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DAYTONA BEACH — Every night for five years, Madeline Mendez had to push aside toys, books, DVDs and all the other trappings of her living room to clear a space where she could drift off to sleep. Just a few feet away, her three kids would snooze in the two small bedrooms inside her cramped South Daytona apartment. It was spartan living, but it was a step up from the eight months prior to that she was homeless and bouncing from one family member's house to another to avoid living out of her car, on the streets or in a shelter.
DAYTONA BEACH — If Jim Chisholm's missile launcher pitching arm and talent for darting into an end zone with a football had taken him farther than high school championships and a college scholarship, he might have never found his way to Daytona Beach. And if he hadn't grown bored working for financial companies in his late 20s, he might have never become a city manager who applied in 2004 to become Daytona Beach's next city manager. If Chisholm had never sat behind the desk in the big City Hall corner office overlooking Ridgewood Avenue, the Daytona Beach Pier might have stayed under private ownership and deteriorated into an even more dangerous and crumbling eyesore than it was when the city purchased it.
DAYTONA BEACH — Petra Smiley's new home isn't exactly one of those tony riverfront estates with lush tropical landscaping, a backyard pool and deck for moonlit parties, and a dock to park the family yacht. Her house is a 1,250-square-foot concrete block structure built when Richard Nixon was president and located in a no-frills neighborhood just east of Nova Road near Bellevue Avenue. But to Smiley, a longtime dweller of cramped apartments, it's the castle she's been dreaming of for more than a decade. The four-bedroom home has plenty of space for her and her two small children, there's a yard complete with a huge oak tree in back, a carport will protect her from the rain, and interior upgrades give the home a modern, polished look.
DAYTONA BEACH — If you've been in COVID-19 hibernation and haven't come out much over the past year, you're going to find part of the downtown riverfront almost unrecognizable. The northern end of the park that runs along the western bank of the Halifax River has been undergoing a $25 million transformation over the past 10 months, and the recreational space is starting to offer glimpses of the esplanade it will become. Dozens of replanted mature trees are settling into their new home, sprawling retention ponds are being carved out, and berms are turning the once-flat expanse into artful waves of rolling land.
As I recall, Gator Bert, 84 years old at the time, was in some sort of wheelchair during the reception before the gala dinner. I'd just become editor of The News-Journal a few months earlier and didn't really know anyone. It was also a little awkward for me at the gala because The News-Journal was facing some heat at the time for our coverage of the college. But Gator Bert greeted me like we'd been friends for years. We talked for a couple minutes. He could not have been more supportive of The News-Journal. Later, after a dinner, it was time for people to say a few words about the person the foundation was honoring that night. I don't recall the person being honored. But I do recall it being the moment when I really got to know Gator Bert.
/script /div Glenn Ritchey: Ritchey, of Daytona Beach, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Automotive Management. He served in and received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Army Reserves and is a former Mayor of Daytona Beach. Ritchey has also volunteered his time with the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Board of Commissioners, NASCAR Foundation, CEO Business Alliance and the One Daytona Community Development District Board. He attended the General Motors University of Automotive Management at Texas Christian University and holds an honorary doctorate degree from Bethune-Cookman University.
Carl “Rick” Lentz: Lentz, of Ormond Beach, is a retired plastic surgeon. He completed his residency and training in general surgery and plastic surgery while in the United States Air Force. Additionally, he served in and received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Army Reserves. Lentz is a Past President of the Florida Medical Association and has been a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Emory University and his doctor of medicine from the University of Miami.
In an announcement coming after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed five members to the Halifax Health Board of Commissioners, including two new appointees. Glenn Ritchey, Ed Connor and Dr. Carl "Rick" Lentz were reappointed, while Alan Florez and Dr. Michael Munier join the board, whose next meeting is Jan. 13. Florez, an insurance executive, and Munier, an ear, nose and throat doctor, replace Daniel Francati and the board's only woman, Susan Schandel, on the seven-member panel. The other two Halifax board members — who remain on the board because their terms were not up — are Harold Goodemote and Tom McCall.