KoenigRealty.com - Bellaire Community Group
Transcription
KoenigRealty.com - Bellaire Community Group
ϭ Bellaire Community Group Keeping Quality of Life Our Priority! October 2015 Our Elected Officials…….3-4 Mayor Derrick: New Dog Park Zone 1 Trager: Items of note for Daytona Beach Zone 2 Woods Fall Season Zone 3 White: New residents A Native Remembers: The good old days……… … ...6 Save Our Neighborhoods: SON Update …………….…….7 From the Desk of the Chief of Police………..………….….9 Join us! Thursday, October 15, 2015 at Schnebly Recreation Center 1101 N. Atlantic Ave. Share a meal at 6 p.m. Meeting starts 6:30 p.m. This Month’s Dinner: ($4 donation) Hot dogs with chili and other toppings, potato salad, desserts, beverages Fall is in the air and the drop in the temperatures recently is refreshing. The sound of motorcycles will soon fill our city--Biketoberfest begins October 15th. Our last meeting was very informative on all of the capital projects underway in Daytona Beach. Frank Van Pelt, the Director of Technical Services, reported on many of these projects and fielded questions from our members. We greatly appreciate the time he took to inform us of all that is going on in Daytona Beach. I was even more impressed with Mr. Van Pelt the day after our meeting, when I was copied on an email in which he was addressing a concern that was brought up by one of our members. He immediately asked the Public Works department to address an overgrown tree on city property. It turns out this was not city property, and Mr. Van Pelt informed the resident that in fact this was property owned by the Volusia County School Board. It is not uncommon that a citizen seeks help from our local government and is told that it is not the city’s responsibility but the county’s or the school board’s. At this time, the resident must deal with another bureaucratic nightmare. It can’t be this difficult to resolve a simple problem. If one of Daytona Beach’s residents has a genuine concern and brings it to the attention of the city, someone from the city that is familiar with dealing with government bureaucracies could take this issue to the appropriate governmental body. Perhaps this could be referred to as the city’s ombudsman for the benefit of all the residents of Daytona Beach. The number one issue of the BCG membership continues to be our safety. That is why at our October meeting our featured guest will be Police Chief, Mike Chitwood. As always, if you bring specific issues to the attention of the Chief, he will look into it. By the way, it is not too early to start setting aside the items you plan to donate to our annual Ticket Auction/Christmas Party December meeting. Thanks to Lawrie Davidson for once again volunteering to chair our Ticket Auction. As in the past, please solicit your favorite stores and restaurants for gift certificates or other donations. Sometimes wanting a better Daytona Beach is not enough. Sometimes you have to get off the couch, go to a meeting, learn more about the city we call home, and maybe make a new friend along the way. (con’t on next page) Ϯ BELLAIRE COMMUNITY GROUP AGENDA 1. Call to Order 2. Paul Zimmerman, President Sons of the Beach – beach driving update 3. Featured Guest, Daytona Beach Police Chief, Mike Chitwood 4. 50 – 50 Drawing 5. Adjourn Meeting 6. Put tables and chairs away and go home more connected with the community you call home! 2000 N. Halifax Daytona Beach, FL 32118 2015 Officers Chair Steve Koenig Office: 386.257.6700 Cell: 386.795.0023 [email protected] Vice Chair Paul Zimmerman, Founder 386.316.6259 [email protected] Treasurer and Marketing Manager Nancy Koenig 386.679.3363 [email protected] Contributors Derrick Henry Ruth Trager Kelly White Weegie Kuendig Pam Woods Mike Chitwood Paul Zimmerman Steve Koenig Vol 9, Issue 10: October 2015 (con’t from previous page) Therefore, if you have never been to one of our meetings, or if it’s been a while since you last came, please join us and help us keep Quality of Life on the Beachside our collective priority. Thanks for the journey, Steve Koenig ϯ Our Elected Officials Derrick Henry, Mayor of Daytona Beach There is a new dog park in one of the oldest beachside communities along the Halifax River. Dog-friendly amenities were recently added to Lenox Park, located at 825 S. Grandview Avenue. It’s complete with a fenced area where man’s best friend can romp around without a leash. The new dog park features two smaller fenced areas for introduction and calming purposes, benches, a large fenced grassy area, two dog/human water fountains and waste stations. The dog park is open 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset. The neighborhood park also features a paved walking trail, playground equipment, a pavilion with picnic tables, basketball courts and a multipurpose field. This dog park is the city’s second dog park. The other dog park, which opened in 2012, is located on Manatee Island in downtown. Ruth Trager, Zone 1 City Commissioner There are so many things happening in Daytona Beach that I hardly know where to start. We have had many new businesses open and expansions of established businesses. Our City Island Library has opened a new room with 3D printers and electronic works and digital photography and sewing etc. to learn. It is called Launch Pad. Check it out. You will be surprised! I attended an event at MOAS with a Jazz concert, a very memorable experience. The new RAM Truck at the Auto Mall opened on September 9th. It shows how much confidence people such as Randy Dye have in the renewal of Daytona Beach. The next day, a new Pet Resort opened at 600 Mason for boarding, training etc. for a day or some hours or weeks. They had cots for the dogs and even a ball pit for the dogs to play in. The Volusia Manufacturers Association had a showcase exhibition at ERAU combined with a job fair and robotics by our high schoolers. If you thought Volusia County was only a tourist destination, you were in for a surprise when you saw just how many manufacturers there are in this area. They are always looking for talented workers. There will be more job fairs coming up in November. Rick Scott, Governor of Florida was in Daytona Beach on October 1st for the opening of the Total Quality Logistics, a new business that will eventually add 100 jobs here. This weekend, October 15th -18th will be our annual Biketoberfest event, so please be sure to watch out for motorcycles. There is much speculation as to when the new Orange Avenue bridge will be started, and when the Hard Rock will break ground, but I have not heard any firm evidence as to when all this will happen. There is much more interest now in developing long vacant properties. I suppose everyone is beginning to realize what we knew all along - that Daytona Beach is a wonderful place to live!! Volusia County and Daytona Beach are starting to be known as a place with a strong workforce and economic vitality as a destination for business relocation and expansion. The Army Band will be playing at Peabody on October 19th. Check to see if there are still tickets available at Peabody. They are an outstanding band! Happy Halloween to all the kids at heart of whatever age! ϱ Money and Politics: An Inside View A discussion of the role that money plays in politics and the costs of running for office. Featuring Frank Bruno, Dotti Lewis and Evelyn Lynn October 17, 2015 • 11 am Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Welcome Center Lunch $25 RSVP June (386) 673-5758 or june @rhodestravel.us.com Presented by AAUW Daytona Beach and Volusia County League of Women Voters Invite a Friend! ϲ A Native Remembers By Paul Zimmerman It has been a long time since I wrote one of these articles about the good old days of Daytona Beach. The days when we spoke with pride about our town. The days when the list of assets were way longer than the list of liabilities. The days when we told people we were from Daytona Beach and their first reaction was disbelief mixed with envy, as if to question that you couldn’t be from one of most desirable places in the country to live. You couldn’t be that lucky. I am glad I was here for those days. And I am especially glad that I knew many of the people of my father’s and grandfather’s generations who played their part in building a community in which the residents could be proud. Daytona Beach, as it is today, was the brand name for all of the Halifax Area. Port Orange was a tiny little town considered to the outskirts of the area. Ormond, Holly Hill, South Daytona and Ormond Beach were there, but if asked most of the residents they would tell you they were from Daytona Beach. The Speedway was out in the woods west of town at the end of what was the Mason Ave extension. US 1 south of Beville Road was 2 lanes, as was A1A the entire length through Volusia County. General Electric had a major presence and provided higher end salaries for their employees. The level of tourism at that time is hard to describe. It is truly one of those things that you had to see it to believe it. I had firsthand experience on just how intense the tourism was back then. I worked for three summers of my high school years on the pool deck of the Castaways Beach Motel on A1A in Daytona Beach Shores. I had many friends who worked on the pool decks of the other motels up and down our beach or as Lifeguards on the Beach. We all knew that from Memorial Day to Labor Day we were going to be busy. I worked at the Castaways in 1964, 65 and 66. The No Vacancy sign was out almost every day as it was for all the motels along our beach. The great majority of the tourists were families, moms and dads and the kids. They drove the family car down from all over the southeastern United States, most to stay for a week at the World’s Most Famous Beach. The Castaways had multiple families who were repeat visitors; they came back year after year. I am sure the other motels had their repeat families as well. There were no gates at the beach approaches, no tolls, no beach patrol. You could drive on the beach in evenings. The tourists thought that was really cool. They would spend the day on the pool deck or down on the beach, and then in the evenings, they would cruise up the beach, park by the pier and walk down Main Street to one of the several restaurants for dinner or up to the boardwalk for the games or bumper cars or the scrambler. It was fun. The intensity of the tourism, the presence of GE, and the geography and demographics during that period were a big part of what was different about Daytona Beach back then but there was more. There was a vibrant downtown and Main Street. Communities have vibrant downtowns, a place for people to shop, eat, go to the movies, to gather as a community. Daytona Beach had a great downtown back then and it was booming as well. A walk through River Front Park and cross the foot bridge to City Island and you had another aspect of Daytona Beach that gave it the feel of a real community. There was of course Jackie Robinson Field, where the Islanders played, but there were two little league diamonds where most of the boys of the Halifax would be playing ball on a summer evening while their families watched. People knew ϳ each other. Families knew who the kids from the other families were. It was a community. How did we lose this? What happened? What decisions contributed to the decline of what was once a thriving community? I have some opinions on what happened, but mostly I am glad that I lived in that Norman Rockwell like community. We should remember it and try to get it back. ‘til next time. Paul Save Our Neighborhoods Dear Bellaire Friends and Neighbors, It was a pleasure to speak with you at your last neighborhood meeting and share with you the concerns our Seabreeze Neighborhood has about Seabreeze, the Street. I have not been told that anything has changed as of yet, but we know our police department is doing their best. If you subscribe to Crime Mapping you can see for yourself what goes on and you can imagine the spillover effects on our neighborhoods. What a pity for prime beachside property. We knew that our September SON meeting time had a lot of competition for attendees but we had a fairly in- depth conversation with our guest, Neighborhood Services Division Manager, Hector Garcia. He explained the reorganization of Code Enforcement. Neighborhood Services will now encompass Code Enforcement, Animal Control, and Rental and Licensing Inspections. There will be an additional Rental Inspector and Code officers will be cross-trained. There will be better coordination between Code Enforcement, the building department, police, fire, and city management as they will meet monthly to discuss problem properties proactively. Neighborhood Services will still remain under the Police Department. If code enforcement is to be a priority it will still need additional funding and ordinances that are tightened up. That does not seem to be on the Commission agenda, however. SON hopes to see positive change in the near future so our residents can take pride in the way we present ourselves to our visitors and potential home buyers as we look for ways to strengthen our neighborhoods. Our October SON meeting will be the last for the year because of the upcoming holidays in November and December. At this point I think we will have a review of the year and start to think about goals for 2016. We will also talk more about “A Better Daytona”, the group that is addressing height limits on our barrier island –especially after the “sky is falling” editorial in the News Journal on October 3rd. In my opinion, there were many outrageous and inaccurate statements that seemed purposeful in their intent, once again attempting to paint our residents and neighborhoods as knownothings and unimportant. Although the County Council has made it clear on multiple occasions that they are willing to ignore the voice of the citizens, are we now going to be faced with the same mind-set in our city, led by the News Journal? I hope not; for I believe it is counter-productive and short-sighted and not simply a difference of opinion. Just think about the implications of the County suing their own citizens, using citizen tax money to do so. This has had a major impact on my views of local government and I know many others feel the same way. Please bring a neighbor and a snack to our last 2015 meeting on October 28th for a 6:30 Save Our Neighborhoods meeting start. As always, thanks for the opportunity, Weegie Kuendig [email protected] 254-5141 M" 8 " Community Information and Announcements Important Phone Numbers " Mayor’s Office 671-8007 Park Facilities 671-3400 Police Chief Chitwood 671-5102 Recycling 671-8670 Trash Collection 671-8670 Water Billing 671-8100 Animal Control 671-5100 Beach Patrol 239-6484 Building Permits 671-8140 Citizen Complaints 671-8010 Code Enforcement 671-8196 Commissioner Pam Woods 671-8002 Garage Sale Permits 671-8140 Police Department 671-5100 RESIDENTS HELPING RESIDENTS We recently received this letter from a resident, verified the information, and thought we should share it. Read on, residents! Dear Steve, We are dedicated recyclers. In fact, my husband and I, along with twenty-nine other Daytona Beach residents, just received a $50 cash prize from the City of Daytona Beach and Waste Pro for our recycling efforts! The City of Daytona Beach and Waste Pro have set aside $1500 every month, to be awarded to residents who have Code Enforcement Clig says…. Prohibited Businesses Office type uses may operate in a residential area. Nonoffice uses such as car and boat repairs, construction of cabinets and furniture, and other activities are prohibited. Employees other than the resident and/or on-site customers are prohibited. Remember, engaging in a business requires a business tax receipt. Not Getting Our Email? We won’t sell your address (or give it away) to anyone. To get on our mailing list, go to bellairecommunitygroup.com! increased their recycling efforts and/or are consistent recyclers. Until they contacted us, we had no idea this recycling rewards program existed. I thought it would be a good idea to let the rest of our Bellaire Community Group neighbors know that it really does pay to recycle! If you want to verify that the program exists, you can call Waste Pro at 386-788-8890 and ask for Stephanie Lyons4" YOU ARE INVITED….. South Atlantic Neighborhood is hosting Trunk or Treat on Halloween at 6:30 pm at Lenox Park. Decorate your Trunk and bring Treats. Or bring your children to enjoy Halloween! All are invited to come. This is a wonderful neighborhood event. Foreclosures/Bankruptcies/Real Estate " ϵ From the Desk of the Police Chief From Chief Chitwood Women’s Self Defense Classes offered by DBPD Be prepared and aware! The Daytona Beach Police Department is once again offering a free women’s selfdefense workshop for residents. The next class is Friday, October 23, from 6 to 9 p.m., at DBPD Headquarters, 129 Valor Boulevard in Daytona Beach. This is a popular workshop where participants learn how to recognize dangerous situations and use their voice and body language to escape. It’s not like other programs that show participants how to kick and punch their way out of trouble. You will not be thrown around or be required to take your shoes off. The practical program will demonstrate the common types of attacks and offer escape moves that are easy to remember and extremely effective. A participant’s age and level of fitness are not issues. Aphrodite Jones, host of the True Crime with Aphrodite Jones television series, will attend the workshop. She’s a familiar face. She’s been a crime reporter for FOX News, covering the trials of Scott Peterson, Michael Jackson, BTK Killer, Jerry Sandusky and Casey Anthony. Space is limited and participants are selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for this valuable training opens on August 23 by calling 386295-2043. Common Sense Reminders There has been a recent spike in car breaks, and they usually involve unlocked vehicles. The best defense against this type of crime is basic prevention – it’s easy, lock your vehicle! Thieves are opportunistic and a vehicle left unlocked or with an open window is an invitation for a quick heist. It takes less than 30 seconds to break into a car, grab valuables in plain sight, check the usual hiding spots for other items and get away. Even less time if the car is unlocked. The Daytona Beach Police Department wants to remind all car owners to close all windows and sunroofs, lock their car doors every time, even if it’s only for a few minutes, and remove valuables from the vehicle. These simple steps can go a long way in thwarting a thief. To help remind citizens, the department printed yard signs with the message “LOCK your car, TAKE your keys and REMOVE your valuables.” Many residents have placed these signs in their yards to help remind neighbors to protect their property. If you would like a sign, please call (386) 671-5262 or attend a public crime meeting at police headquarters, 129 Valor Blvd. Upcoming meeting dates and times are posted on DBPD.us. . ϭϬ RST COMPUTER SERVICES, INC. The Reliable Service Technicians Ron, Rebecca or Ken - same since 1999 386-677-9888 Phone ~ www.rst-computers.com Bellaire Community Residents receive 10% off all labor with a copy of this ad. P C ST R VIRUS, MALWARE, SPYWARE REMOVAL COMPUTER CLEANUP CUSTOM BUILT COMPUTERS MOBILE TABLET SCREEN REPAIR We specialize in Ipad repairs Since 1993 WIRED & WIRELESS NETWORKING ECONOMICAL SIMPLE WEB DESIGN REPAIRS & UPGRADES R RITCHEY ITCHEY automotive group 9932 32 NN.. NNova ova Rd.• Rd.• 386-236-5000 386-236-5000 RRitcheyCadillac.com itcheyCadillac.com 6650 50 NN.. NNova ova RRd.• d.• 386-255-2252 386-255-2252 • SSubaruOfDaytona.com ubaruOfDa ytona.com 6614 14 NN.. NNova ova Rd. Rd. and and 998 998 NN.. NNova ova Rd. 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Contact us for a 10 minute onsite price consultation on your property. Call 386-257-6700 !#" !$" "" Thanks for the Journey! " " " " Auburn, Cornell, & Bucknell: Larry & Clara Keller BelAire and Driftwood: Pete Prutsman Boylston: Nan Weidemer & Frank Stein Brookline: Lucie Teeters & Bill Kooy Cobblestone Village: John McGuinness Columbus: Frank & Terre Tumminello Daytona Beach Harbour: Alfonso Garritano Flagstone: Bryan Poaches, Jr. Golf: Joe Magiera Grandview: Mary Anne Keane Hartford & Euclid: Mike & JoAnn MacMillan N Halifax, Jacaranda, Chipeway, and all other streets: Nancy Koenig and Nikolai Hargreaves " Morningside: Ted & Cindy Beers Nautilus: Charlotte Odegaard N. Peninsula: Lawrie Davidson Stanford: Kathy & Bill Lazarus Pelican and N Oleander: Diane and Philip Hartley Plaza Blvd: Jeff Fillegar Seabreeze High School Area: Paul Zimmerman Seaview: Paul & Trudie Skinner University Area: George & Clarke Smith Williams: Megan O’Neill & Pete Prutsman Woodland: Don Hietala Waverly: Margaret Fathi Zelda, Manhattan, Flushing: Elly & Rachael Petersen Special thanks to our other volunteers: Frank Stein, Mike Campanale, Nancy Winebrenner, Reba Peters, and Clarke Smith. A particular thanks to Hannah King for her clerical expertise!