Numbers Show Upswing in Visitation to Florida’s Historic Coast
Oct 23rd
The latest tourism numbers show Florida’s Historic Coast has registered an impressive gain in visitors for both the month of September and for the just-ended fiscal year. In fact, visitation to the area was far ahead of the average for the State of Florida as a whole.
“The data confirm the success of the work we’ve done to insure the continued growth of tourism on Florida’s Historic Coast,” said Richard Goldman, executive director of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau
. “Our marketing efforts over the past year, combined with great events, attractions and outstanding accommodations, have resulted in positive, measurable results – results we hope will continue into the future.”
Goldman said that for the fiscal year (October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2012), occupancy of Florida’s Historic Coast accommodations was up 4.2 percent over the previous year – significantly higher than the 3.3 per cent increase registered for the entire state during the same period. For September, occupancy here was up 6.7 percent over September 2011. The average daily rate for accommodations increased 4.6 percent for the year – just slightly ahead of the 4.3 percent increase recorded statewide. The increase in revenue per available room was particularly impressive – up 9 percent for the year, well ahead of the 7.7 percent increase registered for the Sunshine State. Especially encouraging was the 9.8 percent increase is room revenue for September and an overall 9 percent increase for the entire year.
The upcoming Nights of Lights, selected last year by National Geographic as one of the Top Ten holiday light displays in the world, should further stimulate visitation to the area. The Nights of Lights, combined with 500th Anniversary of Florida events, including an impressive Picasso exhibit opening in February in St. Augustine, will hopefully insure the tourism future of Florida’s Historic Coast will be as bright as the nearly three million lights that will twinkle in St. Augustine’s historic district from November 17 through January 31.
Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast features historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches – the same beaches that greeted Ponce de Leon on his historic 1513 discovery of the land he named La Florida.
For more information on events, activities, holiday getaways and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com.
Source: Visitors and Convention Bureau
St. Augustine police arrest robber and accomplice
Oct 23rd
At 1:40 pm today the St. Augustine Police Department received a call about a robbery at 2199 North Ponce de Leon Blvd. While in route to that address Officer Michael Kettman observed a 2012 maroon Nissan near Ponce Blvd and Sanchez. This description matched a BOLO that was given out over the police radio.
Information was also given out about a w/m running southbound from the Sunoco Station at 2199 N. Ponce Blvd. Officers Tim Bryan and Daniel Lui gave foot chase to this suspect, later identified as Eric Rene Tirado 09-16-1977 of 2391 US 1 South Lot 11.
Officer Michal Ochkie responded to the Sunoco Station and started an investigation, gathering statements from the victim and eye witnesses to the robbery.
Officer Kettman and Officer John Niederriter secured two subjects that were in the Nissan after stopping it near the County Library on San Carlos Avenue.
Eye witnesses and the victim identified the three as the ones that were at the Sunoco Station.
The owner/ victim of the store said that he had asked Tirado to step outside the store so he could talk with him. Tirado is a frequent visitor to the Sunoco South store. While outside an argument ensued and Tirado reached into the owners pocket taking an unknown amount of cash. An eyewitness to this episode came over to the owner to help him as Tirado dove through the car window in an attempt to escape. The driver of the car, Richard William Palmer, 1-1-1989 of 5860 Datil Pepper Road started striking the owner and victim. Also, a passenger in the car was Lauren Elizabeth Parker 10-12-1987 of 4905 Moultrie Reserve Court, she was released without charges.
Eric Tirado has been charged with Robbery, Richard Palmer has been charged with Battery.
Source: St. Augustine Police Department
St. Augustine city officials react to Running of the Bulls proposal
Oct 23rd
The City of St. Augustine’s staff meets with hundreds of people who offer ideas for special events to be held in the city, and all are invited to present well thought out, organized plans.
Phil Immordino, promoter of Running of the Bulls, an event held last week in Arizona, had proposed a similar event for St. Augustine and said so in the media. While Mr. Immordino did discuss such an event with the city’s 450th Commemoration Director, Dana Ste. Claire, he has not submitted any of the required plans to the city. It is unfortunate that Mr. Immordino’s comments regarding the possibility of holding such an event in St. Augustine, which appeared in an Associate Press story, was interpreted by many as a “done deal.”
St. Augustine City Manager, John Regan, stated,” City staff has determined that Mr. Immordino’s event, or any similar event, will not be approved because the event would pose an unacceptable level of liability for the city.”
City staff involved in developing plans for St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary in 2015 is constantly seeking events to commemorate the city’s rich history and its ties to Spanish culture, but staging a running of the bulls is not one of those events.
For more information on the city’s 450th Commemoration, visit www.staugustine-450.com.
Source: City of St. Augustine
