NSB News Spotlight

Photo for Headline Surfer / Amy Sue Root as shown in 2008 before her accident.

EDGEWATER -- A yard-sale fundraiser is being held Friday, Saturday and Sunday to help provide care for Amy Sue Root, the little girl struck by a motor vehicle while riding her scooter.

The fundraiser is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. all three days at 3207 Silver Palm Drive, rain or shine.

Amy Sue Root was just 8 years old when she was struck by a truck while riding her Razor scooter in her Edgewater neighborhood on Jan. 24, 2010.

By Douglas Gibson

OAK HILL -- Anytime children are killed, and especially when their lives are taken by a deranged individual using a gun like what happened with the massacre in Connecticut, we feel outrage, we feel the pain and we want this to never happen again. But we know all too well it's going to be repeated again and again like we saw with Columbine and others.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Ford Motor Company and Mullinax Ford are offering New Smyrna Beach High School the opportunity to raise $8,000 with their annual test drive program on Saturday. Members of the community can earn money for NSBHS by simply test-driving a new Ford at the school from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For each person who takes a Ford for a spin during the "Ford Drive One 4UR School" event, Ford Motor Company will donate $20 to New Smyrna Beach High School for up to 300 drivers. Mullinax Ford will donate an additional $2,000 for an additional 100 drivers -- 400 Drivers equals $8,000. What a deal!

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Ray Catheline is leading a community fundraiser today for Cudas Unhooked, which helps homeless children and their families.

The third annual Cuts for Cudas will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on South Orange Street, just off Canal street. This program means a lot to Catheline, his wife, Misty, and the many volunteers working with him by offering haircuits, a silent auction, lemonade and snacks for the cause.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The annual yard sale for the Relay For Life will be held 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 200 Canal St. in the New Smyrna Beach Utilities Commission Parking Lot.

All proceeds will benefit the SEV Relay For Life, "A Community For A Cure."

SAMSULA -- The Samsula Woman's Club has published a fourth edition in its series of country cookbooks.

The recipes were contributed by members of the community service club as well as good cooks throughout the Samsula area. The group dedicated their latest cookbook to the late Georgia Luzner Tomazin Nyburg, past president and last surviving charter member, said Ruth McCormick, president of the Samsula Women's Club.

Proceeds from the cookbook are used to provide scholarships for local students and assistance to the community. The cookbooks will be on sale each day at the Florida SNPJ Polka Festival, March 1-3, SNPJ Lodge, 421 N. Samsula Drive. 

DAYTONA BEACH -- The public is invited to a workshop about the City of Daytona Beach's wayfinding signage program, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21 in City Hall, 301 S. Ridgewood Ave.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the master plan process and receive the public's comments regarding purpose, benefits and schedule of the program, city spokeswoman Susan Cerbone said.

"The workshop will provide attendees the opportunity to give comments for the three-phased project which will create a plan to guide vehicular and pedestrian traffic to venues of interest within the city and create distinct signage," Cerbone said. "City commissioners in August 2012 approved an agreement not to exceed $120,000 with Lassiter Transportation Group to produce a wayfinding master plan."

By Jason Davis

DELAND -- Now that all the noise has subsided, and the political dust has settled here we are in a new year. I hope everyone that is reading this had a safe and happy holiday season and I hope for health, happiness and prosperity for all as we move forward in the early days of 2013.

I, of course, have a lot of work ahead of me for I am now the Volusia County Chair, the highest elected official in our fair county, and I do take the responsibility of this office very seriously.

This guest blog was written exclusively for Headline Surfer

OAK HILL -- Let's hope that the new year will bring us joy and happiness.

We need to strive not to make the same mistakes as we did last year: You know, eat to much, drink to much, and argue about small meaningless things.

We need to look forward to making changes that will influence our lives in a positive way. Take our beautiful city and its water front. We need to once again look to the lagoon as our source of revenue, as it once was. The opportunity is there we just need to explore our options and make plans in this new year to do so.

By Deb Denys

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- With all the talk of a "Fiscal Cliff' and a downward forcast, perhaps it's time to look up!

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with Frank DiBello, president and CEO of Space Florida, and Dale Ketcham, director of Spaceport Research & Tecnology Institute at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Our meeting focused on the possibilities of bringing a commercial launch platform and complex to Volusia County.