St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches This Week
Apr 14th
Journey: 450 Years of the African-American Experience – Journey: 450 Years of the African American Experience covers the long and storied history of African-Americans in St. Augustine. The story of African-Americans begins in St. Augustine with the first Africans both free and slave among founding colonists in 1565. The exhibition is designed for cultural and heritage visitors interested in the full history of America and its beginnings and comprises four themes: Genesis of the African-American Experience; Fortress of Freedom; Breaking the Chains; and Crossroads of Change. Tickets are $5 for adults; $4 for seniors; $3 for youth 7-12; under 7 free. Free admission for military in uniform. Located at the St. Augustine Visitors Information Center, 10 West Castillo Dr., St. Augustine. www.Journey2014.com
El Galeón Tour – Tour a full-sized replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon. Docked at the St. Augustine City Marina, El Galeón Andalucia is an exact replica of the famous galleons that played an important role in the creation and maintenance of the Spanish Empire. Built in Spain, it is similar to the galleon that brought Pedro Menendez to Florida where he founded St. Augustine in 1565. The ship is available for tours beginning at 10 a.m. daily. Admission is $15 for adult; $8 for youth. 111 Avenida Menendez. 904-824-1606
“The Colors of Spring” Exhibit – Lost Art Gallery features the colorful works of Darwin Chaves. Rainbows are the pallet of this Peruvian-born artist. Rich in color and texture, Chavez paints his favorite beach scenes, streetscapes and gardens in acrylic on canvas. Through April 30. 210 St. George St., St. Augustine. 904-827-9800 www.lostartgallery.com
Spring Members Show – The St. Augustine Art Association’s Annual Spring Members Show features a broad array of artistic styles, media and subjects. The gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday noon – 4 p.m. and Sunday 2-5 p.m. Admission is free. 22 Marine St., St. Augustine. 904-824-2310 www.staaa.org
And Much More!
Source: Visitors & Convention Bureau
St. Augustine City News
Apr 11th
April 11, 2014
City offices closed for Easter holiday
Offices for the City of St. Augustine will be closed on Friday, April 18 in observance of the Easter holiday, but solid waste and recycling pick-up schedules will remain unchanged.
LGBTQ Procession will necessitate brief interruption in traffic Procession set for Saturday, April 12 at 12:00pm
The St Augustine LGBTQ Procession, scheduled for mid-day on Saturday, April 12, will necessitate a brief halt in traffic on Cathedral Pl. Scheduled to begin at noon in the vicinity of the City Gate, the procession will move south on St. George St, crossing Cathedral Pl. and continuing into the Plaza de la Constitución for an event. Traffic in the area should expect brief halts to allow for the procession. St. Augustine Police will escort the procession and manage traffic affected by event.
The Blessing of the Fleet will necessitate brief interruptions in traffic
Procession set for Sunday, April 13 at 12:30pm The annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony will necessitate minor traffic interruptions in the vicinity of the Plaza de la Constitución on Sunday, April 13 at approximately 12:30pm. The procession will depart the Cathedral-Basilica, cross Cathedral Pl., the Plaza de la Constitución continuing on to Avenida Menendez and the municipal marina. The procession will be brief and traffic in the vicinity will be halted for only long enough to allow the procession to pass. Additionally the Bridge of Lions will remain closed to all marine traffic the Blessing of the Fleet event which commences at 12:30pm and lasts approximately two hours depending on the number of vessels participating in the event. For information about the event, contact the St. Augustine Yacht Club at 904.824.9725 or visit www.sayc2000.com. Traffic in the area should expect slow downs, congestion or brief halts to allow for the procession. St. Augustine Police will escort the procession and manage traffic affected by event.
Easter Parade parking restrictions and detours
Parade is Sunday, April 20 at 3:00pm
The St. Augustine Easter Parade, scheduled for Easter Sunday, April 20, at 3:00pm, will necessitate all-day parking restrictions and detours. The parade begins at 3:00pm and lasts approximately two hours following a route that begins at San Marco Ave. and Williams St. and proceeds south on San Marco Ave., south on S. Castillo Dr./Avenida Menendez, west on Cathedral Pl., north on Cordova St. disbursing in the vicinity of the Visitor Information Center.
For a printable list of detours, parking restrictions and closed streets, click here.
Source: St. Augustine
“Bad Words” A Joy to Watch
Apr 9th
“A Joy to Watch”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
BAD WORDS is an edgy comedy starring Jason Bateman as Guy Trilby, a man who is competing in the national Spelling Bee competition even though he is 40 years old.
Bateman also directed this movie, which has been called an “instant hit.”
You see, Guy discovered a loophole in the rules which allows him to compete against youngsters and be able to spell obscure words correctly, which doesn’t please the directors of the competition, much less the parents of the other kids on whom the parents have spent money for tutors.
At the beginning of the movie, Guy says, “I’m not that good at a lot of stuff,” but his job as a proofreader allows him to be good at spelling a lot of words.
So, we see Guy compete at the 15th annual regional Spelling Bee in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, where he shows that he has no remorse in intimidating fellow competitors to get them too flustered to even stand up and try to spell the next word.
One of the rules is that contestants have to be sponsored by a nationally recognized news service, and Guy’s sponsor is an Internet organization whose writer, Jenny Widgeon, is accompanying Guy in order to write a story about him.
However, Guy is very reticent with Jenny, and he won’t talk about himself, which causes Jenny to call in some favors and get a background check on him, which reveals some interesting information.
So, Guy and Jenny move on to the national competition in California, where his reputation has preceded him, and the director, Dr. Bernice Deagan, played by Allison Janey, tries to thwart Guy in every way she can.
She arranges for Guy’s hotel accommodation to be a supply closet, and even though the words given to the competitors are supposed to be random and fair, she manages to secretly circumvent that and tells the angry parents and her subordinates that she will step down as director if Guy makes it to the final round.
Meanwhile, Guy has taken an interest in an Indian boy in the competition, mainly because the kid has a hotel room with a minibar, the kid is eager to become friends with Guy, maybe too eager, and Guy teaches the kid some lessons about life.
BAD WORDS is a joy to watch.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
