August 2020

Our Elected Officials……….3 Mayor Derrick: Faith and frustration

A Native Remembers: Voting season……………. ...5 Save Our Neighborhoods: SON Update ……………….6 Fundraiser Info………….….7 From the Chief of Police…..8 Living in Lockdown (a local reflects)……………..……….9

Our annual fundraising campaign has concluded, and we surpassed our goal of $6,000 by raising $6,635. We are overflowing with gratitude for the generosity of all our contributors. Without being able to meet in person, we have kept the BCG alive and well through our monthly newsletter. You can thank the advertisers by supporting them every chance you get.

Also, a huge thank you to all the volunteers that help hand-deliver the BCG newsletters throughout our beachside area. We couldn’t do it without you! We still need help with Boylston (West End), and additional volunteers could help when we have Street Captains unable to deliver on any particular month.

We do miss Captain Scott Lee

starting our meeting with a current crime and safety report. This picture was from last summer.

One of my favorite speakers last year was Frank VanPelt with the City of Daytona Beach. He noted every question from our members and followed-up with responses to every

inquiry or concern. You may not be able to tell from this picture, but I found Frank to be extremely entertaining and had a great attitude. He has retired from the city, and last I heard he was looking forward to some cane pole fishing.

I hope they are biting for you, Frank.

Because we cannot guarantee your safety and because we

love our residents and friends, Bellaire Community Group meetings are suspended for the foreseeable future. We’ll

continue to keep you informed of events that affect us.

Stay healthy! Follow the

recommendations of public health professionals and the Centers for Disease Control,

and know that when this passes, as it will, BCG will be

so very glad to see you.

Bella

ire Community Group

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We have always concluded our meetings with a 50-50 winner, and Donna Coles was verifying the winning ticket for our lucky winner. Getting back to our meetings will be a wonderful thing.

Let us celebrate our winning fundraiser by remembering that every loyal member is a winner for caring enough to volunteer and helping us all through these trying times.

Thanks for the journey,

Steve Koenig

Bellaire Community Group

2000 N. Halifax

Daytona Beach, FL 32118

2020 Officers Chair

Steve Koenig Office: 386.257.6700 Cell: 386.795.0023

steve@koenigrealty.com

Vice Chair Paul Zimmerman, Founder

386.316.6259 ptzimm@bellsouth.net

Treasurer and

Marketing Manager Nancy Koenig 386.679.3363

nancy@koenigrealty.com

Contributors Paul Zimmerman Weegie Kuendig

Craig Capri Derrick Henry Steve Koenig

Vol 14, Issue 8: August 2020

Printed in Daytona Beach at

735 N. Ridgewood Ave. • Daytona Beach(386) 252-6571

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Our Elected Officials

Derrick Henry, Mayor of

Daytona Beach As Mayor of the city of Daytona Beach, I have spent the last four months

calling thousands of senior citizens for wellness checks. These calls and conversations have augmented my faith in our community. Despite the grappling challenges associated with the coronavirus and the unrest that has engulfed our nation, our senior citizens’ attitudes and confidence that our country’s best days are ahead of us have left me with great optimism. I have had the pleasure of talking with men who fought in Vietnam and World War II and listening to women who have led extraordinary lives, shattering glass ceilings, and refusing to accept the status quo. These conversations reminded me of my time as a history teacher at Mainland High School. A student once asked me, “How would you describe America?” Then and now I say that this is a resilient nation built for challenges which are bestowed upon each generation. A great deal goes into preparing each generation, but we have not failed to equip this generation. Their preparation has mostly come from great examples of neighborliness and helping one another during the many calamities that have confronted us in recent years.

In the Daytona Beach community, we have a prominent sense of compassion and concern for others. This prevailing sense of thoughtfulness was present during my childhood when I came of age here, and it remains alive and well today and has helped shape my leadership during these stressful times.

The COVID challenge is real, and its impact on our physical and psychological health is unmistakable. I sincerely feel that it left us in need of collective therapy. Never in our nation’s history have we been compelled to shut down our economy and intentionally go into collective hibernation. While this has left many among us feeling frustrated and frightened for our national prosperity, I am not jaded or discouraged, and I would encourage you to be confident in our future and proud of our young people’s engagement in the process. While no generation of youth has gotten everything right, this one is no different in that regard. Their involvement should leave us with a sense of assurance that they are fully engaged and are being prepared for their appointed time of leadership. Finally, we should all be appreciative of the beautiful amalgamation of those who are committed to fulfillment of our nation’s most noble ideals. My faith in Daytona Beach is greater, and my confidence in America is emboldened as we continue our national trek towards a more exceptional and UNITED nation.

We can never pass the torch to the succeeding generation if it is not engaged. Our young people want the torch, and as we prepare to pass it on, let’s take the time to talk to them, hug them and assure them that our best days are ahead. Blessings to our great city and blessings to the land of the free and home of the brave.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood

(We regret that the Sheriff’s column doesn’t appear this month. Wear your masks, folks.)

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Message from Paul Zimmerman, President of the Sons of the Beach: I know Jeff Brower. He is oneof us, not a career politician. We can trust him. Jeff will protect our environment from uncontrolled development that is too often financed by our tax dollars. Jeff will protect our beach and not sell it off tothe next phony development scheme. I am voting for Jeff Brower. I hope you do too. --Paul

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A Native Remembers By Paul Zimmerman

It is the political season, and one of the effects of this COVID 19 virus is that the Bellaire Community Group is not able to hold our political forums.

This year will be the first year in the last 15

years that we haven't been able to provide our members with the opportunity to meet and listen to those who are running for political office. The Bellaire Community Group forums were always one of the best attended forums in the Daytona Beach area. The forums included candidates for city, county, district, and state offices. I cannot remember a BCG forum invitation that wasn't accepted. Candidates wanted to come to an area with one of the highest voter turn outs in Daytona Beach. There were times when we had well over a hundred people attending the forums. Folks were standing along the walls because we ran out of tables and chairs to accommodate them. BCG was formed in 2005 after I ran for City Commission, Zone 2, and lost. It was originally formed to affect the politics of Daytona Beach. The intention was to increase the volume of the citizens’ voices of our area compared to those of the special interests that seemed to have a megaphone. Of course, as the group grew friendships, and camaraderie became as important as politics. Our BCG monthly meetings have provided a town square of sorts, where we could express our mutual concerns and interests to those who make the rules.

As a group, we have gotten the attention of those we elect to represent us. The BCG board of directors decided early on that the Bellaire Community Group would not endorse any political candidates for office. We believed that providing our members with political forums and our monthly newsletter would give the members the opportunity to hear directly from those running or holding office. Letting individual members decide who was the best candidate would be the best way to assure the longevity of BCG and respect the different philosophies and opinions of our BCG members. Unfortunately, the virus has curtailed our

monthly meetings and our forums will have to wait until the virus passes. So, the weirdness of 2020 continues, and the results are a weird political season. I wouldn't want to be a candidate running for office this year, or any year actually. COVID 19 has affected not only political forums but also fund-raising events--that is, unless you are one of the candidates financed by the billionaires of the area. Without the money from fundraisers, candidates have a difficult time financing the mailers, signs, handouts, and other supplies needed to run a campaign. So, how do you get your message out? Without funds and forums, candidates are forced to rely on volunteers and shoe leather, walking the streets and going door to door, and even that is affected by COVID...as one of those volunteers, I have found out not everyone is willing to open their door. Social media-- something that was just getting started when I ran in 2005--is certainly playing a bigger and bigger part every year. Candidates are forced to rely on Facebook and Twitter to get much of their message out. Hopefully, we will all get past this virus episode and get back to normal before long, and this will be the only time that BCG has to skip our political forums. I miss our monthly meetings and seeing many of you all on a regular basis....not to mention missing those delicious meals Nancy and crew put together for us. In the meantime, I hope all of you will gather as much information as you can about those folks we are going to elect to make critical decisions that affect our quality of life not only today, but in the future for our kids and grandkids. Please vote. Every vote matters.

'til next time, Paul

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Save Our Neighborhoods

Dear Bellaire Friends and Neighbors:

Last week I was attempting to drive south on A1A and got stopped by road construction in

front of the Protogroup Project. I am still confused by what its purpose is, but I am certain it will become clear in another few weeks. What disturbed me was that the trees and landscaping were ripped out of the ground in the median and concrete and more roadway was replacing it. Aesthetically, it is an abomination in my opinion to pour more concrete along A1A - whether it's for roads or buildings with no setbacks with no useful landscaping required. It now looks like a concrete jungle, worthy of NYC, from Seabreeze to Main Street. It doesn't remotely resemble what a pleasing beach town should look like to me. And what happened to our Oceanfront Standards and our vow to never to replicate what Ocean Walk looked like?

Aesthetics aside, I am more concerned about the environmental impacts of paving over our beachside (and our wetlands). Pat Rice pointed out several of these detrimental impacts in a recent editorial, including build-up of fecal bacteria and other contaminants washing into our oceans and estuaries more easily. Flooding is also accelerated without trees and green spaces. Then someone sent me a recent law passed by our legislature regarding the removal of trees on all private property: namely FSS 163.045. It allows the removal of any tree, anywhere on private property with no need for a permit and no means to redress the situation. All that is required is a certified arborist to say that it's a nuisance or diseased. I see problems in that law. There is no accountability for arborists or homeowners. They don't have to report to a state agency and no data base is kept.

We have no way of knowing how much tree canopy (which helps with environmental protection such as diffusing effects of direct sunlight, protecting precious species of animals and birds, flooding, purifying our water, the force of hurricanes, etc.) will be lost forever without mitigation requirements. Government entities don't need permits or documentation either to decimate the canopy on many of our park lands. This is yet another sad aspect of our Florida State, Counties and Cities ignoring our environment for the sake of unhinged development. Can anyone in our government at least learn to ask appropriate questions and demand real responses and accountability? Do any of them have the desire to just say "no" for the sake of our future? So far the sad answer remains no.

I wake up every day hoping for good news on the horizon about normal, but more often than not I feel like I am living in the movie, "Groundhog Day". Even though my family has been lucky and I am overall grateful, I am growing weary. Hope you and your loved ones are well. As always, thanks for the opportunity. Weegie Kuendig dkuendig@aol.com 386-451-6470.

7 loved it up there. The house sat on a hill with a circular driveway that went all the way around the house. The driveway was lined with multicolored hydrangeas. On one side of the house, there were two big maples, and we would sit in Adirondack chairs under the shade of those two trees and enjoy the cool mountain breeze. The house is still standing, and when I am up there, I always go by and pause for a few minutes to remember what it was like back then. Thank God for memories. Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all the mothers in the neighborhood.

‘til next time,

Paul

Save Our Neighborhoods

Dear Bellaire Friends and Neighbors:

While many of our residents are observing some form of quarantining, I can report that our

city and county governments are still quietly conducting a lot of business. I seem to have to dig harder for information on most issues. Lots of questions just go unaddressed. Plans for the Countywide Space Industry Overlay and Avalon Park in our city come to mind. They have some things in common: namely the destruction of our wetlands from Oak Hill to Ormond through Daytona Beach, the overburdening and degradation of our water supply, the infrastructure requirements both will require, and the ruination of many elements of our quality of life.

A few initial thoughts on the Avalon Park Development : The developers are seeking a Planned Development Agreement - where they can ask for ,and are usually granted, all kinds of exemptions from our LDC and Comp Plan . These exemptions to our now almost useless rules of how we are to grow figuratively and aesthetically get passed easily by our resident Planning Board and our Commission. They have submitted hundreds of pages of documents to our Planning Department already. They paid the required

fees to do so while our citizens were trying to figure out how to stay safe. Cobb Cole is once again leading this development charge. If you know how to use etrackit to follow this process, please do so. It will require many of us to go through it. All the documents are online on the city website. Some are already in the review process and moving along rapidly. It is called DEV 2020- 020. Avalon Park.

This all should make our heads spin, but we residents, already here, need to keep up or we will be run over - almost literally. I don't think we should be required to have legal degrees to make heads or tails over the Land Development Code or the Comp Plan but it is going to take that, I fear. And the city knows it, the developer knows it, and their attorneys know it. I am asking for all hands on deck on this one. 10,000 new homes and apartments, retail, commercial space, etc . right beside their competition of Margaritaville and Mosaic - not to mention all the already established communities of LPGA and others.

Just one more subject I will mention at this point: have you realized how the Ormond Beach City Commission is making a big, public statement to the VC School Board to keep Osceola Elementary in their city? Can't blame them. They get what it will mean. That would mean taking Ortona away from Daytona Beach. I hope our City Commissioners will be as impassioned as our neighboring Commission. Ortona is vital to the well being of our community -- especially if we want to attract families here and keep our economy going. Please email our Commission and the School Board and tell them we need Ortona.

Once again, thanks for the opportunity to express my views. And stay safe.

Weegie Kuendig 386-254-5141

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ANNUAL FUND RAI$ER UPDATE Thank you! We raised a whopping $6,635.

We know what the donation means: you support our efforts and our goals. Thanks for helping us meet the challenge!

Residents ($1 and up) Anonymous ( 2 ) Robert D’Ambrose Bob and Dot Ducharme Jeanne Edison

Joe Farrell William & Ally Leigh-Manuell David and Kathryn Owens

Patty Perry & Lisa Barr R. Lawrence Vandenberg

Neighbors ($25 and up) Anonymous ( 4 ) Will Arsenault Chuck and Tammy Brogdon Pat and Larry Carrico Jim & Laurie Clark Greg Coleman The Harfords Rick Holmes Mary Johnson

David & Linda June Jacqulyn Kessler John R. Lane George Leigh-Manuell Barbara Miller Bill & Jackie Murphy Bo Nickell Robert Patrick Larry Paul

Russell Rhodes Bill Scheeler Steve & Kim Schlossberg Frank Stein Pat Thomason Jack & Linda Tracy Lou Ann Ward Mary & Chuck Welch Netta Weiner

Friends ($50 and up) Anonymous ( 4 ) Ray & Kate Abels Penny Bowdren Betty and Loren Cordes John and Debbie Druzbick Christine Franczek Joe Giardina

Joe Giardina, Jr. Judy “Mac” Heller Bruce Hufnagel Larry and Clara Keller Richard and Joyce Larocque Sandra F. Morris Bill & Sherry Phillips

Jed Pramapun and Roger Wade Bob & Judy Sterling Irma Sue Stofsky John E. Wagner Larry and Jane Weiner

Patrons ($100 and up) Anonymous ( 1 ) Renee and Julia Alford Sarah Allison Rose Marie Candler Terri and Terry Gordon

Bohdi & Nancy Lewandowskiyj Zofia Rek Tom & Betsy Russell Denny Lee Snyder & Chuck Ellenwood

Bill Stose, MD Frank & Terre Tumminello Tracy Woodward Kent and Jane Vogt

Sponsors ($200 and up) Anonymous ( 2 ) Chris & Julie Brown Deb and Steve Fritze Lawrie Davidson & Shirley Newbill

Danny Haughn & Megan O’Neill Don Kane In Memory of Elizabeth “Betty” Kane Don and Hannah King Steve and Nancy Koenig

John McGuinness & Sean Doyle Rice Law Firm Stephen & Marlene Seibert Paul and Trudie Skinner Paul Zimmerman

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From the Desk of the Police Chief

From Chief Craig Capri

Following a rigorous assessment process which was put on hold for months, the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) has now been re-accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) for the next three years. DBPD’s

re-accreditation until the year 2023 came with no conditions after the process was formally completed on July 29, 2020.

It’s an impressive accomplishment, especially when the coronavirus forced the assessors to work remotely instead of visiting the police department as normal.

CFA found no issues or problems with our agency. The assessors stated that everything was error free and in full compliance. Also, they praised the employees who they interviewed, stating that they all were very knowledgeable and professional.

The re-accreditation process was supposed to wrap up in mid-April but was pushed back to late July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to be re-accredited, DBPD had to comply with approximately 260 standards, many of which are critical to life, health and safety issues.

The voluntary re-accreditation process is confirmation that DBPD’s policies and practices are consistent with progressive professional standards.

This year’s assessment team was led by Assistant Chief Matthew Fletcher from the Naples (Florida) Police Department and featured members of other law enforcement agencies within the Sunshine State. They examined all aspects of DBPD’s policies, procedures, administration, operations and support services.

During the assessment process, the assessors:

- Reviewed volumes of files - Received virtual video tours of the headquarters

facility on Valor Boulevard, including the armory and the property & evidence storage area

- Virtually inspected a police motorcycle and marked patrol vehicle

- Used real-time meetings with video to interview employees face-to-face

- Reviewed training records and instructors’ qualifications

DBPD was initially accredited by CFA in 1999 and

has received re-accreditation every third year since. I want to thank our entire police family for

making this process a huge success. Getting re-accredited with no conditions is not an easy task. I’m very proud and confident we’ll do just as well again in the next cycle.

Sincerely,

Chief Craig Capri

P.S.: Our next “Ask The Chief” show is at 3 p.m. on August 19 (Wednesday). Tune in to WNDB (93.5 FM / 1150 AM / NewsDaytonaBeach.com / WNDB app). Feel free to call Marc Bernier and myself during the show with any questions or concerns at (386) 239-0033.

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Living in Lockdown Well, y’all, five months now. This virus is still

wreaking havoc in Florida. I thought we’d be back to normal by now, like

many other countries (did you see how New Zealand handled it? Go Kiwis!), but we’re actually going to open the public schools in spite of all the data that says we can’t do it safely. Some of the private schools are opening too, including the one where I teach: Stetson University in Deland. Maybe you saw the news coverage--we made it into the News Journal. Claire Metz of WESH actually came to campus to report on the opening!

Nine hundred shiny new faces drove onto campus last weekend, did “drive thru” check-in, and moved into their single rooms. (Half a dozen who tested positive at check-in turned around and went right back home.) Competition football has been cancelled, but classes still begin Thursday. It will seem like…normal? Maybe? It has some of the signs of normal. Nothing is really closed, but the Library is only allowing 25 students at a time. I can tell you the faculty are overwhelmingly concerned about how this is going to play out, but the students seem ready to party! (Just like normal.)

But—but--it’s like the pandemic has just been…. forgotten. Am I the only one who feels like everyone but me has resumed normal life? When we all went to lockdown in March, the roads and stores were completely empty. Now, the traffic is almost back to what it was and I see restaurants with full parking lots. And now hurricane season is fully upon us. That will be fun on top of the virus, don’t you think? Soon we’ll add flu season to the mix. Hit “blend” and see what happens, right? Hey, life is an adventure! Take a risk! Jump out of that airplane! Take that flight to the Bahamas! You want to go on a 10-day cruise? Sure, let’s do it! (Actually, no. I don’t think I’ll ever take a cruise again.)

My life as an academic has always been pretty much ruled by the campus calendar, so I’ve spent the last month prepping my classes, dealing with the technology to offer them online, and virtually attending all the usual pre-term faculty meetings and organizational planning sessions. New colleagues still need mentoring. Students still have their usual pre-class

jitters. Academic initiatives like curriulum and pedagogy still need to go forward. I’m spending a lot of time on my email. It sure seems like something close to normal.

But I haven’t been doing anything remotely normal for five months. Call me paranoid, but I’m really afraid of contracting this thing. I also have folks near me who are in very high risk categories and I would never, ever forgive myself if I were responsible for exposing them. I haven’t been inside a restaurant and I didn’t have a party to celebrate the new paint job on my house. Now that I think of it, I haven’t been in a group bigger than four for over 150 days. Call me extreme, but the risk is just too high. How are people acting like everything is just fine? I want whatever tranquilizers they’re taking.

The thing is, my “normal life” is rushing at me with the start of classes. My students need me to be as normal as I can be, because goodness knows, their lives were turned upside down last March and they need normal to feel safe, to learn well, to have their lives back. They need me to be there for them. And here I am, feeling deeply uncomfortable about even going out for a meal.

Well, my friends, that changes today. I have to do something to make a connection to whatever “normal life” means these days. And frankly, I’m starting to feel the effects of this extreme isolation practice. I need to see other human beings smiling. This afternoon, I’m going to the Beach Bucket! Outdoors, distanced, sea breezes, cheap wine, some appetizers…and almost zero risk of breathing someone’s exhalation. I’m bringing my mask, of course, and I’ll be ready to turn tail if the place is jammed. But I’m going to take this risk.

Want to join me? Stay six feet away, of course, but let’s shout hello to each other over the sound of the waves, tip the (masked) servers generously, and listen to whatever music is playing. Let’s throw some french fries to the seagulls. We might even see a dolphin!

That would be…normal. See you there.

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Thanks for the Journey!

A1A Condos: Steve and Nancy Koenig Auburn, Cornell, & Bucknell: Larry & Clara Keller Bel Aire & Driftwood: Jamie Love & David Hermann Boylston: Frank Stein Brookline: Donna Hiatt Chaffee Place: Sherry & Bill Phillips Cobblestone Village: John McGuinness Columbus: Tammy Schreck Euclid: Janice & Mike Felisko Flagstone: Lisa Barr Golf: Lisa Gall N. Grandview: Winter Potter-ONeal Hartford: Chris Brown Jacaranda and Chipeway: George Burden Manhattan: Sheryl Cola Morningside: Ted & Cindy Beers N. Oleander: Dan Stockman Nautilus and Flushing: Carrie Sutton

N. Peninsula (North end): Judy Schroder N. Peninsula (South end): Lawrie Davidson Pelican: Betty and Loren Cordes Plaza: Stacy Prestwood Seabreeze High School Area: Paul Zimmerman Seaview: Katelyn Thomas Stanford: Netta Weiner Williams: Megan O’Neill Waverly: Margaret Fathi and Jules Lemos Woodland: Don Hietala and Kim Medina Zelda: Elly & Rachael Petersen Boylston (west end), N Halifax: Nancy Koenig & Nikolai Hargreaves

Special thanks to our other volunteers: Frank Stein,

and Reba Peters. A special thanks to Hannah King for her clerical expertise!

Thanks for the Journey!

A St

C

J

Z

S a

The following streets do not have someone assigned to deliver newslettersto: Boylston (West End),We also need people who can fill-in when our regular volunteers are not available. You can deliver to a street other than the street on which you live.If you could help deliver newsletters once a month please contact Nancy at386-257-6700 or Nancy@KoenigRealty.comThe time investment is less than 1 hour monthly. Please volunteer to helpour community group. Many hands make light work!

Thank You!

BCG Volunteers Needed to deliver newsletters...