Editorial: Missed opportunities

Michael Gold, Editor HISTORIC CITY NEWS There was an opportunity missed tonight that I, for one, regret. During the “commissioner comments” portion of tonight’s city commission meeting, Commissioner Roxanne Horvath brought up her concerns over the recent actions against the Silent Sam statue on the grounds of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. … Read more

Wendler legal fees top half-million dollar mark

The City Attorney of St Augustine submitted another legal bill for payment of legal fees to Jacksonville firm Marks Gray in defense of a lawsuit brought by Scott and Donna Wendler after they were denied demolition permits for aging homes along King Street, west of Riberia Street. In addition to Isabelle Lopez who is the … Read more

Ordinance will govern removal from city boards

The City of St Augustine has approved, on a 4-to-1 vote with Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline dissenting, Ordinance 2018-11; a new ordinance that frames the way members of volunteer boards, commissions, and committees, can be removed from those bodies. The most recent need for such an ordinance was the federal indictment of St Augustine Planning and … Read more

St Johns activities this week

Monday – Friday, August 27- 31 In the Mood Harry McCormick Art Exhibition World-renowned artist Harry McCormick will display his artwork through September 20 at the St. Johns County Administration Building’s Rotunda. McCormick is noted for his realistic paintings with a focus on light and shadow, and he has been called a painter of “interiors” … Read more

Election down to the wire

Vote-by-mail ballots continue to be accepted at the Supervisor of Elections Office, but at 6:00 p.m. today, early voting ended for the August 28, 2018 Primary Election.  Supervisor Vicky Oakes reported to Historic City News that just over 13,000 of St Johns County’s 183,699 eligible voters took advantage of the opportunity to vote at any … Read more

Diffusing the Powder Keg:  St. Augustine and Chapel Hill

David R. McCallister, ChairmanHeritage Defense CommitteeSons of Confederate Veterans, Florida Division Dear Historic City News Editor, In light of the recent events in Chapel Hill, it is time for the commissioners of the City of St Augustine Commission to reconsider the plan they adopted to label the Plaza de la Constitucion memorial a symbol of … Read more

Screening of Gullah-Geechee film Monday

Members of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, Inc., are invited to attend a free members-only event Monday evening featuring a premier screening of “Gullah-Geechee Corridor and East Coast Greenway”. The documentary features the rich culture of African Americans in St Johns County, while highlighting three cycling trails known as Rails to Trails, the … Read more

Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas Research Reserve

Volunteer Coordinator Shannon Rininger is inviting Historic City News readers interested in learning more about opportunities at the Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas Research Reserve to contact her for more information by calling 904-823-4500. A new volunteer orientation is planned for September 7, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center located at … Read more