Author Archives: Mike Phillips
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
Port Decisions Coming into the Final Weeks
By Mike Phillips What was expected to be a conclusive port commissioners meeting last evening [...]
Feb
Commentary: A Voice of Reason from Suanne Thamm
Dear Readers: Some of you may remember that before I wrote for the Fernandina Observer, [...]
Feb
Late Commission News: a Move to Fire the City Manager
By Mike Lednovich Citing a litany of mismanagement and lack of communication, Vice Mayor David [...]
Feb
Big, Mysterious Surprise on Townhouse Proposal
By Mike Phillips City Hall was packed last night. Standing room only of citizens, many [...]
Feb
Commentary: Eminent Attorney Challenges City Attorney on Important Land-Use Case
Editor’s note: The following piece of advice to the Fernandina Beach City Commission was written [...]
Feb
Worldwide, Cement Dust is a Serious Issue
Editor’s note: I’m very liberal about reader comments. So long as you aren’t calling [...]
Feb
Commentary: It’s No Wetland — It’s a Mud Bank That Could Be a Park
By Bob Allison City citizens who have read the waterfront plan I provided to the [...]
Feb
Huge Concrete Dust Bags Rupture at Port
By Mike Lednovich Residents of the historic downtown neighborhood near the Port [...]
Feb
Commentary: Does This City Want to Lose $500,000 a Year on its Marina?
By Chip Ross Ten years ago, when former Commissioner Pat Gass asked when the city [...]
Feb
It’s a Non-Partisan City Government — But Are You Sure?
By April L. Bogle I don’t know anyone who wants the political battles being fought [...]
Jan
Big Raise Approved for Nassau Teachers
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Nassau County is making moves, working to better compensate the [...]
Jan
Commentary: Townhouses in a Neighborhood That Cherishes Its History – and the Law
By Julie Ferreira The Fernandina Beach City Commission is poised to make a significant decision [...]
Jan
Commentary — Townhouses: A View From the Historic District
By Taina Cristner Most of us are very concerned about the impact this new [...]
Jan
Commentary: A Rebuttal of a Rebuttal on Waterfront Plans
By Bob Allison I read with interest Commissioner Chip Ross’s rebuttal to my article about [...]
Jan
A Friend of Fernandina and The Observer Has Passed
Editor’s note: We were saddened to learn of the death of Malcolm “Mac” Noden. While [...]
Jan
Pay Up to Tee Up: Golf Fees Soaring on the Island
By Mike Lednovich Domenick Gambardella and Carla Foreman were stunned after receiving an email late [...]
Jan
A Starring Role for Trees at City Hall
It was a good evening for trees at this week’s Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting. [...]
Jan
Commentary: Much Ado Over an Old Waterfront Plan
Editor’s note: It’s unusual, I know, for one news organization to publish a rebuttal to [...]
Jan
It’s Time Again to Get Books to Children
Ferst Readers of Nassau County is once again partnering with Nassau County Public Schools for [...]
Jan
Restaurant Review: The Old/New Crab Trap Is a Delight
By Dylan Bailey The Crab Trap, at 31 N. 2nd St., was long a staple [...]
Jan
Habitat Is On a Roll
As the Nassau Habitat for Humanity team rings in the new year, breaking ground on [...]
Jan
COMMENTARY: A Proud and Fearless Day, 45 Years Later
By Alexandra R. Lajoux Yesterday in Fernandina Beach, our community hosted the biggest local parade [...]
Jan
COMMENTARY: Why the Rush to Change City Elections?
By Genece Minshew Well, that did not take long. Less than a month in office, [...]
Jan
Port-City Meeting Worked in More Ways Than One
By Mike Phillips The city commission and port executives and commissioners had a mutually respectful [...]
Jan
Legislators Hear From Tree Advocates
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Conservative state legislatures like to pass municipal preemption laws to [...]
Jan
Free Dental Clinic for Kids
Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) is hosting the Jacksonville Dental Society’s annual Give Kids [...]
Jan
Barnabas Fashion Show Fund-Raiser
This year’s second Barnabas Center Fashion Show Honoring Hometown Heroes takes place Monday, Feb. 27, [...]
Jan
COMMENTARY: Let’s Keep Our Non-Partisan Elections Non-Partisan
By Arlene Filkoff On the Fernandina Beach City Commission agenda for Jan. 17 is an [...]
Jan
Genealogy Group to View New Software
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the Community Room [...]
Jan
Fernandina Memories at the Museum
On Monday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m., the Duncan Lamont Clinch Historical Society will present [...]
Jan
Three Churches, One Partnership Offering Spiritual and Physical Support
By Elizabeth Matthews The COVID impact was felt far and wide. During that time, three [...]
Jan
More Than a Concert: A Bridge for Peace
The 22nd season of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival continues with a timely performance on Tuesday, Jan. [...]
Jan
Local Man Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A 35-year-old Fernandina Beach man, Cooper Morgenthau, has pleaded guilty to [...]
Jan
Starting Point Open House: Jan. 13
Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare will host an interactive open house Friday, Jan. 13, 4-6 p.m., [...]
Jan
Job-Hunting? Here’s a Virtual Job Fair Jan. 12
More than 30 companies throughout the region will be connecting with job seekers during the CareerSource [...]
Jan
Commentary: a Heartfelt Argument for Girls’ Softball
by Amber Stuckey Board Member of Elm Street Little League Some of my fondest [...]
Jan
If You’ve Lost Someone, This Is For You
“Understanding Grief” is designed to help people learn that healing is possible after the death [...]
Jan
Want to Honor a Really Special Park Ranger?
The Florida Park Service Ranger Association is hosting the 2023 Park Ranger of the Year [...]
Jan
‘Impaired’ Properties Continued: More of the Story
By Mike Phillips Although the bureaucratic tangle around the Jasmine Street beach access clearly is [...]
Dec
Library Book Club Back in Business
After an extended Covid-caused hiatus, the Friends of the Library Book Club has regrouped and [...]
Dec
Commentary: What’s the Risk at Jasmine Street? And Why is it a Mystery?
By Mike Phillips Somehow, on July 11, the Jasmine Street beach access and some [...]
Dec
No More Crepes, but a Good New Restaurant
Editor’s Note: The author is our new restaurant and culture writer. Think that’s an odd [...]
Dec
Chamber Music Festival Opening Is Coming Up
The 22nd season of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival will open on Friday, Jan. 13 with a [...]
Dec
Ayscue and Antun Win City Commission Seats
Here are the provisional results from the Dec. 13 Fernandina Beach City Commission election: Seat [...]
Dec
Do Partisan Politics Have a Place in Our Small-Town Elections?
By Mike Phillips Observer Editor Now that the Fernandina Beach runoff election is over, no [...]
Dec
They Met, and They Got Something Down the Road!
It’s master planning time again at the Port of Fernandina. It comes around every 10 [...]
Dec
The Port Thinks Big – and Bigger – and Bigger
The Port of Fernandina has completed its first draft of a 10-year master plan. It’s [...]
Dec
Exhibit of Amelia Excavations — Plus Lecture on Big Talbot Digs
Stories Underground highlights significant archaeological excavations on Amelia Island, from crude 19th-century explorations of native burial [...]
Dec
A Big Saturday Coming Up
Dec.10 in Fernandina Beach will be big. Not only will both the Market Place farmers [...]
Dec
It Came from the Attic: A Community Show and Tell Event
For lovers of old objects and photographs, the joy comes more from the story behind [...]
Dec
Arts and Culture Celebrates with More Public Art
Arts and Culture Nassau recently celebrated its 15th anniversary in front of a new public [...]
Dec
Commentary: Questions for Michael Lednovich
If elected, what would be your first priority as a new commissioner? Finishing the city [...]
Nov
Records Settlement Vindicates Nassau Employee — and Rayonier
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Another chapter involving former Nassau County Attorney Michael Mullin is closed, [...]
Nov
Businesswomen: Holiday Event with Donna Paz Kaufman
All businesswomen of Nassau County are invited to join the Eight Flags Chapter of the [...]
Nov
Church Work: Helping with the Pain of Divorce
Editor’s note: Nassau County’s many churches reach out into the community, finding and meeting needs [...]
Nov
Commentary: Questions for Darron Ayscue
Editor’s note: This is the third response of four by candidates in the city commission [...]
Nov
Holiday Comedy at ACT Opens Dec. 2
This December, Amelia Community Theatre returns full of good cheer to Pemberley, the Darcy estate [...]
Nov
Commentary: Questions for James Antun
Your first priority if elected. if elected, my first priority as a new commissioner would [...]
Nov
Nao Trinidad Returning
This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Magellan-Elcano expedition. Ferdinand Magellan, admiral of the [...]
Nov
COMMENTARY: Whither Nassau County?
By Bill Gingrich Nassau County voters cast their election ballots in favor of who they [...]
Nov
Open House for ‘The Club’
The Nassau County Council on Aging will host an open house for “The Club,” the [...]
Nov
A Dozen Questions for the Runoff Candidates: Genece Minshew
Editor’s note: After seeking questions from quite a number of thoughtful citizens, we boiled their [...]
Nov
Nassau Teacher Nominated for Major National Award
Fernandina Beach Middle School seventh grade teacher Bailee Jones has been nominated for the 2022-23 [...]
Nov
It’s Time to Think About Dickens Again
“Dickens on Centre” once again will be a highlight of the season. A Victorian-themed celebration [...]
Nov
Commentary: What a Remarkable Community Effort Looks Like
By Pam Hart Chair of the Protect Nassau Now or Never PAC We are thrilled [...]
Nov
COMMENTARY: How Covid Has Changed Health Care
By Diana Twiggs, MD It is not an exaggeration to say the coronavirus pandemic forever [...]
Nov