Florida

Tomorrow night is Light-Up! Night at 6:30pm
Two former Mayors will turn the switches to start the 19th season
The most exciting moment on Light-Up! Night is light-up itself with the honor of “flipping-the-switch” to light the city’s tree and the city itself being shared each year by members of the community.
For the 2012 Light-Up! Night, Mayor Joe Boles has invited two former mayors to launch this year’s holiday lighting, one who led the city during its 400th anniversary in 1965, and another who flipped-the-switch the very first year of the Nights of Lights in 1994.
For the tree lighting, Mayor Boles asked former Mayor John Bailey, Sr. to do the honor. Bailey served as St. Augustine’s Mayor from 1965-1967 which coincided with St. Augustine’s 400th anniversary. Boles indicated that as our community draws closer to the commemoration of the 450th anniversary of the city’s founding, it is fitting to honor one who was so instrumental in the city’s quadricentennial commemoration.
Then, to light the city, Mayor Boles asked former Mayor Greg Baker to repeat the role he played 19 years ago as the first person to turn the switch that launches the Nights of Lights. Baker, who served as mayor from 1992-1995, was at the city’s helm when the decision was made to develop the Nights of Lights and appropriately was the one to presided over the inaugural season.
“It would be near impossible to find two members of our community who have contributed anymore in their professional and personal lives or have better served the city during their terms of office,” said Boles in making the announcement. “Both of these public servants have never hesitated to give of their time for our city, and I am delighted they accepted the invitation to give us a little more of their time for Light-Up! Night.”
Light-Up! Night takes place in the Plaza de la Constitución on Saturday, November 17 with entertainment starting at 4:00pm and the lighting ceremony starting at 6:30pm with light-up set for 6:45pm.
For complete details regarding Light-Up! Night, visit www.lightupnight.info, and for loads of information including a calendar of upcoming events during the 10-week long Nights of Lights visit www.nightsoflights.com.

Traffic details for Light-Up! Night and St. Augustine Half Marathon
Activities related to Light-Up! Night, the opening ceremony for the 19th season of the Nights of Lights and the St. Augustine Half Marathon will necessitate a number of disruptions of traffic in downtown St. Augustine on Saturday and Sunday, November 17 and 18. Details of road closures and detours are available here.

Discover First America! Program Adventure returns next Tuesday
The Discover First America! Program Adventure returns starting on Tuesday, November 20 at 7:00pm. The free, five-part entertainment series, held at Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College, 14 Granada Street, explores facets of St. Augustine’s rich history and culture. Each program will begin at 7:00pm with the doors opening at 6:00pm for seating, lobby displays, information and book signings.
The program schedule is:
– November 20, 2012: Mythbusters! Fact & Fiction in St. Augustine’s History
– December 5, 2012: Ancient City Musicale: 450 Years of Song & Dance
– January 9, 2013: Palace in Paradise: The Hotel Ponce de Leon Turns 125
– January 23, 2013: Juan Ponce de León Finds La Florida
– March 14, 2013: Revolt! Revolutionary War Trials & Tribulations in St. Augustine
St. Augustine 450th Commemoration passports will be given to all participants. Souvenir stampings in the passport will be provided at each program. The Discover First America! Program Adventure is sponsored by the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration, Flagler College, Florida Power & Light Company, St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra on Florida’s Historic Coast, The St. Augustine Record, Augustine.com, SGS Art & Design, and City Gate Productions.
Additional details about the entire The Discover First America! Program Adventure at www.staugustine-450.com.

On The Break Room this week: Discover First America
This week’s edition of The Break Room welcomes 450th Commemoration Director, Dana Ste. Claire for a preview of the return of the very popular Discover First America! Program Adventure.
Each week the friendly and informative style of The Break Room offers the community an opportunity to know a little more about how their city works by getting to know those who do the work every day. The Break Room airs Wednesdays at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 8:00am, and each program is archived at www.breakroom.info as podcasts available for download anytime. To listen to this week’s program immediately, click here.

Let Advanced Disposal do your shreading for free tomorrow
Advanced Disposal is sponsoring its second annual St. Johns County Shredding Event. St. Johns County residents and businesses are invited to safely destroy old personal documents that should not be carelessly thrown out with the trash. Note that there is a three-box limit per household or business.
Planned for Saturday, November 17, the shreading service runs from 9:00am until 1:00pm at the Anastasia Square Shopping Center, corner of SR 312 and Hwy A1A. To see and print a flyer for your information or to share, click here. For more information on the shredding event, call Advanced Disposal at 904.827.1005.

Thanksgiving holiday closings for the City of St. Augustine
Offices for the City of St. Augustine will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 22 and 23 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, but the solid waste collection schedule will remain unchanged.

Post-Thanksgiving FOG collection returns
Used fats, oils and grease to be collected on Monday, November 26
The City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County Utilities have joined together for the second year to collect used cooking oil and grease (FOG) following the Thanksgiving holiday.
The recycling collection is set for Monday, November 26, 7:30am–3:30pm at two recycling drop points:
— 25 W. Castillo Drive (Francis Field); and
— 840 West 16th Street on Anastasia Island.
This opportunity allows residents to properly dispose of large amounts of used cooking oil to be recycled into usable products such as biodiesel fuel. Participants are asked to allow used cooking grease to cool prior to delivering it in a safe container that will not melt or shatter. Also, to help in collecting oil in the future, each participant will receive a free funnel for future recycling efforts.
When cooking oil is improperly disposed of down the drain, it can clog sewer pipes and create environmental and public health hazards. Problems with sewer lines typically increase around the holidays when people are washing a lot of greasy and fatty foods down the drain. The fats, oils and greases build up inside sewer pipes and can cause raw sewage to back up and overflow into homes, businesses and the environment.
But it is not necessary to wait until Thanksgiving to recycle cooking oil. There are six locations throughout the county that accepts used cooking oil year round. For a list of the locations and directions, click here.
For more information on the collection and other cooking oil recycling efforts, contact Glabra Skipp, City of St. Augustine at 904.209.4284 or Stacy Kowlsen, St. Johns County at 904.209.2662.

End of Daylight Saving Time marks watering schedule change
With the return of Eastern Standard Time last Sunday, watering schedules also changed from twice a week to once a week whether the water source is private wells and pumps, ground or surface water, or water from public and private utilities.
The day specified for watering at residential properties depends on the address: odd numbered addresses water on Saturday only and even numbered ones only on Sunday. Non residential properties are allowed to water only on Tuesdays. Watering should be done only when needed, never between 10:00am and 4:00pm, and never for more than one hour per zone.
For more information, including details regarding some exceptions to the restrictions, visit the frequent asked questions offered on the St. Johns River Water Management District’s website here.

Make plans now to participate in the St. Augustine Christmas Parade
As it has every year for over half a century, the St. Augustine Christmas Parade is a sure sign that the holiday season has arrived. Scheduled for Saturday, December 1 starting at 10:00am, now is the time for businesses, community organizations and school groups to plan their entry and secure their spot by calling 904.824.4997.

No trucks on Lemon St.
Effective immediately and continuing through the construction work on the US-1/Ponce de Leon Blvd. San Sebastian Bridge, trucks are prohibited on Lemon St. Earlier this week the city placed signs noting the prohibition on the western end of Lemon St. at its intersection with US-1/Ponce de Leon Blvd.

Understanding the impacts of coastal change
UF & GTMNERR hosting three year project
Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) from multiple disciplines, including urban and regional planning, engineering, and landscape architecture, are working with staff at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) to understand the potential impacts of coastal change and sea level rise in the Matanzas Basin. The goal of the project is to collect, generate, and share information about the potential impacts of coastal change and strategies for adaptation with community leaders and the public to facilitate more resilient communities and natural systems.
Two workshops on the project will be held for St. Augustine residents on Thursday, December 6. The first will be at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm (999 Anastasia Blvd.) starting at 9:00am, and the other at Flagler College (74 King St.) starting at 5:30pm. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to Emily Montgomery by calling 904.823.2291 or by email at emily.montgomery@dep.state.fl.us.
For more information about the project, visit www.PlanningMatanzas.org.

Commission sets two workshops in December
December’s busy holiday season will result in the Commission having only one regular meeting, scheduled for December 10, but the Commission has also scheduled two workshops that month.
The first workshop, set to start at 4:00pm on December 10, concerns the future of the carpet golf facility located near the City Marina. The second workshop on Thursday, December 13 at 9:00am, will be a discussion of modifications to the city zoning code, starting with the use of Planned Unit Developments (PUD).
All of the meetings will be held in The Alcazar Room in City Hall, 75 King St. When available, agendas for the meetings will be posted on the city’s web site here.

Opportunities to serve
The City Commission is accepting applications to fill vacancies on:
— the Code Enforcement, Adjustments & Appeals Board, and
— the Board of Trustees St. Augustine Police Officers’ Retirement System.
Interested individuals who reside within the city limits of the City of St. Augustine are invited to submit applications for this volunteer board. Applications are requested by Friday, November 30 with appointments tentatively scheduled for the City Commission meeting of Monday, December 10. For information concerning qualifications and applications please contact the City Clerk’s office at 825-1007. The application form is available on the city’s web site by clicking here.

Meeting schedule and agendas
General Employees Retirement Board. Wednesday, November 28. For more information, click here.
Police Department Retirement Board. November 28. For more information, click here.
City Commission Reorganizational meeting. Monday, December 3. When available, the agenda will be here.
Planning and Zoning Board. Tuesday, December 4. Agenda is here.
City Commission regular meeting. Monday, December 10. When available, the agenda will be here.

All agenda, minutes and GTV info
Agendas and minutes for all city meetings can be found at www.staugustinegovernment.com with a schedule of upcoming meetings listed under City Calendar. City Commission meetings are broadcast live via GTV (Comcast Channel 3 in St. Augustine) each second and fourth Monday at 5:00pm. Commission meetings are also recorded and rebroadcast as are Planning and Zoning Board and Historic Architectural Review Board meetings. For a current schedule of all programming on GTV, click here.

Source: City of St. Augustine