Five Community Banks Fund Initiative to Help Teens with Money Management

In an effort to help young people learn about money management and financial decision-making, Junior Achievement of Volusia County (JA) recently announced its partnership with five local community banks to launch a pilot program for JA Finance Park Virtual in Volusia County high schools this fall 2012.

This commitment was made for our community because of our strong belief that if we can better educate today’s students, then they will become financially responsible citizens of tomorrow.

JA Finance Park Virtual is an interactive online simulation that introduces high school students to personal finance and career exploration. The program offers fiscal scenarios that allow teens to role-play in financial situations — teaching them to face the realities of developing a budget, maintaining a household, and pursuing a career.

A Community Bank Consortium formed between; Floridian Bank, Gateway Bank of Florida, Intracoastal Bank, Main Street Community Bank of Florida and Reunion Bank of Florida are sponsoring the Volusia partnership for the more than 3,000 high school students in the county. 

“Volusia County will be the second district in the state to offer this program,” said Tom Leek, JA of Volusia chairman and partner at Cobb & Cole Law Offices. “Hillsborough County public high schools have been using the program since last fall.”

“This is an exciting opportunity to assist students with spending, saving and investing skills needed for their lives beyond high school,” said the group of CEO’s. “This sponsorship is a natural extension of our bank’s commitment to help people make smart financial decisions that positively impact their future.”

On a national level, JA Finance Park Virtual is part of a partnership between Junior Achievement and Capital One. The program has influenced more than 80,000 students in the U.S.

JA’s curriculum currently provides effective, interactive learning to educate students about workforce readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship skills. Last year, JA of Volusia County served 7,575 students in 396 classrooms throughout the district

The Scott Brown Band will be filling the Deltona Amphitheater with live Country music while a Food Truck Bazaar fills the cravings of hungry concertgoers with gourmet style food. The one day event kicks-off at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m. on May 12, in the Deltona Amphitheater/Deltona Library located at 2150 Eustace Ave.

Scott Brown Band starts their performance of country music from 7-9 and the Food Trucks will be serving from 6 – 9.     

The Deltona Concert in the Amphitheater Series will continue until October 2012 and will feature upcoming concerts by Platinum (June), Simulcast (August), Then2Now (September), Caribbean Crew (October). Concerts are typically from 7-9 p.m. on the second Saturday.

Expensive video game systems, game cartridges and a desktop computer were wheeled out of a Deltona store over the course of four days in the past week without a dollar being paid for any of it. The two men and one woman responsible for the crime spree traded the electronics for drugs or sold them for cash on the streets. Their scheme came to an abrupt halt on Tuesday, though, when the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested the trio for grand theft and booked them into the Volusia County Branch Jail inDaytona Beach. The total cash value of all of the items stolen is $5,239.09.

A loss prevention officer at the Deltona Walmart,101 Howland Blvd., contacted the Sheriff’s Office on Monday to report several theft incidents that apparently were carried out by the same people each time. Surveillance video showed that a suspect later identified as James Keena (4/7/1975) went to the electronics department on Friday, took a desktop computer and walked out of the store with it. He returned on Saturday and this time got away with three Playstation Vista game systems. Then on Monday, Keena walked out with five XBox 360 game systems.

Investigators started their investigation, but were then called back to the store on Tuesday when it was discovered that Keena and an accomplice, Stephanie Campaign (8/25/1988), had visited the store yet again at 1 a.m. Their haul this time was nine Playstation Vista game systems, five Nintendo DS 3D game systems, three Nintendo DSI game systems and several Playstation Vista games. It could be seen on the surveillance video that Keena used a key to unlock the cases where the items were stored. The stolen goods were then taken outside where Anthony Garzon (8/11/1989) was waiting in a truck. They loaded the merchandise and drove away.

It didn’t take long for investigators to identify Keena, because he had been arrested multiple times in the past for retail theft. Deputies quickly obtained an arrest warrant, charging Keena with grand theft. Garzon was then identified when his mother reported to the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday that he had been missing for several days. As deputies collected information from the mom, they learned that his vehicle matched the description of the truck involved in the thefts and that he was friends with Keena. An alert was broadcast to all local law enforcement to be on the lookout for the two. On Tuesday afternoon, anOrangeCitypolice officer found them in the parking lot of a Home Depot.

Keena refused to talk with investigators, but Garzon admitted to being the driver during each theft incident. He said that the stolen goods were traded for drugs or money. During Garzon’s interview, Campaign kept calling his cell phone and investigators asked him to answer it. Campaign revealed where she was at, and investigators responded there to arrest her. She admitted to helping Keena during some of the thefts. Investigators learned that Keena had obtained the key to the electronics display cases when an employee had accidentally dropped it in a bathroom. Keena scooped the key up and kept it for future use.

The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate other retail thefts in the area that may be connected to the defendants who are all Deltona residents. Campaign currently faces three counts of grand theft and one count of dealing in stolen property. Garzon is charged with three count of grand theft. Keena was arrested on a warrant for grand theft and faces three other grand theft charges, too. Additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.

To educate the community about the importance of safety this spring—and all year round—the City of Orange City is sponsoring a Safe Kids Spring Fling. 

This day of safety education will take place Saturday, May 19, 2012 at Mill Lake Park—corner of Blue Springs Ave and South Holley Ave—from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Orange City Fire Department, Orange City Police Department and Volusia County Sherriff’s Office will be on-site to properly fit bicycle helmets—which will be given away free to children.  They will also provide information on bicycle safety.  Other festivities include an opening flag ceremony, face painting, a raffle for a new bike, child fingerprinting,  performances by Fit Club Gymnastics and Black Lightning Martial Arts, bounce houses, safety give-a-ways, food and drink vendors and much more. 

“The issue of safety has always been a top priority in Orange City,” Mayor Tom Laputka says.  “The Safe Kids Spring Fling will be a great time to educate and remind families about the year-round safety concerns facing motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.”  

For more information regarding the Safe Kids Spring Fling, please contact Vikki Reed at 386-337-1612.

All Washed Up 2012 Winter Champions

Deltona Adult Soccer League Men’s Open Division Team “All Washed Up” returns for the summer 6 v 6 season to defend their Winter season Championship Title of 8 wins, 1 lost, with total of 46 goals scored.

CO-ED Open Division team “Mixed Nuts” also returns to defend their championship title. Mixed Nuts winter season record shows the only team in the entire league of 32 teams that went unbeaten with 8 wins, no lost, no ties, total of 42 goals scored.

The Deltona Adult Winter Soccer League runs from Jan-Feb 2012.

Deltona Adult Soccer League is for all ages from 18 to 100 years old and both genders. Adults play 6 V 6 in Winter (Jan/Feb/Mar) & Summer (Late May/June/July) to continue enjoying the sport they

Mixed Nuts Champions B Co-Ed Winter 2012

love at a recreational level. This site will help bring all the soccer players together in the Deltona and Central Florida area.

Registration is going on now for the Deltona Adult 6 v 6 Summer Soccer season. Games begin May 28, 2012 at Dewey Boster Soccer Complex in Deltona.

Divisions for Men’s Open A & B, CO-ED A & B and Over 30/40 Men’s A & B. Teams are limited to 10 players. “Don’t have a team, sign up individually, we’ll put you on a team,” explains Charlie Vance.

The season entrance fee is $60.00 per player for 8 an game season, price includes uniform team shirt for each player. For more information, please visit their website at www.deltona6v6.com.  Registration deadline is May 18, 2012.

Deltona and Orange City leaders recently discussed the formation of a Community Redevelopment Area, (CRA), to allow certain areas of the city to prosper from their own voluntary taxation. However Volusia County Manager Jim Dineen, sees it another way as recently quoted.

Facing further declines and erosion in property values in Volusia County, leading to lower property tax income, Dineen recently suggested that Volusia County Council place a moratorium on CRA’s. In a recently published news article, Dineen estimated, “CRAs in Volusia are absorbing about $7 million (dollars) per year that would otherwise go into the county’s funds.”

 Yet to be discussed as a partial solution could include a moratorium on Volusia County property purchases, not CRAs. The county council has talked about spending in excess of $20 million on more property before the November 2012 elections.

When the county purchases property, such as the 5,000 acre Leffler Ranch, the property is removed from the tax roll and ceases to be income producing for the county. The double whammy about county land purchases is that taxpayer funds are used to acquire it.  Whether it is Volusia Forever bond payback money or ECHO funds, they are all taxpayer dollars.

In 2011 alone, total county loses on county land purchases totaled $32,554,405.00 in taxable valuation.  Lost property tax revenue by the county was $220,690.00 due to these purchases.  Total city loses on city purchases of property in Volusia was $15,851,449.00 or $83,096.00 in tax revenue for the same period.

According to numbers provided by the Volusia County property Appraiser’s Office, total county loses of taxable value on county purchase totaled over $104 million from 2007-2011.  Total tax amount loses to the county currently exceed $632,000.00 per year.

Overall land purchase grand totals for Volusia County and all cities within the county totaled $203,557,992.00 during the 2007-2011 time period resulting in a lost property tax amount of $1,698,193.00 per year throughout Volusia County.

The City of Deltona needs seven interested citizens to serve on the William S. Harvey Scholarship Advisory Board. This seven-member board will be responsible for reviewing applications from area students for consideration of financial assistance for college/university related expenses to outstanding Deltona students and recommending scholarship awards to the City Commission.

Deltona scholarship funding originated as a suggestion from a local citizen to then Commissioner David Santiago, and Mayor Dennis Mulder in November of 2007. At which time, the commission approved the use of the citywide recycled revenue to be used to fund student scholarships.

In August of 2008, Mayor Dennis Mulder and the City Commission approved the renaming of the Deltona Scholarship Program to the William S. Harvey Scholarship in honor of the late Vice Mayor William S. Harvey.

To date the City of Deltona have awarded $9999 in scholarships to Deltona students.      

If participants should contact the City Clerk’s Office for a Board application at (386) 878-8500 or download an application (or apply on-line) on our City WebPage at www.deltonafl.gov.

Volusia County Sheriff’s Office will be sponsoring a Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which is being coordinated across the country by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA.

Saturday’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will have five drop-off points on Saturday April 28 as part of a national effort to help residents dispose of unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs. The five drop-off sites, at Sheriff’s district offices in DeLand, Deltona, DeBary, Holly Hill, andNewSmyrnaBeach, will be open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. More than 377,000 pounds of unwanted pills were collected for safe and proper disposal during the last national Take-Back event in October. Nationwide, there were more than 5,300 drop-off points during the last event.

On Saturday, the Sheriff’s Office’s drop-off sites will be at the following locations:1706 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand

• 1706 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand
• 1691 Providence Blvd., Deltona
• 94 S. U.S. Highway 17-92, DeBary
• 999 3rd Street, Holly Hill
• 101 E. Canal Street, New Smyrna Beach

Deltona, Fl (April 25, 2012) –

Charles Sobczak, Sanibel wildlife writer, will be speaking and signing books at Deltona Regional Library on May 22, 2011 at 10:30 am.  He will be talking about his two most recent non-fiction nature guides and autographing copies for sale. A portion of the proceeds of books sales will benefit the Friends of Deltona Library. The library is located at 2150 Eustace Avenue, Deltona 32725. To ensure adequate seating, reservations are encouraged by calling the library at 386-789-7207 x236.

Sobczak lives and writes on Sanibel Island, Florida.  A writer of both fiction and non-fiction, his first novel, Six Mornings on Sanibel, set at the Sanibel fishing pier, is currently in its seventh printing. His latest two non-fiction books, Living Sanibel – a Nature Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Islands and The Living Gulf Coast – A Nature Guide to Southwest Florida both deal with the native flora and fauna as well as the parks, preserves and eco-destinations found in the region. Each book comes complete with more than 600 full-color photographs from award-winning photographers.   Alligators, Sharks & Panthers: Deadly Encounters with Florida’s Top Predator-Man was a Finalist for both young adult and adult non-fiction from the Florida Publishers Association (FPA).

Charles Sobczak is a lifetime member of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, President of the Sanibel Island Fishing Club, President of Lee Reefs (creators of artificial reefs for fish habitat), and a member of the Sanibel and Captiva Board of Realtors.  When he is not writing, Charles makes his living selling real estate with VIP Realty on Sanibel and Captiva.  For additional information please go to

With a can of soda and a can of beer shoved down his pants, a man threatened a store clerk with a knife when she confronted him about his shoplifting attempt. Fortunately, no one was hurt as 25-year-old Steven Gilb (5/30/1986) fled the Deltona store on foot late Tuesday night. Deputies who were responding to the incident found Gilb a short distance away with the cold soda in hand and a knife in his pocket. He was arrested and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail inDaytona Beach. The stolen beer was never found.

Gilb walked into the CVS store at 2187 Howland Blvd.at about 11:30 p.m. A 28-year-old store clerk thought that the DeBary man was acting strange and kept an eye on him as he headed to the beverage coolers. She saw Gilb grab a soda and then a beer and stuff both of them in his pants. Gilb then went straight for the exit, bypassing the registers. That’s when the clerk confronted Gilb, calling him a “dirt bag” for stealing the drinks. The woman later told deputies that Gilb’s response was to grab her shoulder and threaten her with a folding knife while stating, “I’ll show you dirt bag.” But when another store employee approached, Gilb chose to flee.

Deputies found a man matching the description given to them by the victim at 2125 Howland Blvd. The victim positively identified Gilb, and he admitted to having been in the store. Gilb claimed to have purchased the soda at a different store but he had no wallet and only three cents on him when deputies found him. He also couldn’t explain how the store clerk knew he had a black folding knife. Gilb was charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.