16 Community News
IN BRIEF
Representative Cyndi Stevenson
holds office hours today
Fla. Representative Cyndi Stevenson
announced that she and her staff will be
holding their final mobile office hours
for 2015 on Nov. 12 from 4:00 pm-7:00
pm.
“I look forward to this time to speak
with my constituents about issues they
need assistance with, as well as to hear
their opinions on matters of concern,”
Stevenson said. Residents can find Stevenson today in the Winged Foot Room
in the Renaissance World Golf Village
Resort, 500 South Legacy Trail in St.
Augustine.
In the Florida House of Representatives, Representative Stevenson serves
on the following committees and
subcommittees: Economic Affairs Committee; Children, Families and Seniors
Subcommittee; Health Quality Subcommittee; Higher Education & Workforce
Subcommittee and Agriculture and
Natural Resources Subcommittee.
Coastal corridor 72-mile garage
sale this weekend
The Friends of A1A Scenic & Historic
Coastal Byway will host their 7th annual
“Super Scenic” 72-Mile Garage Sale this
Saturday, Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The sale starts in Ponte Vedra and ends
in Flagler Beach with 10 community sits
and more than 100 other stops with a
variety of bargains. The garage sale also
includes a raffle for one of four prize
packages valued at more than $1,000.
Nearby participating locations include:
• The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall: 1050
A1A N.
• The South Ponte Vedra Civic Association: 2724 S., Ponte Vedra Blvd.
• The Publix Town Center Vilano: 55
Ava Way., St. Augustine
• 98 Corunna St. in Vilano Beach
• 128 Oak Ave. in Vilano Beach
Visit www.scen ica1a.org for updates to
the ventor site locations.
Food for fines at county libraries
The St. Johns County Public Library
System announced this week that it
will once again offer patrons a way to
lower or eliminate library fines while
providing much-needed assistance to the
Health and Human Services Food Pantry
through “Food for Fines.” The program
is currently running and will end Dec.
19. The formula is simple: the donation
of one item of non-perishable food will
remove $1 of fines from the patron’s
library record. If you have $10 in fines,
simply donate 10 food items and your
account balance becomes zero.
The Food for Fines program can be
used towards overdue fines, charges
for damaged items, debt collection fees
and inter-library loan fees. Fees for lost
items, printing, faxes, computer guest
passes and other similar service fees
are not eligible. For a complete list, visit
Ponte Vedra Recorder · November 12, 2015
www.sjcpls.org.
This year is especially important, as
the St. Johns County Health and Human Services Department has noted
a decline in food donations, greatly
challenging their ability to meet current
community needs. Last year, St. Johns
County residents provided more than
14,000 non-perishable items through the
Library System’s Food for Fines program. All food collected will remain in
St. Johns County for the benefit of local
residents. For more information, call
(904) 827-6925.
Davidson Agent sponsors Thanksgiving
food drive in Heritage Landing
Mirtha Barzaga, a top performing
Realtor with Davidson Realty, Inc., will
sponsor a Thanksgiving food drive in
Heritage Landing on Nov. 14 between 2
p.m. and 4 p.m. to benefit the Emergency Services & Homeless Coalition of St.
Johns County. All are invited to donate
to the drive, which will take place at the
Heritage Landing Amenity Center at 100
Heritage Pkwy. in World Golf Village.
The drive is co-sponsored by Amenity
Services Group, Inc.
The Coalition, which provides transitional housing to families and children
who have experienced significant challenges, is in need of non-perishables
including canned fruit and vegetables,
beans, noodles, soups and canned
meats.
“This time of year is difficult for many
families who are struggling to keep food
on the table,” said Barzaga. “The Coalition directly connects these families with
resources donated by our very generous
community. This food drive is just one
way of helping them in their mission.”
“Heritage Landing is built as the
perfect place for families,” said Barzaga.
“Last year, the families in the neighborhood as well as throughout the community really came through for our holiday
food drive for the Coalition, so we’re
looking forward to a great turnout this
year as well.”
For more information about donating,
contact Mirtha Barzaga at (904) 5011830 or mbarzaga@davidsonrealtyinc.
com.
Art Galleries of Saint Augustine
to participate in Nights of Lights
Art Galleries of Saint Augustine, an
association of 30 local artist-owned galleries, businesses, exhibition halls and
museums, will participate in the City of
St. Augustine’s 22nd year of Nights of
Lights beginning on Saturday, Nov. 21
until Jan 31, 2016. Joining the City, association business members will turn on
their decorative holiday lights on LightUp! Night when the Nights of Lights
begins its 22nd year on Nov. 21.
Art Galleries of Saint Augustine
participation in the annual holiday
celebration supports the event which
is listed by National Geographic as one
of the ten best holiday lighting displays
in the world with millions of tiny white
lights that create a magical atmosphere
in the Nation’s oldest city. Association
members will display festive lights and
a variety of special art exhibits in their
respective businesses. Much of the artwork featured is on display during the
renowned, local First Friday Art Walk
events held each month.
While the Art Galleries of Saint
Augustine will light up their businesses
during regular business hours, the formal City lighting starts at 6:45 pm in the
city’s historic Plaza de la Constitución
with music and decorations in grand
holiday style.
According to Ginny Bullard, Art
Galleries of Saint Augustine’s presidentelect, the best way to experience the
Nights of Lights is to visit and support
local merchants during the two-month
celebration and beyond. “We are
pleased to announce our involvement
as the success of Nights of Lights largely
depends on businesses and residents
who voluntarily participate at their own
expense truly making the St. Augustine
a city of light,” said Bullard.
“Our association celebrates the many
diverse and eclectic local, regional, national and international artists that flock
to our beautiful city year-round. We
serve as a vibrant art colony which has
been in place for more than a century
with artists, musicians, writers and art
lovers from all over the world,” she said.
“We invite locals and visitors to join us
in supporting and enjoying this festive
time of year.” For complete Art Galleries of Saint Augustine listings, maps and
brochure along with business hours
during the Nights of Lights and regular
days of operation, visit the website at
www.artgalleriesofstaugustine.org or call
1-832.779.2781.
Speakers announced
for 39th annual Art & Antiques Show
The Women’s Board of Wolfson
Children’s Hospital has announced the
speakers for its 39th Annual Art & Antiques Show. The annual event, which
benefits Wolfson Children’s Hospital,
will take place Dec. 3–6, at the Prime
F. Osborn III Convention Center, 1000
Water Street.
Beginning Thursday, Dec. 3, the Art
& Antiques Show kicks off with a Sneak
Peek and Benefactor Preview in advance of a 6:45 p.m. lecture from Jacksonville native Alexa von Tobel. Named
the “Most Powerful Woman Entrepreneur of 2014” by Fortune Magazine, von
Tobel is a celebrated financial expert, a
New York Times bestselling author and
Founder and CEO of LearnVest.com.
On Friday, Dec. 4, attendees will
enjoy a lecture by top designer Alexa
Hampton at 10 a.m., followed by a signing of her newest book, Decorating in
Detail. Hampton is owner and Design
Lead of Mark Hampton LLC, an internationally acclaimed design firm begun by
her father, the late Mark Hampton, and
is a recurrent member of top designer
lists such as Architectural Digest.
Also on Friday, at 11:30 a.m., designer
Juli Catlin and antiques expert Wil-
liam Nash will explore Florida’s design
aesthetic and its influences from Spain’s
Ponce de Leon to Palm Beach’s Lilly
Pulitzer. As principal of Catlin Design,
Catlin has led her firm to more than
30 years of design excellence and has
been featured in many national publications. Nash is one of the Southeast’s
up-and-coming experts in antiques and
decorative arts and, in partnership with
his father, runs E.W. Nash & Son, an
antiques restoration and appraisal firm
in Jacksonville.
On Saturday, Dec. 5, Richard Keith
Langham will lecture at 10 a.m. Langham is an Alabama native who was
educated in New York, apprenticed
under Mark Hampton and has been
recognized on Elle Décor’s A-list as well
as Architectural Digest’s AD100. Langham’s clients have included the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mrs. William
F. Buckley and Hilary Swank.
At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, interior
designer Barbara Westbrook will speak
and sign her book, Gracious Rooms,
which explores the dynamic between
comfort, charm and elegant style. Since
1992, Westbrook has run her Atlantabased interior design firm, Westbrook
Interiors, and has made her mark on
high-end residential and commercial
spaces in addition to being regularly
featured in national design publications.
Concluding the lecture series on the
final day of the Art & Antiques Show,
Dr. J. Michael Francis will speak Sunday,
Dec. 6, at 1 p.m. His topic, Before
Jamestown: Europeans, Africans and
Indians in Spanish Florida, celebrates
the Show’s 2015 Spanish theme. Francis is a historian who is considered an
international expert on colonial Latin
America, Early Florida, Spanish Borderlands, the Pre-Columbian Americas and
Spanish Paleography. He was appointed
by the President to St. Augustine’s 450th
Commemoration Commission and is the
author of numerous articles and books
on Spanish history, most recently St. Augustine, American’s First City: A Story of
Unbroken History & Enduring Spirit. Dr.
Francis is known for his extreme depth
of knowledge and charismatic style.
“The 2015 lecturers are incredibly
knowledgeable and truly experts in their
unique areas,” said Sheila Collier, who
is chairing this year’s Art & Antiques
Show with Christy Martin. “All interested
in attending should purchase tickets in
advance, as they are going fast.”
Show hours are: Friday 10 a.m. to 3
p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and
Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are
available online at www.artandantiquesshow.com, by calling (904) 202-2886 or
by email at womensboardwch@bmcjax.
com. Daily admission to the Show is $15,
and lecture tickets are $30. Higher level
tickets for multiple events and corporate
sponsorships are available. For a complete listing of Show events, visit the
Art & Antiques Show website at www.
artandantiquesshow.com.
—Compiled by Kelly H. McDermott