Unfinished Business

Palmer Wilson

The cycle of police spending and inverted pyramids

I noted with interest recently how the Daytona Beach News-Journal ran a gushing piece of public relations trivia on the new New Smyrna Beach Police Station that included Chief Ron Pagano’s...

Sound of Silence

Kerry-Anne Purkiss

Brokanomics Mentality 101: Are you are Broke-a-naire?

As I was driving down the now-heavily trafficked streets of New Smyrna Beach, I could not help but turn on the radio to aleve me of the stress of 10 cars in front of me at the light when I heard the...

Modest Proposals

Gerry Tatham

Make way for the grown-ups among us

Listen, my children, and you shall hear the modern charge of Paul Revere. “Say no, 'to progress,' 'yes' to fear, the Socialists are coming!” So let’s have a tea party. Let...

Musings

Darlene Vann

We need to take care of our own in this country first

I don’t usually watch the news because the political stuff frustrates and angers me, but the other evening I was doing something else when the news came on television. Sure enough it got my...

American Patriot

Michael Visconti

Continue boycott of Citgo or Petro Express gas stations to stop Chavez aggression

A few months back I wrote to ask you out there to boycott all Citgo gas stations because of ownership by Venezuela and the anti-American stance of its strongman, Hugo Chavez. Since then the issue has...

Heart of the Matter

Marilee Walters

Anglers request nothing more than watered down land grab

I hope the citizens of New Smyrna Beach realize that 90 individuals are about to try and take some very valuable property that belongs to you, your children, and your grandchildren. The Anglers Club...

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Opinion

Coming Soon

What do you think of the rankings of the Top 100 stories of 2009? E-mail your respnses to henryfrederick@nsbnews.net or write a response on the Speak Up forum on the homepage or under the individual stories ranked... We'll post the comments on the Opinion page...

Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas wants your input in her latest survey... Please see Party Lines below for details...

Coming Soon

Making the Grade

Carol Hargy returns to NSB City Hall

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Carol Hargy, director of personnel for the City of New Smyrna Beach, returned to her job two days after resigning effective Dec. 16, for private enterprise in Jacksonville.

GRADE: A

Carol Hargy's change of heart about leaving New Smyrna Beach is a plus for city government because of her experience, expertise and approach to the mission of proper governance and adherence to personnel issues at City Hall.

Hargy resigned early last month, with her final day Dec. 16. She was intending to return to the private sector in Jacksonville, which would have required her to move to St. Augustine as a halfway point between friends and relatives here and the extended commute.

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Party Lines

Former NSB city manager candidate John Drago now a finalist for same post in Orange City

Courtesy photo/left. NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera Frederick, at right. John Drago, former finalist for city manager in New Smyrna Beach and DeBary, is among six vying for the top job in Orange City. New Smyrna Beach tabbed Pam Brangaccio to replaced fired John Hagood last July, first as interim for six months and then permanently in January at an annual salary of $120,000.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Former city manager candidate John Drago is now a finalist for the same position in Orange City. Drago, former Longwood city administrator, was among the New Smyrna Beach City Commission's Top 4 candidates from a pool of nearly 100 last summer when then-Mayor Sally Mackay suggested the commissioners diversity the finalist since the final four were all white men. Pam Brangaccio was added.

Cartoons

Sera Frederick

Cartoons

NSB chief planner Mark Rakowski receives $59K severance

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Best Bets

Word on the Street

Question: Is Sarah Palin a viable candidate for president?

"No, She doesn't know what's going on. I don't know if she cares or she would be studying up."

Suzanne Smith, 51, New Smyrna Beach

"Probably not until 2016. By then someone will have taught her how to talk as a politician. Her speeches are too homey."

Don Taylor, 67, New Smyrna Beach

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick

Poll taken at Denny's restaurant, S.R. 44, NSB

Quotable

"Give me liberty or give me death."
Patrick Henry
Revolutionary 1775

FAST FACTS:

Patrick Henry is perhaps best known for the speech he made in the House of Burgesses on March 23, 1775, in Saint John's Church in Richmond, Virginia. The House was undecided on whether to mobilize for military action against the encroaching British military force, and Henry argued in favor of mobilization. Forty-two years later, Henry's first biographer, William Wirt, working from oral testimony, attempted to reconstruct what Henry said. According to Wirt, Henry ended his speech with words that have since become immortalized: "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

Source: Wikipedia

Henry the Comic

True Story

Henry was NSBNEWS.net web editor/publisher Henry Frederick's favorite newspaper comic strip when he was a small child in the 1960s, which inspired him early on in life to seek a career in journalism. However, he wasn't named after the comic strip character. Henry's father is Henry Frederick Jr. and his late grandfather was Henry Frederick Sr., who carried a press card, though young Henry didn't know this until after he graduated from college and began his career. And Henry has a 16-year-old son, Henry IV, who enjoys computers and electronics, but so far has shown no interest in journalism.

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