Veterans to be honored on Anastasia Island

Veterans Day 2018 commemorates the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I when an armistice or temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11h hour of the 11th day of the 11th month on Nov. 11, 1918. Still known as Armistice Day in some countries, the U.S. holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. With that date, Nov. 11, falling on a Sunday this year, the Military Officer Association of America - Ancient City Chapter and the Veterans Council of St. Johns County will hold its observance Monday, Nov. 12 in conjunction with the federal government’s holiday. The event will take place at Anastasia Baptist Church, 1650 A1A South, on Anastasia Island and will feature atrium displays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Among those displays will be the Traveling Vietnam Wall, Agent Orange Quilt of Tears. A display from the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum will feature details of the opening of the 100-year-old time capsule which contains the names of 1,200 Florida residents who were killed in World War I.

At 11:11 a.m. the annual ceremony honoring those lost in battle will commence in the church auditorium. Patriotic music will be performed by the St. Johns County Center for the Arts Chamber Singers under the direction of Jeff Dodd.

The event is open to the public. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. On-site free parking is available.

• Anastasia Island will be the site of several salute to veterans programs starting with a free concert Saturday, Nov. 3 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. A Salute to Veterans and First Responders will feature Grammy Award winner David Ball and local favorite the Pellicer Creek Band. The event, sponsored by Flagler Broadcasting’s Beach 105.5, will take place at the Amphitheater’s Front Porch. Gates will open at 6 p.m. The Pellicer Creek Band will take the stage at 7 p.m. David Ball will perform at 8:15 p.m.

Ball’s career has spanned 25 years, and his song “Thinking Problem” was the No.1 selling country song of 1994, while his song “Riding with Private Malone” is a favorite among many veterans. Admission and parking are free for everyone. The first 200 veterans and first responders will be offered reserved seating. For information, go to www.flaglerbroadcasting.com/station/beach-105-5-fm.

Other events include:

• St. Anastasia Catholic Church, hosts its 16th annual Veterans Day Tribute on Friday, Nov. 9 beginning with Mass at 9 a.m. Following Mass, everyone is invited to a reception hosted by the Knights of Columbus in the St. Jude Celebration Hall, located adjacent to the church at 5205 A1A South. For information, call 471-5364.

• The City of St. Augustine Beach will honor veterans from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, at Lakeside Veterans Memorial Park. The event, which is open to all veterans, military families and the community, will include an honor guard, bagpipers, guest speakers and veterans groups. Refreshments will be served. The park is located at 2300 A1A South behind the Police Department building. Free parking is available in the City Hall parking lot.

• St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum will offer free admission for Veterans and 10 percent off for members of their immediate family on Veterans Day. Proper identification is required. The Lighthouse is located at 81 Lighthouse Avenue on Anastasia Island. Lighthouse hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 829-0745 for information or go to staugustinelighthouse.org.

• The YMCA offers free admission to veterans from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 11. Veterans can explore the facility and try out recently updated exercise equipment as well as learn about available classes. Veterans are invited to bring in their photo. All members and visitors may contribute photos of family members or friends to honor during November which is designated Military Appreciation Month. Special membership rates are available for active, retired or honorably discharged military as well as Purple Heart and Gold Star families. The YMCA is at 500 Pope Road on Anastasia Island. Call 471-9622 for information.

• The Ireland-based Paul Brock Band will open the 2018-19 concert series at St. Anastasia Catholic Church on Saturday, Nov. 4. The 7 p.m. concert will take place in Celebration Hall in the new St. Enda of Aran Formation Center on the church campus on Anastasia Island at 5205 A1A South.

Button accordion and melodeon player Paul Brock and his band perform traditional Irish folk music including selections from their award-winning album “Green Grass Blue Grass.” Brock co-founded the Brock McGuire Band in 2000 with fiddle player Manus McGuire.

The band has gone on to record a number of highly acclaimed albums in collaboration with 14-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Skaggs. The music celebrates the connection between Appalachian and Irish music. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Plenty of free parking is available. Financial donations will be graciously accepted to help offset concert expenses. The Knights of Columbus will host a cash bar at the concert. For information, call 471-5364.

• The annual Super Scenic 72-Mile Garage Sale, presented by the Friends of A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway, will take place from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. From Ponte Vedra Beach to Flagler Beach, vendors will set up tables offering unusual and one-of-a-kind items. Shoppers can caravan along the easy-to-follow route, browse the unique offerings from individuals, community groups and local businesses, and enjoy the scenery of the coastal A1A corridor.

The event will feature discounted products as well as coupons for area restaurants, shops and attractions. Raffle tickets may be purchased at community tables along the route to win prizes.

To participate, or for information call 904-425-8055 or go to www.scenica1a.org.

• If you’re a runner, it’s not too early to be thinking about Santa Claus. The first 100 entries in the Dec. 8 Santa Suits on the Loose 5K will receive either a Santa suit or T-shirt. Hundreds of runners, walkers and children in strollers have participated in past years. The annual run is a charitable event benefiting St. Augustine Youth Services which provides residential therapeutic services to boys who have been the victims of child abuse and/or extreme neglect. The event begins at the St. Johns County Beach Pier at 8 a.m. The course follows a flat 3.1 mile area through St. Augustine Beach neighborhoods and starts and finishes at Pier Park. Current registration is $25. After Nov. 1, the fee is $30. Children in strollers do not have to register.

For registration and other information, go to www.racesmith.com/races/SantaSuitsOnTheLoose5K.html or email santasuitsontheloose@gmail.com.

• The 2018 sea turtle nesting season is coming to an end Oct. 31. Although there was just one new nest recorded on St. Johns County Beaches in recent days, there remain 100 nests yet to hatch. It’s been an OK year, however, for the nesting turtles, although their numbers are nowhere near record. With the beaches, especially the north beaches, torn up by hurricanes the previous two years, the turtles still continue to return to the beach area from which they originally hatched. The latest report showed a season total of 537 nests on county beaches including 394 on the north beaches, 105 on Anastasia Island, and 38 at Matanzas Inlet South. An estimated 33,211 hatchlings have taken to the Atlantic to begin their quest for survival. The 100 remaining nests should yield an estimated 10,000 additional hatchlings. That may sound like a lot, however, less than 1 in 1,000 live from egg to adulthood.

• Time on your hands and want to help your community? The St. Johns County Council on Aging, which serves the needs of county senior residents, is seeking volunteers for a variety of services at their St. Augustine complex, 180 Marine St., located across the Bridge of Lions. Volunteer options include helping with activities at Sunshine Center adult daycare on Friday mornings, serving as a receptionist, helping with Medicare and Medicaid clients, and directing the choir at River House. Experience is not required for all options, which are “learn as you work” positions. For information, call Amy Leach at 209-3686 or email aleach@stjohnscoa.com.

Have news to share about Anastasia Island or the adjoining areas? Send your information about people and events to staugbeachwatch@aol.com, or call 471-4851.