John Valdes
St Augustine, FL
Dear Editor:
The most frustrating meeting of my eight years on the City of St. Augustine Planning and Zoning Board was the day the developer’s attorneys brought a request for permission to remove two trees from the vacant lot at the intersection of San Marco Avenue and May Street — now the infamous “7-Eleven Project”.
New Fence for the Tolomato Cemetery
By: Raphael Cosme
Special to Historic City News
Historic City News readers are invited to tour one of St Augustine’s unique historical sites, the Tolomato Cemetery on Cordova Street downtown, and to participate in the kick-off of their fundraiser, “Hate the Fence”.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, Evanston, Illinois, announced to local Historic City News reporters that five local high school students in St Augustine and St Johns County schools have been selected to be included with approximately 16,000 other semifinalists in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
“Sea Your History Weekend” at the St Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
Local Ties to American Revolutionary War, British Loyalists Highlighted During Sea Your History Weekend at Lighthouse Museum
Professor Richard James Bell from the University of Maryland will headline Sea Your History Weekend, September 20th and 21st at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum.
Although St. Augustine is most commonly known for its Spanish roots, the almost 450 year-old city has a storied British heritage as well. At the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum this weekend, Sept. 20th and 21st, the city’s British history will be highlighted through guided tours, demonstrations, shipwreck artifacts and a keynote speech from the University of Maryland’s Dr. Richard Bell.
Graffiti is one of the most senseless forms of vandalism possible since it does nothing to endear anyone to a cause and it is universally removed without much fanfare. Historic City News reporters found two recent incidents that appear to be linked to an anti-religious message; one across the Plaza from the Cathedral and the other on the Prince of Peace sign at the Mission Nombre de Dios.
by Cory ‘Duke’ Mara
St Augustine, FL
With a new reported case of West Nile Virus earlier this week in Volusia County now is the time to be prepared.
A Louisiana man convicted of First Degree Murder and Kidnapping to Facilitate a Felony was sentenced to death Tuesday, September 16, 2014. Kentrell Feronti Johnson, 43, had previously been convicted of those charges at the end of June of this year. Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano, who presided over the trial and penalty phase of Johnson’s case, followed the jury’s unanimous recommendation of death.
