MyStJohnsSun's blog

 From the St. Johns River Water Management District:

PALATKA, Fla., May  28, 2008 — Wildfires, flooding and hurricanes can often lead to disasters in the state of Florida. Mindful of these potentially catastrophic events, the St. Johns River Water Management District has a designated Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at its Palatka headquarters where staff train and prepare for emergencies year-round.

            The District is prepared for all types of potential disasters, but its emergency response plans are based on the likelihood of a hurricane making landfall. As another hurricane season approaches, the District has an established protocol in place to prepare for flooding, one of the most likely effects of hurricanes.

            As part of its mission to abate flooding disasters, the District works in unison with local governments to develop improved flood management plans through the regulatory process and assists in a technical support role, helping communities to develop and implement mitigation strategies as appropriate.

            The District’s objective is to minimize damage from flooding and provide effective preparation for, response to and recovery from flood-related emergencies and disasters. A core mission of the District is to prevent increases in flooding and to operate and maintain its regional flood control projects located in the southern end of its 18-county region.

            The District assists local governments by issuing emergency orders that allow for the pumping of water to alleviate flooding when public health and safety are at risk. The District also may issue emergency orders to authorize repairs, replacement or restoration of public and private property, relaxing regulations that might otherwise delay activity necessary to cope with the emergency.

            In the meantime, the District has spent the past several months conducting more than 49,000 acres of prescribed fires — a season record — in anticipation of wildfires that have raged throughout central Florida this month.

            Rainfall is an average of an inch below normal for the year districtwide. Despite the arid conditions, no emergency water shortages are being considered because water supply utilities have not reported problems of meeting demand.

            Due to the recent wildfires, District land management staff has shifted its emphasis from conducting prescribed fires to assisting other agencies with extinguishing wildfires.

            Although dry conditions may increase the possibility of wildfires, lower water levels can be beneficial by providing additional water storage in ponds, lakes, wetlands and ditches during hurricane season, which begins June 1.

            The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Web site maintains flood staging information at www.weather.gov/ahps/. During a storm, the latest information is also available at the District’s Web site at www.sjrwmd.com/notices.html, or by calling the District’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-725-5922.

            For copies of the District’s “Flood Protection and Assistance” booklet or its “Neighborhood Guide to Stormwater Systems,” call (800) RALLY-22, or view the publications online at www.sjrwmd.com/publications.  

From St. Johns County:

Average Savings Of 20 Percent Off Retail Price
 
St. Augustine, FL – (May 29, 2008) – St. Johns County will soon be introducing a discount card program to help consumers cope with the high price of prescription drugs. The county has signed a contract to make free prescription drug discount cards available under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) that offers average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.
 
The cards, which will be available June 9, may be used by all county residents, regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage. An estimated 90 percent of the county’s pharmacies will accept the NACo card, and a national network of more than 59,000 participating retail pharmacies also will honor it.
 
“The NACo prescription discount card will offer significant savings for the uninsured and underinsured residents of our county, and even those who have prescription coverage may use the card to save money on drugs that are not covered by their health plan,” said County Public Affairs Specialist Karen Pan. “Residents do not have to be Medicare beneficiaries to be eligible for this program.”
 
There will be no cost to county taxpayers for NACo and St. Johns County to make these money-saving cards available to residents. The cards will be available beginning June 9 at County libraries, tax collector offices, the Health Department and various other locations. A complete list of locations and more information is available on the County website by visiting www.sjcfl.us/cards.
 
“Using the NACo prescription discount card is easy,” said Pan. “A cardholder will simply present it at a participating pharmacy. There is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no restrictions or limits on frequency of use. Cardholders and their family members may use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.”
 
The discount card program is administered by Caremark Rx, Inc.
 
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Founded in 1935, NACo provides essential services to the nation’s 3,066 counties. NACo advances issues with a unified voice before the federal government, improves the public’s understanding of county government, assists counties in finding and sharing innovative solutions through education and research, and provides value-added services to save counties and taxpayers money. For more information about NACo, visit www.naco.org.

Contributed by Joseph McCoy
PA Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 14-07

Some boating accidents occur while transiting to and from the water and quite frequently on the launch ramp. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary says “a successful boating outing begins when you leave home and ends when you safely return home.” Since the majority of recreational boats in the United States are transported to and from the water, it is important that boaters take as much care transporting their boat, whether it is a power boat, sailboat, paddle craft or personal water craft, as they do operating their boat on the water.

From St. Johns County:

St. Johns County is currently accepting applications for the following Board and Committee vacancies.
 
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee - Eleven (11) Vacancies
Qualifications: This newly created committee is seeking citizens involved with affordable housing from the following areas: 1) Residential home building industry 2) Banking or mortgage banking industry 3) A representative in the area of construction labor 4) Advocate for low-income persons 5) For-profit affordable housing provider 6) Not-for profit affordable housing provider 7) Real Estate Professional 8) Planning & Zoning Agency Board Member 9) County resident 10) A representative of a local business 11) Essential service personnel (i.e. police, fire/rescue or teachers).
Meeting schedule: Meets quarterly with dates and times to be determined.
Application Submission Deadline: May 30, 2008
 
 
Historic Resource Review Board - Two (2) Vacancies
Qualifications: Seeking appointees qualified through the demonstration of special interest, experience or education in the preservation of the County’s historic resources and those that have practical and professional experience in one or more of the following fields: archaeology, architecture, architectural history, history or historic preservation.
Meeting schedule: Meets the 1st Monday of each month at 3:30 pm in Conference Room 2A of the County Permit Center, 4040 Lewis Speedway.
Application Submission Deadline:  May 30, 2008.
 
 
Housing Finance Authority - Two (2) Vacancies
Qualifications: Must be a registered voter in St. Johns County. Seeking appointees knowledgeable in the fields of commerce, labor and finance. Members must file financial disclosure.
Meeting schedule: Meets the 4th Tuesday of each month at 3:00 pm in the Housing Division Conference Room, 102 Martin Luther King Avenue. Additional weekly meetings are noticed during the administration and implementation of the CWHIP grant.
Application Submission Deadline: May 30, 2008.
 
 
Ponte Vedra Zoning & Adjustment Board - Two (2) Vacancies
Qualifications: Must be a registered voter in St. Johns County and reside in the Ponte Vedra Zoning District. Members must file financial disclosure.
Meeting schedule: Meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 3:00 pm in the County Auditorium, 4020 Lewis Speedway.
Application Submission Deadline: June 11, 2008.
 
 
Recreation Advisory Board - Two (2) Vacancies
Qualifications: Prefer representation from County Commission Districts 2 and 3.
Meeting schedule: Meets on the 1st Thursday of each month at 3:00 pm in Conference Room 1A of the County Permit Center, 4040 Lewis Speedway.
Application Submission Deadline: June 11, 2008.
 
 
Adjustment & Appeals Board – Three (3) Vacancies – One (1) Alternate Position
Qualifications: Must be a registered voter in St. Johns County. Seeking appointees with knowledge and/or experience in technical codes fields to serve a four-year term and those of the general public to serve a one-year term as an alternate. Members must file financial disclosure.
Meeting schedule: Meets on call as needed in Conference Room 1A/1B of the County Permit Center, 4040 Lewis Speedway.
Application Submission Deadline: July 9, 2008.
 
 
Contact Melissa Lundquist at 904.209.0537 or mlundquist@sjcfl.us for more information or to obtain an application.

From St. Johns County,
 
St. Augustine, FL – (May 19, 2008) – The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, May 29, at 1:30 p.m. in the County Auditorium, located at 4020 Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine.
 
The purpose of the Special Meeting will be to consider and possibly take action on a proposed ordinance to place Charter Government as a referendum item on the August 2008 election ballot. The Board may also discuss and take action on any other matter that may legally come before it during the Special Meeting.
 

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From the St. Johns County School District:

On the recently-released Spring Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) retakes, St. Johns County placed fourth in the state in the percentage of students passing the reading portion of the test and tenth overall in students passing the math portion of the FCAT.

Students must pass the FCAT in order to graduate and are given several opportunities during their junior and senior years to take the test again if they didn’t pass it on their initial attempt.

Compared to last year’s results, St. Johns County moved up from 28th place to fourth place in reading and from 16th place to tenth place in math in the statewide percentage of juniors and seniors passing the Spring FCAT.

These figures reflect an 11 percent increase in the reading pass rate and a 10 percent increase in the math pass rate.

“We’re very pleased to see our students be successful on the retakes,” said Superintendent Joseph Joyner. “These positive trends indicate that our teachers are preparing our students well for their next step after high school.”

He added, “I am especially proud of the staff of our high schools for their dedication and persistence in helping students who previously struggled on the FCAT. This is a testament to the fact that we do not give up on children.”

St. Johns County had 475 high school students who retook the reading portion of the FCAT this spring to fulfill graduation requirements. Of that total, 28.5 percent of the students passed the exam. This is the same number of students who took the reading FCAT last spring.

There were also 177 students who retook the math portion of the FCAT. Of that total, 46.5 percent passed the exam. This figure represents a 17 percent decline in the number of students who took the math FCAT this spring.

We are looking for performing and creative artists of all kinds for a FREE Music and Arts Festival to be held in the JCP area Saturday June 28 from 11 a.m. till 10 p.m..
 
We need 33 performing artists and 50+ creative artists!
 
2,000 people are expected to attend so this is an excellent opportunity for exposure!
 
For information on how to register go to www.myspace.com/freeartmusicfest
 
Or email gail323is@bellsouth.net