Jan. 6, 2009 - Barbara Jenness - 2008 Businesswoman of the Year

I was honored to have been selected as the 2008 St. Augustine Women's Council of REALTORS® Businesswoman of the Year. The following is from a press release written by Heather Naughton, Public Relations Director with the Women's Council of REALTORS®:

"This annual award recognizes a Realtor who is real estate industry leader; and who shares their time, talent and expertise with others in the profession and in the community.

Amy Capo, 2008 president of the St. Augustine Regional Chapter of WCR describes Jenness as a community volunteer and activist. Jenness has held office as president and vice president seats with many business and community organizations.

She is a member of the National Association of Realtors; Florida Association of Realtors; St Augustine and St. Johns County Board of Realtors, Northeast Florida Board of Realtors; Women's Council of Realtors and has been involved with the St. Johns County Builder's Council as well as past president of the American institute of Industrial Engineers, Charlotte Chapter.

She holds a bachelor of science - industrial and systems engineering, from Georgia Tech. Jenness is a graduate, Realtor Institute, e-PRO, CCIM intro, Accredited Buyer's Representative and Transnational Referral Certified.

Her career achievements include 2007 100 percent Club - Realty Executives; 2006 Double Diamond Award, Top Producer, Top Score in GRI courses, top score in Real Estate Broker course and top score in Salesperson Real Estate course. Jenness has been recognized by her community for Outstanding Stewardship of the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Vilano Beach Town Center Appreciation and Recognition, Outstanding Volunteer Service - Vilano Beach CRA, and Marine Resources Council Outstanding Volunteer Effort 2002 to 2008."

Dec. 31, 2008 - Barbara Jenness - REALTOR of the Year - St. Augustine WCR

Barbara Jenness was selected as the 2008 REALTOR® of the Year for the St. Augustine Regional's chapter of the Women's Council of REALTORS®. This is the first year a separate award for REALTOR of the Year and Affiliate of the Year was done. Seymoine Schmidt, with Colonial Bank, was selected as the Affiliate of the Year. Neither award is by nomination, but simply by the members writing in the name of the person. Last year the chapter awarded a member of the year. Mitsu O’Riley was last year’s member of the year. Barbara was the 2007 President of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® and served on the board this year as immediate past president. Seymoine was Mixer Chair and continues in that role for 2009. Please visit the chapter’s website at http://wcrstaugustine.org for more information about the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.

Dec. 19, 2008 - St. Augustine Inlet Fishing Report?

I have a good friend and customer I'll call "Bob" (wait, Bob is really his name, but don't tell him I broadcasted this info!). Bob has commented to me about my blogs and said I really should give a fishing report. Well, that's kinda hard for me to do as I don't fish. But I do plan to learn soon.

Anyway, in the spirit of serving my readers and possible fishermen in the area, I believe right now is a great time to be fishing the St. Augustine Inlet. Why do I think this, you ask? Well, look at all the small boats fishing the area right now. Either the fish are biting, they all ran out of fuel at the same time, or there's a strange parade going on where the boats are ordered to stay in one position with poles in the water.

What do you think?

Dec. 19, 2008 - Christmas on Vilano

Christmas on Vilano was held on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at the Vilano Pier Pavilion in Vilano Beach, FL. The Church at Vilano hosted the event. It brought the community together for a gathering to celebrate music and dance. Betty Anne Schlegel and Eileen Holden were the co-directors.

  

Bob Frohardt and Alicia Day led the community sings (“Everyone Sings”) which was a lot of fun getting everyone involved. Alicia, a sophomore at FSU also performed a solo as did Kitty Parlin, Jennifer Levoy, a senior at St. Augustine High School, and Nana Gelashvili, a junior at St. Augustine High School.

 

The Legacy Dancers of Jacksonville was a special treat for me as I always enjoy watching dancers. Maggie Onimus, a freshman at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts performed “The Children’s March” from “The Nutcracker”. I don’t think any celebration of the Christmas season is complete without “The Nutcracker”.

 This was a wonderful community event. It was great to see such a nice turnout. The Church at Vilano did an exceptional job planning this event and getting all the wonderful musicians, singers, and dancers to participate.

Dec. 10, 2008 - Free 411

There are at least four (4) free Directory Assistance (Information) numbers. Try them all to see which one you prefer. They can be used from any phone. You may want to add one or more to your speed dial on your cell phone and at home.

  1-800-GooG411 (1-800-466-4411) is provided by, yes, you guessed it---Google. GOOG-411 is available in the US and Canada for US and Canadian business listings.  You can't look up your friend's (residential) phone number.

1-800-555-TELL (1-800-555-8355) is a provided by Tellme, a Microsoft subsidiary. This, too, is only business listings, but it also provides a whole lot more---stock quotes, news, sports, entertainment (movie listings), and travel. You can download the application to your Blackberry (I don't believe other phones are supported yet).

1-800-YellowPages  (1-800-935-5697) is provided by AT&T. It is free directory assistance for all 50 states. It covers business, government, and residential listings. You must listen to a 5 to 10 second ad.

 1-800-FREE411 (1-800-373-3411) is provided by Jingle Networks. It covers business, government, and residential listings. You must listen to a 10 second commercial from one of their advertisers. You can also visit their website: http://www.free411.com/ to look up any phone number. International is not supported yet.

 ENJOY. Please let me know what you think. Also, please post any corrections you find while experimenting with these services. Thanks!

Nov. 15, 2008 - New Hotel in Vilano Beach?

Nov. 5, 2008 - Seaplane in Vilano Beach

On Monday afternoon, November 3^rd around 5 p.m., we watched a seaplane taxi up the Intracoastal around Porpoise Point and up to Vilano. It had just landed after having flown over the area. Here’s a photo I took.

Seaplane in Vilano 1

I now learn that the seaplane had an accident yesterday, November 4^th just north of the Usina (Vilano) Bridge. I have not seen this seaplane before and it was exciting to see him in the area. I am glad the pilot is well and hope to see him again soon.

Here are the news reports with videos.

Seaplane Overturns in Water, No Injuries First Coast News - Jacksonville,FL,USA The plane was taxiing to the middle of the water about a mile north of the Vilano Bridge in preparation for take-off when a gust of wind got under it. ...

Pilot Pulled From Water After Ultralight Flips
News4Jax.com - Jacksonville,FL,USA
VILANO BEACH, Fla. -- A St. Johns Fire-Rescue spokesman said an ultralight aircraft taking off on the Intracoastal Waterway just behind Guana River State ...

Pilot uninjured when plane flips in Intracoastal By dana.treen Dave Markarian, 70, was leaving the dock about a mile north of the Vilano bridge about 12:20 pm when a wing of the plane somehow dipped into the water during the takeoff, causing the plane to overturn, said spokesman Kevin Kelshaw of ...

Oct. 30, 2008 - St. Augustine or Mayport Shrimp?

In northeast, Florida we all talk about "Mayport" shrimp. Mayport is a coastal village north of St. Augustine and east of Jacksonville on the St. Johns River right where it meets with the Atlantic Ocean. That makes getting out to the ocean and to the shrimp a breeze. It is home to about 20 of the state's shrimping boats. However, St. Augustine is located on the Intracoastal (called "the river" by the locals) at the St. Augustine inlet. In fact, I believe you can get to the Atlantic faster from St. Augustine.

The difference between Mayport and St. Augustine shrimp---the port the shrimp boat comes into to unload the shrimp. All the shrimp boats in the area troll off the coast, so they are covering the same area. They are a lovely sight to see off the coast along A1A from Jacksonville to Ponte Vedra Beach to S. Ponte Vedra Beach to North Beach to Vilano Beach to St. Augustine Beach to Crescent Beach---you get the idea. It seems that all the shrimp caught in the area are called "Mayport" shrimp. What do your think?

So, if you want really fresh shrimp, eat locally caught shrimp while vacationing in northeast Florida. Four types of shrimp live in the waters off the coast here: brown, white, pink and rock shrimp. Brown and white shrimp make up the majority of what is caught here. Those of us that are fortunate to live here, enjoy fresh seafood year round.

Here's a photo I took recently of a shrimp boat heading out to the Atlantic in the early morning. It came into the St. Augustine inlet when the surf and wind were rough. It is passing Porpoise Point near Vilano Beach.

Oct. 16, 2008 - Vilano Beach Town Center Celebration

This is your friendly reminder that tomorrow, October 17th from 4-7:30 p.m at the Vilano Beach oceanfront pavilion will be a celebration of the completion of the streetscape. Please come and invite your friends as the public is invited. Dignitaries include Congressman Mica, St. Johns County commissioners and commissioners-elect, representatives from Callaway Contracting, RS&H Engineering, and others.

Oct. 9, 2008 - St. Augustine's Humane Society to close its doors Oct. 31st

On Monday, October 6^th, I learned from a fellow REALTOR® that our Humane Society was closing at the end of the month. This morning I got verification from reading our local newspaper. Per the St. Augustine Record’s article today:

“Humane Society Director Cindy Bishop is working to adopt out the nearly 200 animals at the shelter. She said she plans to call rescue groups in the area, and she is researching the possibility of transporting animals to Humane Societies in surrounding counties.”

If you have been thinking about adopting a pet, now is the time. Please tell everyone you know. Many of you know our wonderful cat, Kahlua. We adopted her from this Humane Society.

Please stop by the Florida East Coast Humane Society at 1665 Old Moultrie Road before October 31, 2008.  They are closed Sundays and Mondays. Here are their hours and phone number:

Tuesday thru Friday 10 to 6 
Saturday 10 to 5
Closed Sunday and Monday
904-829-2737

Thank you.

Sep. 19, 2008 - Eastbound Detour on King Street in St. Augustine

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Public Information office just announced the following detour on King Street which will affect most of us in our Nation's Oldest City.

"Traffic on eastbound King Street at the U.S. 1 intersection near the Seabreeze Carwash will be routed onto a new detour that will be in place for approximately six weeks beginning September 24.  The detour will route eastbound King Street traffic north onto U.S. 1 returning to King Street at Cordova Street. This will allow construction crews to realign the turn lane at the southeast corner of the intersection and replace the signal.

All eastbound King Street traffic will be detoured north on U.S. 1, east on West Castillo Drive, south on South Castillo Drive, west on Cathedral Place, south on Cordova Street and back to King Street, just less than two miles. 

        A westbound detour that is currently in place will be completed prior to eastbound King Street being closed."

The work on the King Street and U.S. 1 intersection began June 9th and began affecting westbound traffic on King Street on August 5th.  This $1.1 million safety project is expected to be completed by early 2009. The project includes adding a new traffic signal at King Street and Malaga Street/Sebastian Harbor Drive, reconfiguring the dedicated turn lanes at King Street and U.S. 1, replacing the existing signal and sidewalk at King Street and U.S. 1, replacing and adding pedestrian signals with new signals that have a crossing time countdown display, replacing drainage pipes to meet current standards, adding wheelchair accessible ramps, and making minor modifications to the median at Daniels Street two blocks south of King Street on U.S. 1.

        For additional information regarding this project, contact the Public Information Office at 800-475-0044 or monica.reifeiss@earthtech.com.  For information about FDOT projects around Northeast Florida, visit www.northfloridaroads.com/goto/KingStreet.

Sep. 14, 2008 - Beach Renourishment Funding Request

On Tuesday, September 16, 2008, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners will review funding and budget requests for beach restoration. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the county auditorium at 4020 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL.

According to the agenda for the meeting:

“The St. John County Annual Funding Request and Local Long-Range Budget Request to use Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) consists of the following elements:

1. South Ponte Vedra/Vilano Beach/Summer Haven Beach Restoration
2. St. Johns County Shore Protection Project
3. South Ponte Vedra/Vilano Beach Restoration”

Here are the supporting documents.

Sep. 13, 2008 - Coastal Cleanup at Porpoise Point September 20th

As President of the Friends of A1A, I am proud to announce that the Ocean Conservancy Beach Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, September 20^th.  This annual event, taking place in seventy-five countries around the globe, will see Friends of A1A doing a cleanup of the beach  and dunes at Porpoise Point from 8AM until noon.

We will be at the beach access located at Porpoise Point Drive and Genoa Street. Call or e-mail me and I will send you directions if you need them.

There will be a number of trash ‘grabbers’ available and ice water for all volunteers. You should wear closed shoes, gloves, and sun protection. An adult must accompany volunteers under sixteen.   

Please join us and encourage your neighbors and friends to assist in keeping our community and beaches a wonderful and clean place. Please let me know if you are coming so I can let Bernie Gay, our Friends of A1A Volunteer Coordinator, know. Thanks!

Fact Sheet

Aug. 31, 2008 - A1A & Mickler Road Intersection Improvements

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)  has begun work on the much needed intersection improvements at A1A (AKA S. Ponte Vedra Blvd.) and Mickler Road. The improvements include adding a light and a turn lane. These improvements should help this accident-prone intersection.  The FDOT will be holding an open house on Thursday, September 4th to discuss the improvements. All are invited. Here are the details:

FDOT Open House

When: Thursday, September 4, 2008, 1-2 p.m. and 5-6 p.m.

What: Open house to discuss a road construction project at Florida A1A and Mickler Road

Who: Transportation officials will be available

Where: Crosswater Community Church at 1050 Florida A1A N.

The $2.2 million project, which was set to begin Tuesday, will involve resurfacing portions of the road and installing a traffic signal at the intersection.

The work will include resurfacing A1A from Gnarled Oaks Drive to Mickler, widening the road for new left turn lanes from A1A North to Mickler Road and Ponte Vedra Boulevard, replacing and realigning portions of the sidewalk from Gnarled Oaks to the Overlook business complex, constructing pedestrian islands at the intersection and constructing three drainage ponds. During construction, a temporary pavement and barrier wall will be on A1A, Mickler and Ponte Vedra Boulevard for traffic shifts and to protect workers and motorists. Daytime lane closures will occur during construction, but not from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call, toll-free,(800) 475-0044, or e-mail monica.reifeiss@aecom. com.

Aug. 27, 2008 - Benefits of Being a St. Johns County Resident

There are many benefits to being a St. Johns County resident.  We enjoy a wonderful lifestyle, beautiful sights, and great attractions. Many new (and some old) residents to our county don't realize they can take advantage of many of St. Augustine's attractions at a discounted rate and in some cases free simply by showing their driver's license. When I have guests visiting me, I take them on the trains and I get to ride free (I think it's a two for one charge, but I like to think I ride free).

The St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau wants you to know that:

St. Johns County residents with a valid ID are always admitted free of charge to Government House Museum, the Lightner Museum, the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, the Fountain of Youth, the Ximenez-Fatio House,  and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse.  The daily tours and wine tastings at the San Sebastian Winery are free to everyone. Also, admission is free to everyone at the Authentic Old Drug Store, Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Photios Chapel and the Peña-Peck House (donations are welcomed).

So get out an explore your hometown. Your senses and pocketbook will thank you.

Aug. 27, 2008 - Vilano Streetscape Completion Ceremony

The streetscape is complete in the Vilano Beach Town Center. So, that means a party, right? Right!

October 17, 2008 from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the Beach Pavilion on the beach end of Vilano Road, the community is invited to celebrate the completion of the road and streetscape improvements to the Vilano Beach Town Center. The Ribbon Cutting ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. with music and food from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

If you wish to help plan this event, please attend the next meeting on Wednesday, September 3 at 4 p.m. at the North Shores Improvement Association's building at 120 Meadow Avenue.

Please contact me if you would like to be a sponsor.

The community has much to celebrate. We look forward to seeing you on the 17^th of October!

Aug. 12, 2008 - Vilano Resident Wins $2 Million in Lottery

If any of you know who the winner is, please let me know. A man bought a lottery ticket at the Kangaroo Express in Vilano Beach on A1A and verified his winnings yesterday. See, we live in a very nice and lucky place!

Jul. 30, 2008 - Paving Vilano Beach Town Center

Finally! And yes, I am saying this as an impatient person that lives in the area and am tired of the "speed bumps".  The crosswalks are so nice and now will be able to be seen as crosswalks and not speed bumps. The roads in the Vilano Beach Town Center are now being paved. The work should be done within a week.

So, we will now be able to drive over the roundabout that is really a drive-over at the intersection of Coastal Highway and Vilano Road.  It should all be obvious to us soon.

Thanks to St. Johns County for all they have done for us!

Jul. 28, 2008 - FDOT DUI on August 8, 2008

There are so many interesting things happening on August 8, 2008 (yes, the Olympics begin to name one). I thought you'd be interested in knowing that the Traffic Safety Office at FDOT announced plans to  promote "8 hours of DUI enforcement in every jurisdiction in the State of Florida beginning at 8:00 PM on 08-08-08".

Interesting that only 4 of the 8 hours will actually occur on August 8th. Be good!

Jun. 27, 2008 - Vilano Beach Roundabout

At the intersection of Coastal Highway and Vilano Road a new Sea Turtle/Dolphin "roundabout" has been installed. I use the term "roundabout" as it is actually a driveover roundabout to enable emergency vehicles to get into the community. However, let's drive around it, okay? Let me know what you think. I think it's lovely.

 June 27^th a.m. picture

 June 27^th p.m. picture (cones removed):