WendiZongker's blog

WENDI ZONGKER/Staff — Plastic bags cover the water fountain faucets and a sign warns students not to use the water fountains at Yulee Elementary School Monday following a boil water advisory issued by JEA after an area water pipe broke.

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

YULEE — A JEA water main broke early this morning leaving some residents along Florida A1A either without water or with low water pressure, a JEA spokesperson said.

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

FERNANDINA BEACH — The Gray Gables Volunteer Fire Department has been found not responsible for a 2005 dunk tank accident during the 2005 Relay for Life in Fernandina Beach that surgeon Robert Hogan said left him unable to practice medicine.

Hogan, formerly a surgeon at Baptist Medical Center Nassau, sued the fire department and the hospital for injuries he sustained when he cut the ring finger of his left hand while climbing into a dunk tank. Hogan said an infection from the wound led to Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, or a chronic pain condition.

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

FERNANDINA BEACH — City Attorney Tammi Bach told the Fernandina Beach City Commission Monday that she will research options for moving forward with the referendum to annex 53 oceanfront properties.

The referendum was pulled from the Nov. 4 general election ballot after the Supervisor of Elections Office discovered a problem while programming the touch-screen voting machines used by people with disabilities.

Changes to a city charter or constitutional amendments give voters the option of choosing "yes" to support the change or "no" to oppose it.

WENDI ZONGKER/Staff

Fernandina Beach High School senior Emily Parker tees off in a golf match at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club Thursday against The Bolles School of Jacksonville.

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

FERNANDINA BEACH — When the Fernandina Beach High School girls golf team teed off against The Bolles School of Jacksonville today at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club, there was something different about the uniforms.

Is there storm damage in your area?

If so, log on and tell us about it by posting a comment to this blog. Or send your photos to us at photos@mynassausun.com.

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

YULEE — Nassau County Commissioner Mike Boyle on Monday withdrew a proposed resolution to put a referendum to borrow $20 million to purchase land for conservation purposes on November's ballot.

The County Commission was scheduled to vote on the resolution, but Boyle withdrew it before commissioners had the chance, citing a lack of support from the County Commission.

Had the resolution been approved, the referendum would have appeared on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. Nassau residents would have paid back the general obligation bonds over 20 years with an estimated $24-a-year property tax increase.

A few weeks ago My Nassau Sun Editor Amelia A. Hart came up with an idea for the Fourth of July.

She suggested we film Nassau County residents reading the Declaration of Independence.

I immediately thought about those television commercials where people recite poems or famous quotes.

Well, I never imagined how hard or fun it must be to make those commercials.

The hard part was finding people who aren’t camera shy. The fun part was thinking about the blooper video I easily could have made from what I cut. People liked the project and had fun with it.

By WENDI ZONGKER
wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

FERNANDINA — Jeffrey Bunch turned in his radios and uniforms and cleaned out his office today, officially resigning as the Fire Department's Deputy Chief.

Bunch, who tendered his resignation last week, planned to stay on staff until the end of the month. However, he said he went to work this morning knowing he would resign today after being disappointed with last night's City Commission meeting.

At that meeting commissioners discussed at length a grant Bunch wrote for a pair of night vision goggles that has led to Fire Chief Danny Leeper being told by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel he must resign from his position or withdraw his candidacy for the Nassau County Commission.

The commissioners took no action on a plan to alter the grant to help Leeper keep his job.

Bunch said he is now looking at local job opportunities as well as some abroad.

I am working on a special video for the Fourth of July and I need your help.

I am looking to film Nassau County residents reading a couple of sentences from the Declaration of Independence.

The clips will be edited to make one big video, which I will post here at MyNassauSun.com.

If you or someone you know are interested in participating, contact me at wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com or 261-7606, ext. 6353.

I look forward to hearing from you!

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

FERNANDINA BEACH — Terri Evans thought she had beaten breast cancer.

March marked one year of remission from Stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma.

Her right breast was removed in June 2007, and doctors were scheduled to take the remaining one April 7.

But cancer got to it first.

On March 14, Evans, 47, was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in as many years.