St Augustine City Blog

Temperatures in St. Augustine are predicted to hit 99 this week as we roll into our hottest month of the year, so what can you do out there to stay cool? Eat ice cream!

While downtown maybe loaded with yogurt and ice cream shops, those of us who live on the edge of the city haven’t had many options since TCBY left town–that is, until recently when local couple Jason and Laura Welty opened an ice cream shop called Cold Cow on US1 just south of Moultrie Creek.

Cold Cow offers a wide variety of flavors and treats from soft serve ice cream to Italian ice and custard. They also have fresh baked cookies, waffle and cake cones, and a list of toppings to tickle your taste buds. Jason also tries his hand at a few special mixes including the popular Cookie Monster flavor (which is no longer tinted blue, but still delicious!) and his recent Trash Bag creation that includes seven different types of candy bars.

Jason and Laura greet every customer with a friendly smile and if you make Cold Cow a frequent stop, they will remember your name and your favorite order! They can also cater birthday parties and have a bouncy house for rent that’s often in use at the store on the weekends (much to the joy of Jason and Laura’s two kids!).

We’re genuine fans of Cold Cow and its owners, which is why we want to spread the word! The store is open Tuesday through Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m . (11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights). If you’re not sure what to get, we can recommend some of our favorites:

Shannon - Pina Colada Italian Ice with Custard

Toni - Creme de Menthe soft serve with Cookie Dough

Cecile - Cookies and Cream

Chuck - Mango sherbet

Visit the Cold Cow website for information on all the ice cream flavors and toppings they have to offer!

On July 31, 2010, Brilliance In Color Gallery will open “Blancos” (Whites), an exhibition of paintings by contemporary Spanish figurative painter, Royo. This exhibition comprises 35 new oil paintings on canvas together with a selection of drawings, bronze sculptures and serigraphs. Royo has passionately and wholeheartedly dedicated the last 30 years of his career to the same subject matter: the female form. He is inspired by many historical periods from the Old Masters, such as Velazquez and Goya, to the 19th-century Impressionists, such as Sorolla. This new collection of paintings combines formal elements with a subtlety of the contemporary master’s eye. In this collection of Royo’s paintings, subjects are depicted by a vast range of different whites, applied with a broken-color technique used to create a dramatic light across the painting. The “whites are composed of a thousand whitesâ€�, as Royo notes.

Based in Valencia, Spain, Royo’s career spans five decades, obsessively painting since the age of seven. Royo then honed his artistic genius at the prestigious Royal Academy of San Carlos in Valencia. Royo has participated in a number of international art fairs and exhibited throughout his native Spain, across Europe, Japan and the United States. He has been commissioned to create important works such as several portraits for the High Ministry of Justice in Spain and a portrait of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. This is our fourth special exhibition of Royo’s work and we are very much looking forward to transforming the gallery with the scale and luminosity of Royo’s beautiful creations.

If you’re going to be in the Nation’s Oldest City for the Nation’s birthday this year, you’ll want to check out the details below from the City of St. Augustine on the 4th of July festivities:

Holidays are built around traditions and few holidays have more great family traditions than the Fourth of July: great food, outdoor band concerts, a day with friends and family, and of course, fireworks! They all come together in a grand celebration and there’s no better place to celebrate Independence Day than in the Nation’s Oldest City.

First, there’s music

Starting at 6:00pm one of the region’s most popular big bands, The All Star Orchestra, returns to the Plaza de la Constitución for a two-hour show filled with Big Band and Swing music along with all the traditional patriotic favorites. The All Star Orchestra’s performance from the Plaza’s Gazebo runs from 6:00pm until 8:00pm. The concert is free and those attending should bring lounge chairs for seating.

Then there’s fireworks!

Fireworks over the Matanzas, the highlight of St. Augustine’s traditional July 4th activities has become synonymous with celebrating Independence Day in the Nation’s Oldest City. The spectacular aerial display of pyrotechnics high over Matanzas Bay begins at 9:30pm.

The 20-minute display is tightly choreographed to a stirring soundtrack of great popular music delivered over an extensive sound system transforming the entire Bayfront between the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and the Bridge of Lions into a theatre of sight and sound.

Enjoy downtown after the show

Since July 4th falls on a Sunday this year, and many will have the following day off, it is expected that many people will remain downtown at the conclusion of the show for a late dinner or to visit the shops that have learned the value of extended hours after the fireworks. Given the choice between spending time strolling downtown with friends and family or sitting in traffic wasting gas, more and more people are taking their time.

Keep it safe and legal

Those attending Fireworks Over The Matanzas should remember two important safety rules that will be strictly enforced:

• Alcohol is prohibited on public property, including parks, streets and sidewalks; and

• Possession of fireworks that explode or leave the ground is illegal and those found with such fireworks will be subject to a $100 citation or arrest and will have prohibited fireworks confiscated.

Simply put: Have a great time with friends and family, but keep it safe and legal!

In the event medical assistance is needed, the St. Augustine Fire Department along with St. Johns County Emergency Medical Services will have a base station at the main entrance to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and will have personnel roving on bicycles throughout the evening.

Getting in, parking, and getting out

St. Augustine’s annual Fireworks Over The Matanzas draws more people–and cars–into the downtown area than any other single event all year long. A growing trend in recent years has been the use of bicycles by those who live close to downtown or carpooling with friends to minimize the number of cars in the historic downtown.

Rerouting of traffic will begin at 8:30pm and will include closing The Bridge of Lions, Avenida Menendez and South Castillo Drive to all vehicular traffic to accommodate the vast number of pedestrians. The best advice is to arrive early, explore the city, enjoy the show, and be patient during departure.

For those who do drive into the city, parking in city owned parking lots and on the street will be free on July 4th with the largest concentration of surface parking located on Granada Street behind the Lightner Building. The Historic Downtown Parking Facility located at the Visitors Information Center can accommodate 1,200 vehicles and for July 4th will be charging a flat $7.00 for all day parking. Also there will be no access to or from the parking lot of the Castillo de San Marcos National monument from 6:00pm until 11:00pm.

While St. Augustine’s Old World streets are a key component of its Old World charm, it is also a challenge when dispersing large numbers of vehicles, but the St. Augustine Police Department has refined a traffic plan that moves vehicles safely and as quickly as possible out of the downtown area following the fireworks. This plan includes having some streets made one-way out of the downtown to two lanes of King St. dedicated to west-bound traffic out of the downtown as well as both lanes of West Castillo Dr. Traffic signals in the downtown area, along Ponce de Leon Blvd. (U.S. 1), Anastasia Blvd  (A1A), and State Roads 312, 207 and 16 will be monitored to facilitate traffic flow.

Fireworks Over The Matanzas Traffic Summary

Detours and Street Closures Sunday, July 4, in effect from 8:30pm until approximately 10:30pm

Street Closures

• The Bridge of Lions closed to vehicular and boat traffic

• S. Castillo Dr. and Avenida Menendez north of the Bridge of Lions

• Cathedral Pl. from Avenida Menendez to St. George St.

• Orange St. from S. Castillo Dr. to Ponce de Leon Blvd. (U.S. 1)

Detours

• King St. will be two-way

• King St. eastbound will turn north on St. George St., then west on Cathedral Pl. (detour routed to Cordova St. to King St.)

• Avenida Menendez northbound will turn west on King St.

• San Marco Ave. southbound will turn west on W. Castillo Dr. to Ponce de Leon Blvd. (U.S. 1)

• W. Castillo Dr. eastbound will turn north on San Marco Ave.

• Anastasia Blvd. westbound may not cross the Temporary Bridge of Lions

Parking

• Available at the Historic Downtown Parking Facility at the Visitors Information Center is $7.00 for all day.

• All public parking throughout the city is available at no charge on July 4.

• There will be no access to or from the parking lot of the Castillo de San Marcos National monument from 6:00pm until 11:00pm.

• Parking will be limited in the vicinity of the Plaza to facilitate traffic detours in the evening.

After a quarter century of service to the City of St. Augustine, William B. “Bill� Harriss announced today that he will retire this summer. Harriss, who has been City Manager since 1998, will make a formal announcement to the City Commission at its next regular meeting on April 26.

Harriss began his career with the City of St. Augustine in 1985 as the Financial Services Director bringing with him over a dozen years experience in finance management and accounting for the private sector. Prior to his appointment to the position of City Manager, Harriss served as General Services Director and then Assistant City Manager under Joe Pomar. Harriss was appointed to the position of City Manager upon the retirement of Pomar.

As the city’s chief executive officer, the City Manager is responsible for the administrative management and delivery of all the city’s services and programs. As such, it is critical for the city manager to have a working knowledge of every aspect of municipal operations. Harriss often credits his coming up through the ranks, and in particular through the financial side of government, as his best source of that working knowledge.

“Since my first day with the city I have been involved with the numbers, the financial side of everything,� said Harriss, adding “and there is no better way to understand how something works than by understanding how it is financed.�

“The challenge is unique and ongoing, but I have been very fortunate to work with a team of professionals who are not just committed to their work, but are committed to their work for St. Augustine,� said Harriss.

It’s not surprising that Harriss would point to a financial related achievement as one with which he is most proud to be associated.

“I recall when St. Augustine’s bond rating was so low the risk was worse than junk bonds. We had a lousy credit rating. But over the years through nothing more than living within our means, spending money wisely, and saving when we could, this city now has the highest possible rating, said Harriss. That means that the best in the business say we are financially sound.�

Among other accomplishments during his time as city manager, which Harriss describes as “having the privilege to manage and see to completion� are:

· a well planned expansion of water service with a steady increase in the number of utility customers, the opening of a new reverse osmosis water plant, and the installation of two new water mains under the Matanzas River to serve Anastasia Island’s needs and increase firefighting capacity;

· construction of facilities to replace aging ones including a fleet maintenance facility, central warehouse, solid waste facility, main fire station, new financial services center developed by remodeling the former fire station, and a rehabilitated Visitor Information Center and construction of the adjacent Historic Downtown Parking Facility which serves over a quarter million vehicles a year;

· creation of a community redevelopment agency to fund the city’s ongoing challenges related to traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian and including signage and parking, whose dedicated funding source relieves that commitment from the city’s residential property owners.

The city manager is one of three positions, along with city attorney and city clerk, hired directly by city commission action. The process for seeking and naming a replacement for Harriss has not yet been discussed by the commission.

Harriss is a native of Florida having grown up in Okaloosa, Brevard and Volusia Counties. He is a graduate of the University of West Florida where he received his Bachelor’s of Arts

It past decades it was home to the circus, Gamble Rogers Folk Festival and the annual Cross and Sword pageant, but thanks to a multi-million dollar renovation, the St. Augustine Amphitheatre has evolved into an entertainment epicenter for all of North Florida.

From one end of the music spectrum to the other, the amphitheater is putting together a impressive upcoming schedule including: Aretha Franklin (March 19th), Alice in Chains (April 25th), My Morning Jacket (April 27th), The Flaming Lips (May 14th), REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar (July 2nd) and Ringo Starr (July 17th).

If you haven’t been to the amphitheater since the remodel, you are sure to be impressed when you pass through the gates and head up the steps to the new venue. For most concerts, patrons have access to a full bar near the entrance to the seating area as well as separate stations for frozen adult beverages and beer. Food is also available (and recommended if you’re going to make multiple stops at the aforementioned bars) near the merchandise area under the upper tier of seats.

Once you pass through one of the corridors into the seating pit you’ll look around and ask yourself, “Am I still in St. Augustine?” The impressive 4,000+ seat (and I mean actual stadium seats, not bleachers) venue spreads out on a gentle slope to a full stage, all of which is shaded beneath a massive white canopy. If you’re worried about the Florida summer heat, keep in mind that the amphitheater is just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic, which usually extends a refreshing summer breeze over the crowd.

But the best benefit of the new amphitheater for St. Augustine residents is the short drive home when the night is done! No more treks down I-95 from Jacksonville or up I-4 from Orlando. If the concert gets out at 10:00 you’ll be in bed by 10:30 (or possibly downtown enjoying a post-concert nightcap).

If you’re interested in tickets for one of the upcoming shows, visit the St. Augustine Amphitheatre’s website for more information. Once you start taking in shows there you’ll never go back to Jacksonville again!

- OldCity.com

Aside from being the Nation’s Oldest City, St. Augustine is also well known for its talented art community. It’s no surprise really with the amount of culture built into the cobblestone streets of the Ancient City that we would have so many incredible artists floating around.

As we finally roll into spring (and hopefully bid farewell to this abnormal streak of  cold weather!) the art community is coming out of hibernation with some great events and offerings through March and April.

Coming up this weekend, March 12-14, is the 29th Annual Lions Seafood Festival at Francis Field (known as the Special Events Field to out-of-towners)  in downtown St. Augustine. In addition to some phenomenal seafood from restaurants all over the Ancient City, the festival also features hundreds of arts and crafts booths. From jewelry and sculptures to paintings and glass art, this is event is packed with some incredible displays of local art. There will also be a few live music performances, raffle prizes and more!

Locals and visitors can also get a taste of St. Augustine’s artsy side each month at two different recurring art events. On the first Friday of every month, visitors can head downtown for the First Friday Artwalk in the Plaza de la Constitution. If you miss that event, Bartram Walk on the north end of town hosts a Second Saturday Artwalk as well. Both events are free to the public.

If you’re looking for something more interactive, consider signing up for weekly art classes offered at the St. Johns Cultural Center. Local artist Joan Tasca will be the instructor for two separate courses offered from the beginning of April until late May. Budding artists of all skill levels are encouraged to join. Class details are as follows:

TUESDAYS, 9:30-12:30. April 20 through May 25.

Drawing, All Levels: Beginners will focus on line, perspective, composition, value, texture and form, while Intermediate and Advanced students will hone skills with black and white media and work in color.

THURSDAYS, 9:30-12:30. April 22 through May 27.

Oil or Acrylic Painting, All Levels: Beginners will learn color theory, tools and techniques. Intermediate and Advanced students will refine skills, learn new ones, and work on personal style.

Tasca has experience as an art instructor for all age groups as well as an educational background in art that includes degrees from the University of Delaware and the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Call her at (904) 794-2594 for materials and more information. The registration fee per course is $140. Class size is limited, deadline to sign up is April 9th.

So whatever tickles your art fancy, you can find it in St. Augustine this spring! For more information you can check out our listings of St. Augustine art galleries in the Art and Music section of  OldCity.com.

- OldCity.com

P.S. - The Bridge of (Mil)Lions is scheduled to re-open on St. Patrick’s Day (next Wednesday, March 17th). You’ll want to be in downtown St. Augustine to see the triumphant completion of this five-year, $80 million project in downtown St. Augustine.

Local citizens (both the people and animal varieties) will be glad to know that the St. Augustine Humane Society has re-opened its doors! The newly renovated facility will be open for business Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Although the SAHS is not currently housing pets, they will open their doors as an education center to help the local community with its informational needs about the proper care of our animal companions.

The SAHS also offers important services to the community including their low-cost spay and neuter service called the “Spay Shuttle” (which launches every Thursday) and a series of dog and puppy training classes that take place each week. These services will be on-going as the renovations to the new facility are completed.

If you’d like to help out, the St. Augustine Humane Society is currently seeking volunteers for their committee programs (overseeing certain aspects of the group’s operation) as well as receptionists and greeters to welcome guests on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The OldCity.com family is thrilled to welcome SAHS and all of its hard-working volunteers back into the community! We can’t wait until all of the new renovations are complete!

- OldCity.com

Planning a trip to a Florida state park just got easier with the launch of a redesigned one-stop-shop Florida State Parks Web site. FloridaStateParks.org, the online portal for Florida’s 160 state parks, today launched the redesigned site packed with vacation planning resources, lodging information, deals and discounts, striking photos and park descriptions, special events and activities guide, a media room, the opportunity to purchase annual park passes and passports, and many more features - all in one easy to navigate format.

The timing of the Web site redesign launch coincides with the 75^th Anniversary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Florida State Parks in 2010. The Web site was created internally using existing staff and resources, saving the state more than $200,000.

“With the growing presence of the Web and technology in our daily lives, it is important that we offer exceptional customer service, not just in our parks, but online as well,� said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “The redesigned Web site is a phenomenal resource for both frequent park visitors and first time Florida vacationers, as it provides the tools needed to plan a cost-efficient trip and presents a gateway to the natural, cultural and historic gems that exist in Florida’s state parks.�

One of the Web site’s new features is a section dedicated to ‘deals and discounts.’ Florida’s state parks are proud to boast a value that can’t be beat, at a price that fits most any budget. Now visitors can also learn about special deals and discounts through both the redesigned Web site and Twitter.

Examples of current promotions include:

· Go Play Weekday Discount – visitors pay 75¢ admission Monday through Thursday at featured state parks.

· Travel Tuesday – One state park will offer free admission exclusively for @FLStateParks Twitter followers each Tuesday.

· Sweetheart Special – A getaway package including a one-night stay at the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park Lodge, dinner for two at the Wakulla Ball Room restaurant, a boat tour for two on the Wakulla River, and garden entry for two at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, all for just $145.

Other Florida State Park Web site highlights include:

· Information about the 75^th Anniversary of Florida State Parks.

· A listing of more than 40 activities available and the parks that offer them.

· ‘One Tank Trip’ locator identifies parks within 100 miles of a specific location.

· Resources for becoming a state park volunteer.

· A link to each park’s citizen support organization.

· Opportunities for visitor feedback through the report card and feedback form.

· An online request form for persons with disabilities to receive special accommodations.

Bad news for St. Johns County commuters who regularly use the S.R. 206 bridge at Crescent Beach. The county is about to begin a 300 day job to give the bridge a fresh coat of paint, which will warrant some complete closures of the structure. According to a press release from the FDOT today, the bridge will be closed for 15 days at some point during the process (it has not been stated yet when the dates of the closures will be).  On those days the bridge will be closed from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., allowing for some rush hour traffic to pass through. Traffic will otherwise be diverted north to the S.R. 312 bridge.

The FDOT promises to put out signs advertising the closures at least two weeks beforehand. Additionally, the project may require some one-lane closures not restricted to specific times and possibly even channel closures or restrictions for the water below, as much of the work will be conducted on the underside of the bridge.

Take this into account over the next few months and remember to drive safely out there!

- OldCity.com

The PGA is bringing the Nationwide Tour to Sawgrass on October 18-24, 2010.  The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open wil be played at the famed TPC Sawgrass on the Dye’s Valley Course.  This tournament is the proving ground for the PGA TOUR with the 25 leading money winners at year end earning PGA TOUR status for 2011.  This golf tournament will showcase our beaches community to an international television audience on Golf Channel.  The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open will benefit many area non-profits - including The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.

The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach is selling tickets NOW for the Nationwide Tour Golf Tournament and keeping 100% of the proceeds.  Money raised will go directly to our  arts education programs.

The price of a Weekly Grounds ticket purchased through the Cultural Center’s website is $25 (a savings of $10 when purchased at event). There is also a 10-Pack Weekly Grounds Tickets for only $200 - a great savings for corporate entertainment or perks.

Tickets can be purchased online by visiting our website at www.ccpvb.org under our events link. Order forms are also available by calling 904-280-0614.