St Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Brandon Patty reported to Historic City News that tomorrow, Monday, May 11th, St Johns County residents will resume the option to obtain a marriage license and passport services from his office by appointment only. The resumption of marriage license issuance and passport application processing are the first steps in a phased reopening of the clerk’s office.
Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, Jeb Smith, wrote to Historic City News on Friday to bring our readers and subscribers up to date as St Johns County wraps up Week-1 of their long-awaited reopening strategy. According to Smith, we are experiencing additional openings and program offerings while we continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 in our community, respecting social distancing guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control.
In an official communication from the City of St Augustine to Historic City News this weekend, our subscribers are hereby notified, effective immediately, and for a period of thirty days, licensed restaurants may reduce their parking area to create temporary outdoor dining, and licensed restaurants with insufficient or no parking area may enter into agreements with other property owners to create temporary outdoor dining areas in the proximity of their restaurants.
Diane Bradley, President STAAA Board of Directors
St. Augustine Art Association
22 Marine Street
Dear Historic City News subscribers,
In April, when the St. Augustine Art Association was forced to cancel our 4th Annual, City-wide, St. Augustine Plein Air Paint Out, we had to come up with a new idea, because after all, artists need challenging opportunities to keep creating.
On Wednesday, the National Park Service informed local Historic City News reporters that the summer camps at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments have been canceled. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and outbreak of respiratory disease caused by COVID-19, park visitor facilities, programming, and visitor services have been suspended since Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
Historic City News was notified by the Florida Department of Transportation Public Information Officer, Allen Nelson, that traffic will be impacted at the following St Augustine and St Johns County locations where roadwork is being conducted.
As health restrictions begin to ease in Florida, Bishop Felipe Estévez of the Diocese of St. Augustine announced to Historic City News earlier today that he has approved safety guidelines to provide direction and recommendations for clergy as the diocese moves toward resuming public Mass and the sacraments in its parishes on the weekend of May 16-17. Weekday Masses can resume May 18.
When the City of St Augustine Beach convened its regular Commission Meeting, Monday, May 4, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, there was a sense of change in the air according to a Historic City News live correspondent.
