St. Augustine News

Today, The Record ran an editorial titled “Fish Island dock: End the debate”. Sometimes we agree with The Record’s opinions and sometimes we don’t.

In 2007, a Record editorial said the city’s decision must be based on facts, not emotions. On that point, we agree. Today’s editorial says “that’s still our view with a new twist. It’s time for the city to consider buying the property.”

That’s where they lose me.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/ending-the-fish-island-debacle-1420

U.S. News and World report is the latest to declare St. Augustine a great place to live. They found us to be affordable, with a strong economy, a highly educated workforce, and fun things to do. While some may quibble with those conclusions, most people I talk to love living here. Yet, many others remain dissatisfied.

A proposed settlement between the city of St. Augustine and Fish Island Development LLC over the size of a dock/marina on the Intracoastal Waterway is still on the table.

The United American Tea Party reported to Historic City news that the Historic St. Augustine Independence Restoration Reclamation Rally is being held today between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the fort green at Castillo De San Marcos.

According to Park Rangers’ official estimates, more than 1,200 citizens participated in the Tax Day Tea Party at the Castillo de San Marcos on April 15th.

The United American Tea Party is the St Johns County component of Tea Party Patriots and they are organizing today’s Independence Restoration Reclamation Rally.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/independence-restoration-reclamation-rally-1419

ST. AUGUSTINE: The St. Johns County medical examiner says an elderly St. Johns County couple found dead in their Treasure Beach home apparently died of natural causes.

Historic City News is responding to a request from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office to help locate a man who is being sought for questioning in connection with a suspicious incident that occurred earlier last month in Vermont Heights.

The incident occurred shortly after 4:00 a.m. on June 8th when a 20-year old female told deputies that a male subject had pulled a gun on her and she ran away.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/man-wanted-for-questioning-by-sheriff-1418

Arguably one of our greatest local treasures and site most true to the way it appeared around the time it was built in 1824 is the public market pavilion located in the central plaza of St. Augustine.

Although the market is not as popular an attraction as Castillo de San Marcos, the Plaza de la Constitution has been a point of interest and tourist stop since the beginning of guided tours of the city.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/is-plaza-becoming-a-homeless-camp-1406

Photo credits: Historic City News photographer Kerry McGuire

Avoiding the image of a “tourist trap” is not always easy; especially in a town known worldwide for tourism.

With the Fourth of July holiday offering a long weekend for many visitors and with gas prices on the upswing, tourist are looking to take lower cost mini-vacations and “staycations”; driving to nearby points of interest and trying to stretch their vacation dollar.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/welcoming-visitors-with-a-rip-off-1400

Historic City News was there when Congressman Adam Putnam, now a candidate for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, hosted a breakfast meeting for citizens and supporters at the St. Augustine Skeet Club.

This morning, County Commissioner Mark Miner, Putnam’s Campaign Chairman in St. Johns County, and the host committee, introduced Congressman Putnam to those who attended the local event.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/congressman-putnam-hosts-local-meeting-1395

When a disheveled looking Cape Coral lawyer shows up on your doorstep, Sierra Club membership card in hand, don't you wonder why he's here – and, more importantly, how he came to be hired here?

Brookes, who was misidentified by The Record as "Ralph Brooks" in an April 22, 2009 article by Peter Guinta, shows up at a county commission meeting representing "South Anastasia Community Association" in opposition of a commercial construction project just off Interstate 95 that would bring 450 permanent jobs to the economically depressed southwest quadrant of St. Johns County.

http://shamefulpeople.com/2009/06/just-who-is-this-ralf-brookes/

Without concern for what his interference might cost local St. Augustine residents who don't share his obsessive tree-hugging agenda, St. Johns County Commissioner Joseph "Ken" Bryan hired an out-of-town attorney, who is a member of The Sierra Club, to intervene in the settlement of potentially devastating litigation in a $9 million lawsuit against the city.

It is shameful that a sitting county commissioner would, without invitation, stick his big fat nose into the ongoing negotiations of a lawsuit against all the taxpayers of the city at a time when a solution that would put an end to this litigation was at hand.

http://shamefulpeople.com/2009/06/ken-bryans-sierra-club-agenda/

Maurice Morissette, President of Auglink Communications, Inc., notified the business’s Internet subscribers that this was the final week of the company’s 15 year history in St. Augustine.

Auglink was the city’s first privately owned dialup Internet service provider back in the days when America Online did not offer a local, toll-free number for the St. Augustine calling area. Auglink also offered its customers “aug.com” email services; including email forwarding.

Chuck Nusbaum, President of Old City Web Services, Inc., reported to Historic City News that they will begin offering Internet services to former Auglink customers immediately.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/auglink-customers-now-serviced-by-old-city-1392

Photo credits: Historic City News staff photographs

Internet travel companies are coming under scrutiny by a growing number of cities, counties and states over issues surrounding the collection of bed taxes and sales taxes.

Florida’s legislature has allowed counties to decide if they want to levy bed taxes. St. Johns County has made that election and a 3% tax is collected for that purpose.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/are-we-collecting-all-of-the-bed-tax-1378

Fred Henry Bozard, Jr. died this morning; he was a business and civic leader, soldier, mentor and shining example to everyone who knew him.

Bozard past away at about 1:00 a.m. this morning and would have turned 91 years old this October. He is survived by his wife Josephine “Jo” Bozard.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/fred-bozard-passes-away-1369

Project Manager Nick Perpich in the St. Johns County Engineering Division reported to Historic City News that the traffic pattern along the West King Street construction is going to be redirected next week.

In coordination with the corridor’s business community, the direction of travel on W. King Street is going to change from eastbound to westbound effective Monday, June 29, 2009. Only westbound traffic will be permitted between U.S. 1 and the Palmer Street/Pellicer Lane intersection.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/traffic-to-be-redirected-on-west-king-street-1373

Photo credit: Historic City News photographer Kerry McGuire

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Renaissance Hotel, 500 Legacy Trail, World Golf Village, at 9:00 a.m. this morning regarding a guest who had not arrived at a scheduled meeting.

Hotel staff entered the room, located a woman who was not responsive, then contacted first responders.

The victim identified as Ms. Phyllis Busansky, Supervisor of Elections for Hillsborough County, was pronounced dead at the scene.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/hillsborough-elections-supervisor-found-dead-1374

City Attorney Ron Brown notified city commissioners near the end of last night’s meeting that the lawsuit brought by developer Donna Wendler has been dismissed by mutual consent.

Wendler had sought demolition of seven properties in the Oviedo and King Street area to build a boutique hotel.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/wendler-lawsuit-dropped-1376

Photo credit: Historic City News photographer Kerry McGuire

Attorneys for four Plaza artists, who recently won a temporary injunction in federal court against the city’s ban on selling visual art, have offered to settle that case for $52,000 in attorneys’ fees and $2,500 in “nominal damages” for each plaintiff.

Commissioners directed City Attorney Ron Brown to offer “no more than” $25,000 to the attorneys and $10,000 to the plaintiffs”.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/city-authorizes-plaza-artists-settlement-1377

Photo credit: Historic City News photographer Kerry McGuire

Steely Dan, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band that played to a sold-out St. Augustine Amphitheatre Thursday night, has long gotten a bad rap for being uncool.

Historic City News reporters and a roomful of residents and organizational leaders looked on as Dana Ste. Claire told a 14-member Steering Committee of community leaders “This is the first official day of our St. Augustine 450th Commemoration” yesterday.

“We are looking at a linear World’s Fair, spread over a three-year period, because we can’t fit it all into one year,” Mayor Joe Boles added, as the Steering Committee met for the first time with consultant Jeanne Zeidler at Flagler College’s Ringhaver Student Center.

http://www.historiccity.com/2009/staugustine/news/florida/first-day-of-citys-450th-commemoration-1366

Photo credit: Merrill Paul Roland