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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK P I A Fire kills Honoring Fernandina N G S E dog, cat a hero in photographs I 2 PAGE 3A PAGE 4A PAGE 1B D E 75¢ FRIDAY, August 7, 2009 /18 PAGES, 2 SECTIONS • fbnewsleader.com City adjusts tax up as property values decline ANGELA DAUGHTRY year. News-Leader The rate com- prises an ad valorem Fernandina Beach Commissioners (property tax) roll- have adopted a tentative property tax back rate of 4.240 rate increase to make up for declining mills and a debt serv- property values in the city. Only city ice rate of 0.2435 commissioner Jeffrey Bunch support- mills. The voter- ed keeping the rate at its current lower approved debt is level. Bunch $473,030, said The new rate would allow the same Clifford. The rollback OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MCSN LEX WENBERG property tax revenue to be collected in rate would bring in Aviation Ordnanceman Herbert Babin, 21, inspects the 20mm machine gun for an F/A-18C Hornet 2009-10 as this year, and had to be the same amount of revenue as the strike fighter aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, currently in the Persian Gulf in support raised because of declining property previous year. of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. values, according to City Finance The county also levies property Director Patti Clifford. The proposed taxes on municipal homeowners, but rate can be lowered during upcoming the county commission is not sched- public hearings, but it cannot go any uled to consider its tentative millage higher. rate until its regular meeting Monday Serving your country: A tentative millage rate of 4.4855 at 6 p.m. at the James S. Page was adopted by commissioners at their ‘It’s a family thing’ Tuesday meeting, up from 4.2209 last CITY Continued on 3A RYAN SMITH City, county lobbyist News-Leader ‘It’s not something that you want just In the middle of the Persian Gulf, a floating city bus- any 21-year-old to do. You need someone tles with activity. Thousands of men and women work round the clock to support U.S. troops in Afghanistan. responsible. You need someone ‘got us that money’ Among them is a graduate of Fernandina Beach High intelligent and thorough.’ School. RYAN SMITH years, but there’s “I moved (to Fernandina Beach) back in ’93,” said LT. COMMANDER RON FLANDERS ANGELA DAUGHTRY never been any Navy Airman Herbert Babin, the son of Herbert J. and the USS RONALD REAGAN News-Leader money. The contacts late Maria Babin. “I joined back at the end of 2006. It that Buddy had not pretty much follows in my family. My dad’s prior military, thing’s wrong, they’ll call us up and say, ‘We’re having a Nassau County Commissioners will only at the my grandfather’s prior military, my brother-in-law’s mil- problem in such-and-such area,’ and the pilots will go up discuss Wednesday whether to renew Washington level, itary. It’s a family thing.” and take care of it.” a lobbyist’s $75,000 a year contract. but at the state level, The 21-year-old aviation ordnanceman is one of 4,500 “Airman Babin’s job is critical to that support,” Flanders “He’s done a lot,” commission Chair got us that money,” people stationed on the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft car- said. “They’re really depending on him to make sure the Barry Holloway said, crediting attor- Holloway said. rier currently deployed to the Persian Gulf. machine guns on that aircraft are working, that the ord- ney Buddy Jacobs with a $60 million Jacobs “I could not have “The USS Ronald Reagan is the newest carrier in the nance is properly placed and working. In a way, their project to widen A1A near Callahan. gone to Tallahassee Pacific Fleet. We are a massive warship, 1,092 feet long,” lives could literally depend on how well he does his job. Jacobs has a contract with the coun- and gotten that said Lt. Commander Ron Flanders, the carrier’s public ... It’s not something that you want just any 21-year-old to ty through Sept. 30. He’s also paid money. I don’t have the contacts that information officer. “We weigh 97,000 tons. Our flight do. You need someone responsible. You need someone $75,000 a year by the city, and that Mr. Jacobs had. I feel very, very con- deck is 4 1/2 acres of U.S. sovereign territory. We have intelligent and thorough.” contract continues for another year. fident that he was instrumental in get- the most modern maritime airwing in the world, over 60 Babin, currently on his second deployment aboard City Manager Michael Czymbor ting us that money. aircraft. ... We are launching dozens of these aircraft a day the USS Ronald Reagan, said his time in the Navy has been has credited Jacobs for luring a $1 mil- “I just have confidence in Mr. to support the folks on the ground in Afghanistan.” rewarding. lion federal contract to improve the Jacobs’ law firm, that they can accom- As an aviation ordnanceman, Babin is responsible for “I’m enjoying it. It’s always different, every day. No city’s airport. plish what we need to accomplish not keeping those aircraft in fighting condition. day’s the same,” he said. “You work with a lot of good peo- Holloway discounted the notion only at the federal level, but at the “We load different kinds of bombs and missiles. We ple. I’m learning things and going places I never thought that federal stimulus money – the state level,” Holloway said. “... Without load bullets into the machine guns that the FA-18 (air- I would. I guess you could say I’m having a pretty good American Recovery and Reinvestment that contact for our county, I don’t plane) carries,” Babin said. “We troubleshoot the jet to time.” Act was proposed by President Obama believe we would have gotten what make sure the bombs and missiles are reading correct- The ship itself also continues to impress him. “I remem- and approved by Congress earlier this we got. Would we have gotten some of ly, to make sure that when the pilots go off on their mis- ber the first time I did a deployment on the Ronald year – was coming anyway. it? Probably – but I don’t know how sions they won’t have any problems if they have to drop Reagan,” he said. “Walking up and seeing the ship was The A1A project, for example, has much.” the bombs or fire the missiles – but that’s pretty much a amazing. It’s ridiculous that this big ship can float. ... You been a priority “for years, but there’s Funding for the Fernandina Beach last-resort thing. never been any money. A lot of these “If the boots on the ground call up and say some- NAVY Continued on 3A projects have been on the books for LOBBYIST Continued on 3A ‘Shrimp Expression’ to raise money for Micah’s Place HEATHER A. PERRY manent ownership of the shrimp, but The painted shrimp will be dis- News-Leader sponsors will receive benefits including played at sponsoring businesses from name recognition on the sculpture, May through September 2010. They What does a cow in Chicago have in website recognition, official publica- will be sold to the highest bidders at a common with a shrimp in Fernandina tions and VIP tickets to the gala auc- gala auction in October 2010. Beach? tion. Executive Director Shandra Riffey Both creatures are part of fundrais- A call to artists will be announced in explained to those gathered for the ing efforts benefiting community char- the coming weeks. Interested artists project launch, the financial crisis has ities. Artists such as Peter Max and and citizens will be able to submit caused an increase in the number of LeRoy Neiman took part in the cow- designs for consideration. The Shrimp women being abused by their part- painting fundraisers in Chicago, along Expression Art Review Committee will ners, which in turn has increased the with Dublin rock band Radiohead. review all submissions and approve need for shelters like Micah’s Place. As for the shrimp, this familiar crea- those that best represent the scope of “Because of the economic climate, ture is at the center of a new fundrais- the project and conform to the guide- we were looking outside the box; we ing effort by Micah’s Place, Nassau lines in the Artist Agreement. were looking at doing some cutting- County’s domestic violence shelter. Approved designs will become part of edge fundraising.” Titled “Shrimp Expression,” the a portfolio for selection by prospective Once the Micah’s Place Auxiliary project will have area merchants spon- sponsors. If a sponsor chooses an came up with the idea to do a project soring one of 20 fiberglass shrimp artist’s design, an honorarium of $500 similar to the highly successful Cows sculptures on which local artists will will be paid to the artist upon comple- on Parade in Chicago, they called on unleash their creativity in January. tion, delivery and acceptance of the the talents of Bonnie Upright at Sponsors may select their shrimp sculpture. Upright Public Relations in Orange design from pre-approved designs, or Approximately four feet high, the Park to help them get the word out. HEATHER A. PERRY/NEWS-LEADER they may commission a local artist to fiberglass shrimp weighs in at 60 “Shrimp Expression is a unique Iris Nicholson, left, unveils a whimsical shrimp sculpture assisted by paint it.

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