Author Archives: Mike Phillips
Mocama Wildlight Taproom to Open Saturday Oct. 14
Mocama Beer Company is opening a satellite taproom, located in Wildlight’s former StoryCenter, Saturday, Oct. [...]
Oct
Baptists Safe in Jordan, Flying Home ASAP
A group of 54 people touring Israel with First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach has safely [...]
Oct
Famed Cellist to Headline Amelia Chamber Festival Season
The cellist who came to international fame in 2018 when he performed at the wedding [...]
Oct
Habitat’s ‘She Nailed It’ Fundraiser Coming Oct. 22
Nassau Habitat for Humanity’s second annual “She Nailed It!” event is coming Oct. 22. This [...]
Oct
Peck Center Field Issue Grows Bigger than the Field
By Mike Lednovich Impassioned members of Fernandina Beach’s black community came out Tuesday and voiced [...]
Oct
State of the City: A First of Five Responses to Ty Ross
STATE OF THE CITY – By Chip Ross 10 October 2023 Last week all the [...]
Oct
Scary Event at Harris Teeter
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office on Monday afternoon held a news conference to discuss an [...]
Oct
A Spooky Opera at Disco Witch Brewing
By Wilma Allen If you’re an opera buff thirsting for music close to home, [...]
Oct
Baskets: Nature’s Gift to Hold Nature’s Harvest
By Lauri deGaris It is time to gather the gifts of summer, it is time [...]
Oct
Noelle’s: Small Menu, But Tacos With Big Flavor
By Dylan Bailey The story of Noelle’s Crunchy Taco, a small food truck stationed [...]
Oct
Commentary: Insults on Local Media Unworthy of the Mayor’s Chair
By Mike Lednovich At Tuesday night’s city commission meeting, Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean’s unvarnished [...]
Oct
What’s With Atlantic Seafood? Good Question, No Answers
By Mike Lednovich When developer Ernie Saltmarsh assumed the lease on the failing Atlantic Seafood [...]
Oct
Hotels Get Right to Make Walkway Over Public Dune and Heritage Trees
By Mike Lednovich Championed by Mayor Bradley Bean and Commissioner Darron Ayscue, the Fernandina Beach [...]
Oct
Port Director Exit Pay Will Cost More for Doing it Right
By Mike Lednovich “A contract is a contract,” Ocean Highway and Port Authority Commissioner Mike [...]
Oct
Many Questions About a Dune Walkover for Two Hotels
By Mike Lednovich Two hotels are seeking to connect access with each other by constructing [...]
Oct
The Language of Trees Gladdens Human Hearts
By Linda Hart Green I grew up with “sand between my toes,” as my parents [...]
Oct
A Comment for and About William H. Goodwin Junior
Dear Sir, I’ve been reading about you. I do that a lot: reading about people [...]
Oct
Mullet on the Beach! A Time-Honored Tradition Arrives
By Lauri deGaris Fall has arrived! I have been waiting all summer for this turn [...]
Sep
At KP’s, a South Island Gem of a Restaurant
By Dylan Bailey While the allure of Centre Street in Fernandina Beach is undeniably magnetic, [...]
Sep
Code Change Study: Clarity or an End Run on Neighborhood Character?
By Mike Lednovich A parade of speakers voiced its concerns to the Planning Advisory Board [...]
Sep
Amelia Montessori to Celebrate 50 Years
Amelia Island Montessori School (AIMS) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this school year and will [...]
Sep
ACT’s 43rd Opens With a Classic Family Comedy
Amelia Community Theatre opens its 43rd season with the family comedy “Over the River and [...]
Sep
Got Empty Shelves? The Fall Book Sale is Coming Up
Dust off your backpack, carry-all or little red wagon: the Friends of the Fernandina Beach [...]
Sep
Local Pups Book a 100% Fundraiser for Animal Shelters
More than 80 photos of local pups highlight the Amelia Island Dog Lovers Guide, a [...]
Sep
Port Tugboat Mess Is Running up Costs for Customers
By Mike Lednovich The deadline to have the Port of Fernandina’s tugboat Fort Clinch certified [...]
Sep
Commentary: How a Jeweler Would Untangle a Community
By Linda Hart Green My jeweler/watchmaker father earned a nickname in the community where his [...]
Sep
And Now, a Food Truck for Crepes: The Real Deal!
By Dylan Bailey Food trucks have been steadily gaining popularity for their unique offerings and [...]
Sep
Buy a House? Much Ado Over Ty Ross’s Compensation
By Mike Lednovich One city commissioner wants the city to buy a house where all [...]
Sep
Oh, by the Way: They Raised Their Salaries 50%
By Mike Lednovich There was no mention that the 2023-2024 Fernandina Beach city budget included [...]
Sep
A Tough Decision Gets a Board of Adjustments Variance
By Mike Phillips It can be tough serving on the Fernandina Board of Adjustments. People [...]
Sep
Against Advice, City Votes to Lower Hook-Up Fees
By Mike Lednovich Four city commissioners voted Tuesday to ignore the advice of their paid [...]
Sep
Commentary: How Can We Cure America’s Polarization?
By Linda Hart Green My father was a jeweler and a watchmaker. He carried on [...]
Sep
New Port Customs House Wrinkle: Feds Will Prevail
By Mike Lednovich The latest twist in the ongoing controversy regarding the U.S. Customs and [...]
Sep
A Low Country Wonder: the World of Salt Marshes
By Lauri deGaris The fall equinox is fast approaching, it arrives Sept. 23, 2023. Days [...]
Sep
Espana: In New Hands, but as Good as Ever
By Dylan Bailey Tucked away on South Fourth Street, España Restaurant & Tapas has been [...]
Sep
Pickleball Here, Pickleball Everywhere — and More to Come
By Wilma Allen “We are a little obsessed with Pickleball,” Shelly Duncan wrote in an [...]
Sep
Utility Chief Asks That New Study Be Used to Set Fees
By Mike Lednovich City Utilities Director Andre Desilet has sent a letter to city commissioners [...]
Sep
Commentary: Vote AFTER the People Have Spoken
By Mike Lednovich Twice in eight days the Fernandina Beach City Commission told residents your [...]
Sep
Arts Alive Is Cranking Up in Nassau Schools
By Wilma Allen Starting next week, hundreds of local kids will be raising their paint [...]
Sep
Port Commission Still Short of a Valid Budget
By Mike Phillips It was an unhappy crew of port authority commissioners who gathered Wednesday [...]
Sep
Fernandina’s New City Manager: Ty Ross
By Mike Lednovich It took the Fernandina Beach City Commission just over two hours to [...]
Sep
Huge School Tax Increase Debated — but Passed — by Board
By Mike Lednovich It’s bad news for local property owners as the Nassau County School [...]
Sep
How Citizens Say OPHA Should Sell Lots
After hearing input in August from more than 40 citizens about the Ocean Highway and [...]
Sep
Meet the City Manager Candidates Monday
By Mike Lednovich Citizens can meet and ask questions Monday of the four final candidates [...]
Sep
The Hot Southern Chef Is Coming to Town
As Food Network Celebrity Chef Jason Smith would say, “Honey, if cookin’ is a chore, [...]
Sep
Update on Vote-by-Mail Confusion
The Observer recently reported that 12,295 vote-by-mail registrations in Nassau County had been invalidated by [...]
Sep
Care Centers Looking for Volunteers
Care Centers of Nassau has served the developmentally disabled population since 1975. It is a [...]
Sep
First-Class Italian, But Not Where You’d Expect It
By Dylan Bailey While cruising along A1A, you might notice a seemingly ordinary Italian spot [...]
Sep
Cars and Cannons Coming Up
Cars and Cannons Vintage Car Show is a unique, once-a-year opportunity to see more than [...]
Sep
Commentary: Bean’s Gavel Is Honorary, Not a Weapon
By Mike Lednovich Mayor Bradley Bean last Tuesday night silenced a sitting city commissioner who [...]
Sep
This Iconic Tree at the Downtown Entrance Needs Friends
By Mike Lednovich Representing an alliance of conservation groups, Julie Ferreira with the Nassau County [...]
Sep
Chip Ross Says It’s Density, One Slice at a Time
By Mike Lednovich Three decisions by the City Commission Tuesday night could clear the path [...]
Sep
Riverfront Leads as City’s Main Grant Target
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach’s long delayed riverfront flood protection wall, estimated at $16 million [...]
Sep
Tree Conservancy Joins CARD in Suit Against Towers
On April 24, 2023, the Nassau County Commissioners agreed to permit Riverstone Properties to build [...]
Sep
Commentary: Turning Sympathy Into Empathy
By Linda Hart Green I had a different topic chosen for this commentary. I couldn’t [...]
Sep
Yummy Sushi Is, Well, Pretty Darned Yummy
By Dylan Bailey Stashed behind LUV Car Wash, Yummy Sushi is a relatively new exponent [...]
Sep
Commentary: Finding Divine Goodness in Angry Times
By April L. Bogle My father was a pious young man who attended a Bible [...]
Sep
Like Voting by Mail? You Probably Have Some Work to Do
By Mike Lednovich Nassau County Supervisor of Elections Janet Adkins has been notified that 12,225 [...]
Sep
Tokitae: A Captive Orca Who Never Forgot Her Mother’s Song
By Lauri deGaris I wept when I learned Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut or Tokitae, resident Orca from the [...]
Sep
Seaweed: Call It Not a Weed, But a Flower of the Sea
By Lauri deGaris There are many types of seaweed, and their color and grace are [...]
Sep
Sturges Wants Commission to Talk About Density
By Mike Lednovich Vice Mayor David Sturges wants to discuss the definition of density in [...]
Sep
Tornado Watch Wednesday Aug. 30, 11 am
Wind gusts are getting much higher, and Nassau County is under a tornado watch. Authorities [...]
Aug
The Latest (7:30 am Aug 30): Still Under Tropical Storm Warning
Issued By Jacksonville – FL, US, National Weather Service Affected Area Coastal Nassau County Description [...]
Aug
Minor Coastal Flooding through 11 pm Today, Aug 30
COASTAL NASSAU-COASTAL DUVAL-COASTAL ST. JOHNS-COASTAL FLAGLER- 509 PM EDT TUE AUG 29 2023 …HIGH RIP [...]
Aug
The Island in Fiction: Newest Museum Exhibit
Join the Amelia Island Museum of History on the evening of Friday, September 15 for [...]
Aug
9:30 a.m. Aug 28 Weather Notice
The U.S. Weather Service is forecasting at this time that Hurricane Idalia will make landfall [...]
Aug
Port Commission Seeks Input on Lots to Be Sold
Port commissioners are sponsoring an outdoor listening session for the public at one of the [...]
Aug
Child Book Authors at Book Loft Sept. 2
Child book authors Frank and Rose Winn are a father-daughter team who will be at [...]
Aug
Book Fest: A Famous Chef and a Funny Southern Cook
The Amelia Island Book Festival guests for its 2023 fall luncheon are the celebrated French [...]
Aug
Grants for Nonprofits That Help Youth Are Offered
VyStar Foundation is now accepting grant requests for its youth initiative. Funding priority will be [...]
Aug
Spotted Horsemint: It Crowns a Beautiful Sabbath Day
By Lauri deGaris Every Sunday morning, I must rise before the bird song is heard [...]
Aug
Commentary: Musing About Connections That Make Life Better
By Linda Hart Green I took a photo of a mishmash of wiring out of [...]
Aug
Fifth Annual Dance Season Set, Tickets Going Fast
By Wilma Allen Thanks to enthusiastic audiences and sold-out performances in its first four seasons, [...]
Aug
Only in Fernandina Beach: The Eclectic Band Sonofarious
Scott Kessler, Marcus Yew. Bottom: Brenda Kayne, Nora Wittman, Munsell McPhillips By Wilma Allen With [...]
Aug
7 Brew: Drive-Thru Only, but Heavenly Coffees
By Dylan Bailey It’s not every day you see a new coffee shop opening within [...]
Aug