Author Archives: Mike Phillips
Walking/Cycling Safety Study Needs Your Ideas
Fernandina Beach citizen surveys reveal that safe and accessible walking and biking is a priority [...]
Apr
Pulitzer-Winning ‘Proof’ Opens Here April 14
By Linda McClane The award-winning drama “Proof” opens April 14 at Amelia Community Theatre. The [...]
Apr
Commentary: Challenges and Qualifications for a New City Manager
By the Conserve Nassau Board of Directors The Fernandina Beach City Charter provides general guidelines [...]
Apr
Charlie George to Take Over as Interim Manager 38 Days Early
Interim City Manager Mark Foxworth is stepping down early, on April 14, to let the [...]
Apr
Who’s On First? Commission Wrestles With Manager Process
By Mike Phillips The most important item on yesterday’s city commission agenda was billed as [...]
Apr
Businesswomen: ‘Ungeek’ Your Technology
Attention all Nassau County businesswomen, the Eight Flags Charter Chapter of the American Business Women’s [...]
Apr
Okefenokee: The Swamp Next Door That Is a National Treasure
By Lauri deGaris The Okefenokee Swamp is a unique freshwater ecosystem providing nearly a half-million [...]
Apr
Commentary: Manager Search Must Be Done Professionally
By Margaret Kirkland Chair, Conserve Nassau With the current size and projected growth of Fernandina [...]
Apr
Review: New Cuban Bistro Off to a Delicious Start
By Dylan Bailey When I heard Amelia Island was welcoming another Cuban restaurant, I was [...]
Apr
It’s Almost Time to Build Another City Budget: How That Happens
By Suanne Thamm There is never a good time to be without a permanent, full-time [...]
Apr
Right-Wing Group Proposes Businessman for City Manager
By Mike Lednovich The ultra-conservative political group County Citizens Defending Freedom-Nassau is proposing a retired [...]
Apr
A Big Year for Concours Week
The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (AICVB) has released data on this year’s Amelia [...]
Mar
Conserve Nassau Goes Nonprofit
The Conserve Nassau organization has become a nonprofit dedicated to educating and engaging the community [...]
Mar
Do Nassau Sea Turtle Lighting Regs Need Work?
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics The resurgence of loggerhead sea turtles along the Florida and [...]
Mar
A Recognized Tree City Third Time
Fernandina Beach once again has been recognized as a Tree City by the international program, [...]
Mar
Charlie George to be Tapped as Next Interim City Manager
By Mike Lednovich Deputy City Manager Charlie George will assume the duties of interim [...]
Mar
Hard Choices Ahead on Rec Center Auditorium
By Mike Phillips The reports are in on a study of the costs of repairing [...]
Mar
Meet Four Military-Inspired Writers
If you like to write, kick off your weekend with Amelia Island Writers, who will [...]
Mar
The Good Old Days of City Manager Deals
Fernandina, Florida January 11, 1936 “A called meeting of the City Commission was held this [...]
Mar
Commentary: A Deceit Beyond the Pale
By Mike Phillips Over the years I’ve lost track of how many city commissions and [...]
Mar
Other Proposed Search Advisor is a Mystery Man from 2012 On
By Mike Lednovich Not much was known about the city commission’s appointment of Richard Sala [...]
Mar
Commentary: ‘Criminal Enterprise’ Accusers Now on Record With FBI
By Chip Ross For years a few individuals have publicly stated that the city of [...]
Mar
Here Comes the Big Book Bash!
The annual Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library book sale is almost here. The main [...]
Mar
Search Committee ‘Advisor’ Knew Nothing About It
By Mike Lednovich A long tenured former city manager who was voted by the [...]
Mar
Daniil Trifonov, Acclaimed Pianist, Here April 1
The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival (AICMF) presents Daniil Trifonov, on Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. at [...]
Mar
City Manager Search Group Launched — With Surprise Advisors
By Mike Phillips In a Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting made up primarily of routine [...]
Mar
Port Update: Fertilizer is Off the Table, and the Cement Exodus Will Continue
By Mike Phillips The cement exodus from the Port of Fernandina has slowed but is [...]
Mar
Commentary: What Will it Take to Be United in Keeping Our Paradise?
By Suanne Thamm Hatfields vs. McCoys. Sharks vs. Jets. Natives vs. Newbies. Isn’t it about [...]
Mar
Old Town Home Tour April 8, 10-4
By Jennifer Harrison Old Town Fernadina was the last Spanish town platted in the New [...]
Mar
Why a Mine in Georgia is Our Problem, Too
EDITOR’S NOTE: Many Nassau County residents don’t know that St. Marys Riverkeeper, as part of [...]
Mar
Genealogist to Discuss Resources
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, in the Community Room [...]
Mar
Manager Search Update: No Applications
The Fernandina Observer has learned that there have been no applications received for the city’s [...]
Mar
‘One Book One Community’ Author Luncheon
Enjoy lunch 11:30 a.m. Thursday April 6 as author Katherine Reay discusses her book “The [...]
Mar
New Task Force to Seek Walking and Biking Opportunities
Under the direction of Fernandina Beach Deputy City Manager Charles George, a task force has [...]
Mar
Local PR CEO Named Best in US
The World Communications Forum Association has named Axia Public Relations CEO Jason Mudd as the [...]
Mar
Cement Exodus Update
As of Saturday morning, with the port shut down and no trucks running, there were [...]
Mar
Review: Wickedly Good Wicked BAO
By Dylan Bailey Down an unassuming street in Fernandina Beach, lives a restaurant you won’t [...]
Mar
Leadership Training for Nassau County
The Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Florida Institute for Political Leadership [...]
Mar
A Scramble to Get Cement Out of the Port
This is the aftermath of just one busted bag. (Photo taken last month.) Trucks started [...]
Mar
Pat’s Wildways: New Gardening Mishaps
By Pat Foster-Turley March 17, 2023 I’ve been gardening in my backyard for 20-some years [...]
Mar
Habitat Golf Tournament Coming Next Month
Nassau Habitat for Humanity is holding its second annual golf tournament on April 21 at [...]
First Presbyterian Hosting Food Drive for Barnabas
First Presbyterian Church is supporting Barnabas Center to collect healthy food donations on March 23 [...]
Commentary: What a Mess We Are In, Fernandina!
By Suanne Thamm Confused. Frustrated. Unhappy. Angry. Suspicious. These are just a few of the [...]
Mar
Story and Song Names an Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture has selected [...]
Mar
Nassau Big/Little Sisters Pair Named Tops in Florida
Every year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America chooses two volunteer mentors (called ‘Bigs’) and [...]
Mar
Friend of Sturges Pressured Antun to Terminate Martin
By April L. Bogle William Bailey, a friend of Fernandina Beach City Commissioner David Sturges, [...]
Mar
Florida Main Street Day Is Coming Up
Tallahassee – Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced today, March 15 as this year’s [...]
Mar
A Big Win for Cruise Ships Opponents at Port Commission Meeting
The cruise ship idea is dead. As the Port of Fernandina master planning process drew [...]
Mar
Employers Wanted for Youth Work Program
CareerSource Northeast Florida (CareerSource NEFL) is recruiting regional employers to serve as job sites for [...]
Mar
Professional Development for Business Women
The Eight Flags Charter Chapter of American Business Women invites all Nassau County women to [...]
Mar
News Commentary: Commission’s City Manager Search Gets Off to a Ragged Start
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach is searching for its most important executive, the city manager. [...]
Mar
Commission Gives Unsafe Brett’s Structure a Pass
By Mike Phillips Neatly tucked into the March 7 city commission agenda was a small [...]
Mar
The Scramble to Fire a City Manager — And Then What?
By April L. Bogle This article highlights milestones leading up to and following the Feb. [...]
Mar
Think Ahead, Port! And Get Creative!
By Tammi Kosack Dear commissioners, As a stakeholder representative I have received scores of emails [...]
Mar
Commentary: A Good City Manager is Hard to Find — And Too Easy to Fire
Editor’s note: This commentary first appeared in 2015, but it’s as fresh as it was [...]
Mar
Second Year of Heroes for Barnabas
This year’s second annual Barnabas Center Fashion Show honoring Hometown Heroes took place on Monday, [...]
Mar
Port Commission Will Vote on its Plan March 8
The Ocean Highway Port Authority (OHPA) commissioners are preparing to vote on a final version [...]
Feb
Commentary: More Questions than Transparency in Firing
THAMM-O-GRAMM By Suanne Thamm When Vice Mayor David Sturges showed up at the City Commission [...]
Feb
A New Backpacks for Kids Program in Nassau
The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the Amelia Island Tourist Development [...]
Feb
Nassau Firefighters to Train for Derailments
Nassau County Emergency Management (NCEM) will hold a multi-agency tabletop emergency response exercise in its [...]
Feb
Neighbors Seek Review of RV Park Approval
On Tuesday, Pirates Bay residents filed a writ of certiorari requesting judicial review of the [...]
Feb
As Expected, City Manager Fired
By Mike Phillips Was it a done deal? Of course it was. Well before the [...]
Feb
Mystery: Port Meeting Cancelled ‘Until Further Notice’
That’s all the notification said. The Wednesday meeting is cancelled. No reason given. It’s known [...]
Feb
Commentary: Cement Dust and Nassau’s Waterways
Editor’s note: St Marys Riverkeeper — one of 15 Riverkeeper units in Florida — [...]
Feb
Library Director Ends a Distinguished Career
Library Director Dawn Bostwick retired last week after 27 years of service, 22 of those [...]
Feb
LGBTQ Scholarships: It’s Time to Apply
Fernandina Beach Pride has announced that its yearly Fernandina Beach Pride Scholarship, which celebrates service [...]
Feb
Invader Raiders Are Death to Invasive Plants
If you went to the beach last fall and didn’t run into a bunch of [...]
Feb
Boat Ramp Repairs
The North End (Dee Dee Bartels) Boat Ramp is temporarily closed. A piling on the [...]
Feb
Grants for Florida Non-Profits Serving ‘Medically Complex’ Children
The CareSource Foundation has announced that nonprofit organizations in Florida are eligible for funding through [...]
Feb
Why the Tringali Townhouse Proposal Was Taken Off the Table
By Tammi Bach Fernandina Beach City Attorney I have reviewed application materials, engineered plans, emails [...]
Feb
How Fernandina Beach Came to Be Restored
The Amelia Island Museum of History will present a lecture by Buddy Jacobs on the [...]
Feb
Calling All Quilt-Lovers, ‘Quilts by the Sea’ Is This Weekend
The Amelia Island Quilt Guild’s triennial quilt show, Quilts by the Sea, will be this [...]
Feb
Restaurant Review: a Hidden Gem the Tourists Haven’t Found
By Dylan Bailey I have lived around the Amelia Island area for more than 15 [...]
Feb
Order of Publication
In the Juvenile Court of Putnam County, Tennessee at Cookeville, Tennessee Ann Marie Fisk VS [...]
Feb
A Bash to Kick Off Concours
CarCoterie hosts The Hangar, on March 4, as a kick-off to the widely attended Concours [...]
Feb