St. Augustine events this weekend are many and varied including my annual Customer Appreciation Cruise aboard the Schooner Freedom.

St. Augustine's Winter Wonderland is in full force. Yes, we have snow in St. Augustine, FL. This annual event is held at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and includes an ice skating rink and ice slide. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride at night through an enchanted forest. Kids will enjoy the "Elf Express" train and can take a trip to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus. Hours are noon to 10 p.m. daily through January 3, 2010 with special hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve. Admission is free, but there are tickets for ice skating and the rides. For more information call 904-471-1965.

The Cirque du Cabaret at the Limelight Theatre is November 20-21 and features more than 60 of St. Johns County's promient personalities. Tickets are $85/person.

Holiday Shoppes at Ponte Vedra Beach features 17 unique vendors and is located at 50 Executive Way in Ponte Vedra.

Our big event this weekend in my opinion is the St. Augustine Nights of Lights. The switch will be flipped at 6:30 p.m. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. Click on the link above for more info. Our downtown gets lit up with thousands of tiny white lights. That is why I am having my Customer Appreciation Cruise that night.

More details on the Nights of Lights and all the other great events this weekend can be found here.

Almost too many important meetings this week concerning Vilano Beach and A1A. I will be busy. I hope you join in.

DREDGING

Tomorrow, November 17th at 3 p.m. at 2200 A1A in St. Augustine Beach City Hall is the St. Augustine Port, Waterway & Beach District Meeting that will be discussing dredging the St. Augustine Inlet and Intracoastal Waterway that I blogged about last week.

Here is the meeting agenda. Please come hear the Army Corps of Engineers' plans to dredge around Porpoise Point and the placement of the sand on St. Augustine Beach.

GROCERY STORE IN VILANO?

Then on Wednesday, November 18th from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. is the regularly scheduled Vilano Beach Main Street meeting held at the Hampton Inn in Vilano Beach. On the agenda are three items:

1. Grocery Store

2. Bluebird Restoration Project

3. The Sunday Market at Vilano Beach

There are new developers with new plans for a grocery store in Vilano. The prospective buyers/developers from south Florida plan to attend this meeting.  They are doing due diligence and will be asking questions.  The public can ask questions, too.   

FRIENDS OF A1A CRUISE - all welcome to attend

On Thursday, November 19th from 5-7 p.m. will be the Friends of A1A Cruise aboard the Sundancer Yacht that will include a Chinese Auction.

Boarding Ticket is $12.00 Make Payment to the Friends of A1A. Please contact susiek@scenicA1A.org for reservations.  

The Chinese Auction will require cash or check,  all other purchases are credit/debit card ONLY (this would be the cocktails or snack plates). 

  The Friends of A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway

Social Hours will be

Aboard the Sundancer Yacht

Boarding time is Between 4:30 and 5:00 on Thursday

November 19th

The Cruise will be from 5:00-7:00

Park as directed by the Guard Station at Yacht Harbor Condos

A Shuttle will take you from the parking area to the dock (participants will have to walk about 75 yards to the boat)

Attire can be casual or semi formal

Driving Directions:

Yacht Harbor is a gated Community

Located on A1A at the Corner of

A1A and Palm Coast Parkway

From Palm Coast: Take Palm Coast Parkway East

Cross the Bridge

Turn Left at the Stop sign and drive towards A1A

Stop Sign at A1A , GO Straight Across

The Guard Gate will be right there in front of you

(easy to misunderstand for Palm Cast Residents as we all see the sign at an unreadable angle)

Chinese Auction Prizes,  2 Tickets to the Moonlight Toast atop the St Augustine Light House($50.00 value)

2 Trolley VIP Passes and $50.00 at Cafe Atlantico ($100.00 Value)

2 Sunday Brunch Tickets for the Sundancer ($70.00 Value)

Flagler Beach Gift Package(70.00 Value)

(Beach House Beanery Coffee $10.00

Silver Bells Gifts $10.00

Bahama Mama's $10.00

GOLA $15.00 towards an art class (classes $15-$50)

Finns Beach side Pub $25.00)

72-Mile Garage Sale On Scenic A1A - November 14, 2009 in St. Johns & Flagler Counties

What a great idea: a garage sale along the entire National Scenic Byway that runs through our nation's oldest city---St. Augustine, FL. Friends of A1A is pleased to announce the first annual Super Scenic A1A Highway Garage Sale for this Saturday, November 14th.

The idea started with the South Ponte Vedra Civic Association, another group of which I am a member and quickly grew to include all of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway (A1A). A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway in a National Scenic Byway of 72-miles spanning both St. Johns and Flagler counties in northeast Florida.

Quickly, North Shores Improvement Association (NSIA)in Vilano Beach jumped on the bandwagon. As vice-president of NSIA, the parent organization to Vilano Beach Main Street, it was easy to convince the board of directors of the benefit of this garage sale to our community. In fact, NSIA has mentioned this idea to me in the past.

The Flagler county section of A1A got just as excited about this event as did St. Augustine Beach. St. Augustine Beach is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and this is a great clean-up idea for them, too.

So if you live along A1A, please participate. There are not set times. If you don't live along A1A, don't fret---you can participate, too. Friends of A1A has arranged for space at two locations:

-St. Johns County: South Ponte Vedra Civic Association Building - 2724 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

- Flagler County: 1616 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach, FL

Those interested in securing space at either of the above locations or hosting a garage sale should contact the Friends of A1A in advance at 904-823-1395 or 904-501-5545. Additionally, the Ocean Grande condos in South Ponte Vedra across from Serenata Beach Club will be participating in the event and Tide's Edge in South Ponte Vedra Beach will have at least 5 families participating. The Dance Company in St. Augustine Beach is involved, too. They have called their sale a "court" event as it will be held in the courtyard near the Splash Park. How's that for making a splash?

Friends of A1A will also be doing a Beach Cleanup on St. Augustine Beach on November 14th and will have a table set up near The Dance Company. You can purchase new clothes that were donated to the Friends of A1A as well as A1A gear.

So if you are thinking about a great drive for this weekend, may I suggest a scenic one along a national scenic byway? You can enjoy great views and pickup a bargain at the same time.

The North Atlantic Right Whale-‘tis the season for birth in Northeast Florida off the coast of St. Augustine, FL.

On 11/10/09 at the Scenic & Historic A1A Corridor Management Council meeting at the St. Augustine Library, Joy Hampp with the Marineland Right Whale Project gave an insightful presentation on the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.

As a Right Whale volunteer in years past and having reported spotting Right Whales in St. Augustine and Vilano Beach, I enjoyed her presentation. The Marineland Right Whale Project works along the coastline from the St. Augustine to Ponce Inlets - a distance of about 50 nautical miles. The project began in 2001 and includes about 200 volunteers.

Joy shared many interesting facts:

How big are Right Whales?

 Adults: 45-55 ft.

            30-60 tons

Calves: 15 ft at birth!

             1 ton

Population: originally there were 50,000 to 100,000.

             In 1935 less than 100 were left

             Today it is estimated that there are 350-400

The calving season to see Right Whales in the St. Augustine area:

            Mid December to end of March

North Atlantic Right Whales come to our area (northeast Florida) to calf and nurse. This is the only place in the U.S. where this occurs. Only 1/3 of the population comes to our area---predominantly adult females. Some calves and some males come as well.

Births

2004 16
2005 28
2006 19
2007 23
2008 23
2009 39

 Please stay at least 500 yards from any whale.

Why are they called Right Whales? They are called right whales because whalers found the whales to be the "right" whales to hunt. Whalers liked catching right whales because they are big, slow, and float when they are killed. Right whales were heavily whaled for many years. Commercial hunting stopped in 1935 after an incident in St. Augustine, FL. They are an endangered species.

3 main ways to identify a Right Whale:

1)      Callosities - white spots on head

2)      No dorsal fin

3)      V-shaped blow

The callosities form a unique pattern on every right whale. There are like a fingerprint and are used to help identify each whale.

A plane is flown every day over our section of ocean during the season to spot Right Whales and to notify vessels in the area of their location. Joy Hampp is one of the pilots. Joy reported that there is a new federal law requiring ships over 65' to travel at less than 10 kts/hour from November 15- April 15 in the North Atlantic Right Whale Critical Habitat & Calving Ground (the area in Georgia and northeast Florida). Here's the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog.

If you see at Right Whale, please call
1-888-979-4253 and have the following information handy:

• Location of whale(s)
• Number of whales; any calves?
• Direction whale(s) are traveling
• Dolphins present?
• Your name and a callback number.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer you can reach Joy Hampp at marinelandrightwhale@gmail.com.

Joy Hampp, Project Coordinator
Marineland Right Whale Project
GTM-NERR Science Center
9741 Ocean Shore Blvd.
Marineland, FL 32080-8613

The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is planning to dredge the St. Augustine Inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway. There will be a public meeting on November 17, 2009 starting at 3 p.m. at the St. Augustine Beach City Hall, 2100 A1A S., St. Augustine Beach, FL at the St. Augustine Port, Waterway & Beach District meeting.

Articles have been written in local publications about the dredging of the inlet to renourish St. Augustine Beach at the possible detriment to the properties north of the St. Augustine inlet in Vilano Beach, North Beach, and South Ponte Vedra Beach.

Linda Chambless, with the South Ponte Vedra - Vilano Beach Restoration Association Inc., wrote an article that appeared in the North Shores News last month with great details about the dredging and its impacts. She is an oceanfront property owner in South Ponte Vedra.

The property owners north of the inlet do not have an issue with St. Augustine Beach being renourished, but do with the source of the sand for that renourishment.

Letters have been written requesting research to be done before dredging from the St. Augustine inlet commences. E-mails have been sent to county commissioners and others. Possibly the best e-mail was sent by Bob Moore, a North Beach property owner and member of the South Ponte Vedra - Vilano Beach Restoration Association Inc. His e-mail will be included in the next issue of North Shores News.

The latest news is the plan is not just to dredge the St. Augustine inlet, but also the Intracoastal. As a property owner on the Intracoastal, I was surprised that I was not noticed on this event. I have requested detailed info from the Corps and hope to receive it shortly. The Intracoastal in Porpoise Point is extremely deep, which begs the "why dredge" question. Hopefully, I will be receiving researched answers from the Corps shortly. The Corps is not only affecting beachfront properties in Vilano, North Beach, and S. Ponte Vedra, but Porpoise Point and others along the Intracoastal in those same neighborhoods. I don't believe the Intracoastal property owners in any of the neighborhoods north of the St. Augustine inlet got noticed. Let me know if you know otherwise.

The Florida State legislature passed HB 1427 in 2008, known as the beach management bill. The summary analysis on this bill states: "The bill provides legislative intent to direct and commit the state's beach management efforts to address beach erosion caused by Florida's inlets, and declares that it is in the public interest to replicate the natural flow of sand at inlets." The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary, Michael W. Sole, spoke to the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's (ASBPA) National Coastal Conference on October 14, 2009 about HB 1427.

As president of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway ("Friends of A1A"), a national scenic byway, we are concerned about losing this highway to the ocean if dredging occurs in the St. Augustine Inlet. Commission Mica was contacted when water came within feet of washing out the road a couple of months ago and is keeping a watchful eye on anything that can endanger the evacuation route for residents.

South Ponte Vedra - Vilano Beach Restoration Association Inc. has been very involved in trying to understand the impact of dredging the St. Augustine inlet. Here is a report from an engineer and their letter to the Florida DEP (FDEP). Additionally they have requested further study to be done by the FDEP.

If interested, please attend the public meeting:

MEETING DATE: Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
LOCATION: St. Augustine Beach City Commission
Meeting Room, 2200 A1A South,
St. Augustine Beach, FL

Please send any comments or concerns to: Robert Riddell telephone 904-232-2451 or email Robert.c.riddell@usace.army.mil.

Government salaries for northeast Florida government workers are posted via our local Jacksonville newspaper, The Florida Times-Union on their website.

I found this interesting link while reading an article on-line and just below the article it has a section called: "Worth Clicking". So I clicked.

I always thought the public was entitled to know government salaries, but was still a little surprised by the information provided. I believe The Florida Times-Union created this database using available public information. I am happy to see a newspaper taking full advantage of technology, the Internet and databases to provide this service to its readers. I have been reading about The Florida Times-Union doing new things, but this is proof positive.

Does your local paper provide this service? Do you have a quick way to view the salaries in your municipalities? Do you think this information should be publicly available or is it an invasion of privacy?

I hope you skip. You will find it helps relieve stress and makes you smile. We all need more skipping in our lives for pure joy and carefree living.     

I love to dance and I do like the song, "I Hope You Dance."  I don't want to miss The Dance, but when it really comes to expressing joy, I like to skip. I thinking skipping is a lost practice in adults. Do you notice kids skipping?

Do they not appear to be free spirits without a care in the world?

How often do you see adults skipping? Not often enough in my opinion. Kids of all ages skip.

I hope you enjoy this video on skipping. It certainly made me laugh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4xLwK4IUaE

Many times people are uncomfortable dancing and feel self-conscious. But skipping? Skipping is just a release for me. I find great joy in skipping.

Next time you need to take a stretch, try skipping. It only takes a moment, really it does. I found this website about the joys of skipping while researching (yes, researching) this post: iskip.com. I will be following their Tweets and becoming a fan as I already am a big fan of skipping.

When you are discouraged, try skipping. Difficult things seem possible after a good skip. Trying times seem more bearable after a good skip. The great thing about skipping is you burn calories, can actually get somewhere quicker and arrive with a smile! Get a group of your friends together and ENJOY!

When was the last time you skipped?  Just do it. You'll feel better and you may even laugh a little. How great is that?