- April 24, 2024
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+ We need professionals to market Palm Coast
Dear Editor:
For more than 30 years, the special interest groups have been paid very well to sit on their hands, and now our county and city officials are jumping on the bandwagon.
These same groups and officials are now planning a crash course to entice companies and Palm Coast property owners to build in our cities. Why not contact agencies that have been successful in bringing businesses and people into other counties the size of our county?
Using penny postcards as advertisements did not bring people to Palm Coast. ITT had the professional personnel to sell Palm Coast.
We now have the city manager, county administrator and their officials arguing like a bunch of kids over who owns the water and property for the proposed National Guard armory. If the bickering does not stop, this project will move somewhere else. Is not a half a loaf of bread better than none?
I have yet to see or read where the county and/or cities have invited the people of Palm Coat for their input. I do not like any of our elected officials to push for his or her opinion and not listen to what the people want.
It’s time for the people to take our county and city back — let’s hope in the next election. We need to clean house with a new motto: “In with the new and out with the old.”
Walter Albano
Palm Coast
+ Drivers, keep in the right lane on Belle Terre
Dear Editor:
Those of us who travel on Belle Terre Parkway are thrilled to have the four-lane construction finally completed. It really has helped the flow of traffic, especially on school days.
However, as a resident who lives right off Belle Terre North, I have seen a consistent problem that most people who travel on that road might not even be aware of.
For some reason, most people traveling on the road drive in the left-hand lane. The left-hand lane is supposed to be used for passing. The problem that occurs is this: When you are trying to make a left turn onto Belle Terre, it isn’t too long of a wait to get to the median; but because so many people are traveling in the left lane, it can take literally up to 20 cars before you can merge.
I have this happen every day, and none of the cars are traveling in the right-hand lane.
This is the area about one-quarter mile north of Palm Coast Parkway, so it’s not at the point where people have to merge left to go through the Palm Coast Parkway intersection.
I hope this letter may help some people who never thought about how traveling in the left-hand lane can cause problems to other drivers trying to merge. Thanks for being considerate of other drivers.
Carol Walker
Palm Coast
DEBATING EARLY VOTING
+ Early voting won’t save the taxpayers money
Dear Editor:
I hope that you intend to pursue why the city of Palm Coast thinks early voting at the Supervisor of Elections office in the Government Services Building, in Bunnell, meets the needs of the registered voters in Palm Coast.
It will not save taxpayers money. The city still has to pay for the election staff that runs the early voting at the GSB.
The early voting at the GSB is not even in the city, and it is convenient to no one. An early voting location at the Flagler County Public Library would be the ideal location.
To continue to use the excuse, “It has been that way in the past,” no longer is relevant. There are now more than 55,000 registered voters in the city. The young people — those under 45 — are out working to make a living and in the past have never shown up for a city election.
Why?
Because on voting day, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., these voters are either on the way to work or returning and stuck in traffic on Interstate 95 or I-4, depending on where they are working.
The only means these voters have is to call the election office and request an absentee ballot.
Bob Kegley
Palm Coast
Editor’s Note: According to Supervisor of Elections Kimberle B. Weeks, as of Jan. 31, the county had 65,915 voters; 50,188 live in Palm Coast.
It does cost money to conduct early voting, as opposed to only having polls open on election day. The city can choose where to have early voting set up, but Weeks’ office is the least expensive.
Weeks said: “Having early voting at our office actually saves the city money, as (Government Services Building) staff won’t have to be paid the time necessary to travel off site (and return travel) before early voting opens, or after early voting closes during the early voting period.
“The city will also save on the expense of fuel by choosing to hold early voting at the GSB, as we will not have to use the office van to travel to an early voting site outside the GSB.”
Weeks added that the city also saves money by not having to pay for the delivery and pickup of election equipment to a location away from the GSB.
Weeks also confirmed that anyone who is not available during polling hours may fill out an absentee ballot. To request a form, visit www.flaglerelections.com and click on the button on the left called “Request an Absentee.”
