Lion Cafe celebrates 20th Anniversary

Golden Lion Cafe, located in Flagler Beach is celebrating its 20th year anniversary on October 26th.  The Flagler Beach bar and restaurant has been one of Flagler County's most awarded restaurants, and was named as one of Florida's Top-Ten Beach Bars two years in a row.

On October 26th, Golden Lion invites Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, and Bunnell residents to celebrate its 20th year in Flagler Beach!

A fantastic night (and possibly a very crowded night) awaits you, with a long lineup of musicians from Golden Lion's 20-year history such as Elizabeth Roth, Guy Savino, Joe Atti, Donny Rox, David Lane, Stu Weaver, and more!

Also on the same day, Golden Lion will also have a ribbon-cutting on its new Raw Bar (the only raw bar in Flagler County, right now).

Make plans now to attend this spectacular event on Friday, October 26th, starting at 6 PM!

Christmas Come True to Hold Hangar Party at Flagler Airport

Flagler County Non-Profit, Christmas Come True is holding a Hangar Party with Food, Music, Dancing, Cash Bar, Aviation Photo Opps and more at the Flagler County Airport on Saturday, October 27th.

The event is for Adults only (21+), will take place at the Blue Sky Yakrobatics office and hangar located at Flagler County Airport, 279 Old Moody Blvd, Palm Coast.  Event starts at 7pm on October 27th. Tickets are $40.

There are also two limited issue raffles for two Flights of Fantasy Exclusive Experiences:

$50.00 raffle ticketfor a Nanchang CJ-6A flight experience. Limited to 150 tickets.
Flight is a $350 Value. 

$150.00 raffle ticketfor an L-39 Fighter Jet flight experience. Limited to 150 tickets.
Flight is a $1995 value.

The winners of the flight experience will enjoy (at a later date): A Meet Your Instructor Session with Top Gun Naval Aviator Bill “Pirate” Mills, Flight Suit and Safety Gear Fitting, Preflight Ground School and Aircraft Inspection, Hands-on in-flight instructions at YOUR controls,Flight Certificate and Photo (Total experience approximately 2.5 hours, 30 minutes actual air time).

Raffle tickets are available for purchase at Hangar Party.

Christmas Come True's mission is to provide a complete Christmas experience for area resident parents who are unable to financially afford the traditional Christmas for their families. The organization provides a Christmas dinner for the family to prepare, a Christmas stocking filled with goodies, a new outfit, and age appropriate toys or gifts for each child --all anonymously to the children so their parents become the actual heros!  .

For more information, visit www.ChristmasComeTrue.org or call 386.569.4429

City of Flagler Beach 2012 Annual Report for Flood-Plain Management

The City of Flagler Beach has established its own Floodplain Management Plan pursuant to the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Community Rating System (CRS).  
In this plan there are several specific action areas that are established to identify either prevention of flooding or responses to flood warnings or actual flooding.  This report outlines these action areas and the progress or lack thereof in each of these activities.

PREVENTION OF FLOODING:
a. Planning and Zoning  -  The City has processed three new building permits in the Areas of Special Flood Hazard in fiscal 2011/12.  In each case, our Land Development Regulations (LDR) have helped us manage development activity in the floodplain and ensure established limitations to impervious surfaces and wetland protection to help prevent and reduce flooding.
b. Stormwater Management – Although the City has not experienced any flood events in the past year, this action item, in conjunction with the City’s Stormwater Master Plan, helps us evaluate the effectiveness of our LDR and recent stormwater projects.  The City has completed four out of seven prioritized stormwater projects. All completed projects have performed as designed to mitigate areas of flooding.  In addition, we have started a project to complete our CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) Streetscape Improvements which includes the extension of our existing  stormwater system from S. 5th Street to S. 9th Street on S. Central and S. Daytona Avenues, thereby completing the downtown portion of the system.
c. Drainage System Maintenance – The City’s Roads and Streets Department maintains the stormwater drainage systems throughout the City.  This is an ongoing activity which includes routine monthly inspections, street cleaning as needed to prevent build-up in stormwater structures and vacuuming of stormwater inlets twice this year.

PROPERTY PROTECTION:
a. Property Acquisition – In the past, the City has purchased several lots in the Areas of Special Flood Hazard.  Most significant are the lots purchased  in the Mirror Lake Overlay District.  In the past year the City has not purchased any lots.
b. Building Elevation – Through enforcement of the City’s LDR, structures located in floodplains are identified through the permitting process and allowed to build to a finished floor elevation of one foot above the 100-year floodplain.
c. Insurance – The City participates in the NFIP and educates property owners, realtors, banks, brokers, architects and contractors annually by individual letter.  The City also maintains information on our website on how to contact us and Flagler County Emergency Services for information regarding flooding.  We also have a kiosk and bulletin board in City Hall to display and distribute floodplain literature.

EMERGENCY SERVICES:
a. Flood Warning – There have been no flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service this past year.  If there had been flood warnings, the City would have coordinated emergency services through the Flagler Beach Fire Department and the Flagler County EOC.
b. Flood Response – Since there were no flood warnings this past year, there were no flood response plans in effect.

STRUCTURAL PROJECTS:
a. Storm Sewers – As stated above, our CRA Streetscape Improvements include 32 new stormwater inlets for the CRA to complete our downtown system.
b. Retention – This year, no new developments were constructed in the City which would require stormwater retention.

PUBLIC INFORMATION:
a. Map Information – The City Building Department reviews all Permit Applications to determine the location of the property in relation to the floodplain.  We use the FEMA FIRM (Flood Insurance Rate Map) and property survey elevation information to make our determination and apply it to the permit.

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source: City of Flagler Beach

8th Annual Creekside Festival is on October 6-7, 2012

Held along the stunning shores of Pellicer Creek, at Princess Reserve, the Creekside Festival is an annual tradition that attracts 17,000 guests each year for family-friendly activities, live bluegrass music and more in a picturesque natural setting.  The event will take place Saturday, October 6th and Sunday, October 7th, 2012.

This year, six talented bluegrass bands have been scheduled for live music:

Saturday, October 6

• 10AM to 10:45AM - Seminole Ridge
• 11AM to 11:45AM -Passerine
• Noon  to  12:45PM - New River Bluegrass
• 1PM  to 1:45PM - Seminole Ridge
• 2PM  to 2:45PM - Passerine
• 3PM  to 3:45PM - New River Bluegrass 

Sunday, October 7

• 10AM to 10:45AM - Aslyn and the Nay Sayers
• 11AM to 11:45AM - Andrews Family Band
• Noon  to 12:45PM - Xtremegrass
• 1PM to 1:45PM - Aslyn and the Nay Sayers
• 2PM  to 2:45PM - Andrews Family Band                               
• 3PM  to 3:45PM - Xtremegrass

In addition to live music, the festival features arts & crafts booths, letting the kids get creative with handmade crafts, booths and trucks featuring meals and snacks “al fresco,” and live demonstrations by local artisans.

On Saturday, you can watch, or join, the pumpkin pie eating contest at 12:45PM. It’s free and limited to the first 12 people who show up. On Sunday at 1:45PM, the winners of the annual student photography contest will be announced. All entries submitted by students at Flagler Palm Coast High School and Mantanzas High School will be displayed in the lodge Saturday and Sunday.

The Creekside Festival will be open Saturday, October 6 from 10AM to 6PM and Sunday, October 7 from 10AM to 5PM. Admission is $5 per carload or $3 with advance purchase from the Flagler Chamber of Commerce.  Call 386.437.0106 for more information.

Cheech and Chong Come to Daytona Beach in November 2012

The iconic comedy duo Cheech & Chong defined an era with their hilariously irreverent, satirical, counter-culture, no-holds-barred comedy routines; and became a tremendous success beyond their wildest dreams.  Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong’s phenomenal success began on the stand up comedy circuit which led to 9 hit comedy albums and 8 hit films, breaking box office records, shattering comedy album sales, garnering multiple Grammy nominations and mesmerizing fans for more than a decade.

Cheech & Chong announced their first tour in over 25 years!  And they will be performing at the Peabody Auditorium for a one-evening show on Friday, November 9th.  Tickets are in the range of $45 to $75 and can be purchased here.

Entrepreneur Night gets Wider Support and New Sponsors

Launched in late 2011 as an Open, Grassroots event for and by Entrepreneurs, the successful Entrepreneur Night event lands new sponsors for the Fall 2012 Series of Events:

• Intracoastal Bank
  A Palm Coast-based community and small-business friendly bank
• Mitchell Noel Insurance
  A full-service insurance agency with headquarters in Ormond Beach

Both organizations are on brand for Entrepreneur Night; and they both serve the Small Business Communities in Flagler and Volusia Counties.  Intracoastal Bank and Mitchell Noel join Office Divvy ™ and  Palm Coast Business Assistance Center as sponsors.

The event is open to anyone including Aspiring Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, those who support entrepreneurs, as well as Investors.

Each event features complimentary appetizers, a speed-networking slot with "Entrepreneur Dance Cards," cash bar, door prizes, and more.

The September event at McCharacters will also feature an Entrepreneur Karaoke Contest; and November's event at Pine Lakes will feature an Entrepreneur Putting Contest.

Participants expect to have a fun time, meet new peers, and have meaningful conversations with each other and learn from each other.  Hundreds are expected to attend each event this Fall. Participants come from Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach, St. Augustine, Ormond and Daytona Beach and sometimes beyond.