Sunny FIND OUT HOW YOUR $214 IN 0% chance of rain COUPONS, | FAVORITE TEAM FARED, 6A INSIDE 85 67 For details, see 2A www.mypdn.com PALATKA DAILY NEWS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2015 $1 Expert warns of rising sea levels Scientist suggests Palatka’s municipal comprehensive plan doesn’t account for more water Robert Virnstein used photos from do with rising sea level. WHAT DO YOU THINK? BY ASIA AIKINS Palatka Daily News the Palatka Daily News last week to “The St. Johns River here is tidal,” What do you think about the rising sea levels on the show Palatka city commissioners he said. “It’s really the ocean that St. Johns River? Email Letters to the A municipal comprehensive plan is images of rising water inside a wom- drives water levels. It’s not rainfall. It’s Editor to publicforum@palatkadailynews. all about looking into the future, but a an’s home near Dunns Creek. not local winds. It’s the ocean.” com. Letter writers must include full local scientist said Palatka’s plan is While the recent flooding followed a name, daytime phone number and missing something that is “now, cer- period of regional rainfall, Virnstein address. There is a 350-word limit. tain and everywhere” – sea level rise. told commissioners rainfall has little to See LEVELS, Page 5A Virnstein SJRWM removes nitrogen, BOO ON THE AVENUE phosphorus Lake George gizzard shad harvest removal lasts five months Palatka Daily News The St. Johns River Water Management District’s 2015 Lake George gizzard shad har- vest removed more than 9,000 pounds of phosphorus and 27,000 pounds of nitrogen from the lake, which is in Volusia and Putnam counties and part of the St. Johns River system. According to a water man- agement district news release, the gizzard shad harvest took place May 4–Sept. 30 and removed more than 1 million pounds of the rough fish from Lake George, which directly removed thousands of pounds of nutrient pollution from the lake. Removing large numbers of shad from a water body removes the nutrients con- tained in the fishes’ bodies. The $842,493 project was funded with a 2014–2015 leg- islative appropriation. The dis- trict’s governing board approved a three-year contract on Sept. 9, 2014, to remove giz- zard shad from Lake Apopka and Lake George. Gizzard shad are a native fish found in most Florida waters and account for 5 to 20 percent of the total fish popu- CHRIS DEVITTO/Palatka Daily News lation in healthy Florida lakes. Ray Bates, an employee of Miss D’s Quilts, hands out candy to hundreds of children Friday afternoon during Boo on the Avenue along St. Johns Avenue. However, in nutrient-rich, algae-dominated lakes, giz- zard shad proliferate and can account for more than 90 per- cent of the total fish popula- tion. Gizzard shad feed on algae on the bottom of the lake, stir- City crews spruce up Hank Bryan Park ring up sediments and cloud- ing the water. Shad excrete nutrients back into the water, recycling nutrients from the Various workers update facility in advance of today’s Fall Festival bottom that can feed more algae. Thus, by removing these fish, additional nutrients will WHAT DO YOU THINK? BY ASIA AIKINS not be recycled into the lake to Palatka Daily News What do you think about the impair its water quality. upgrades at the city-operated Hank Palatka city crews worked together Friday to make The district hires commer- Bryan Park? Email improvements at Hank Bryan Park. cial fishing vendors to net giz- Letters to the Editor “We planned to do it in phases,” Projects Manager zard shad. Sport fish caught in to publicforum@ Jonathan Griffith said, “but we had a lot of people from nets during the harvests are palatkadailynews. various departments volunteer to get the work done before immediately released. The com. Letter writers the fall festival.” program is closely monitored must include full CHRIS DEVITTO/Palatka Daily News by the Florida Fish and name, daytime phone number and Palatka firefighters volunteer their time to install interior wood Wildlife Conservation address. There is a 350-word limit. See PARK, Page 5A siding on the pavilion Friday afternoon at Hank Bryan Park. Commission. By mail, 2 sections VOL. 127 • NO. 216 The Voice of Classified/Legals ............ 9A Obituaries ....................... 3A INDEX PALATKA, FLA. Putnam County Comics ............................ 5A Opinions ......................... 4A Advice ............................. 5A Horoscope ...................... 5A Sports ............................. 6A since 1885 Briefing ........................... 2A Lottery............................. 7A Sudoku ........................... 9A Public Notices on Page 9A 103115a1.indd 1 10/30/15 8:03 PM “Success is a public affair. Failure is a private funeral.” — Rosalind Russell morning briefing American actress 2ASATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2015 (1911-1976) PALATKA DAILY NEWS Today in History www.palatkadailynews.com 1825 St. Johns Ave., Palatka FL 32177 MAIL: P.O. Box 777, Palatka, FL 32178 Today is Saturday, Oct. 31, the 304th day of 2015. There are 61 USPS 418-500 days left in the year. This is Periodicals postage paid at Palatka, Halloween. A reminder: Daylight FL, Palatka Daily News, est. 1885, saving time ends Sunday at 2 a.m. is published daily Tuesday through local time. Clocks go back one hour. Saturday by the Palatka Daily News, Inc., POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TODAY IN PUTNAM Palatka Daily News, P.O. Box 777, In 1874, the 18-mile St. Johns Palatka FL 32178 Railway from Tocoi on the St. Johns MAIN NUMBER ..... 312-5200 River, north of Palatka, to St. Augustine, was made with a combi- Business hours are 8 a.m. to nation of iron and wood rails and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. pulled by horses. In 1874, six families from Call about classified or display ads, questions about circulation or any Nashua, N.H., built new homes other newspaper business. Call between Dunns Lake (Crescent with news tips at any time. Just fol- Lake) and Lake Broward. By 1880, low the instructions after business a village sprang up called Pomona hours. along the railroad line where mail Advertising fax ....................312-5209 was delivered. Other people from Newsroom fax ....................312-5226 New Hampshire came to the area and homesteaded land on the St. CIRCULATION Johns River and founded the village of Nashua between Satsuma and Please call 386-312-5200 by Welaka. CHRIS DEVITTO / Palatka Daily News 10 a.m. to report problems with the Marty Fillman and Marilyn Pacheco rehearse a scene for River City Players’ upcoming production of Plaza Suite. The delivery of your paper. Circulation office Neil Simon comedy show runs Nov. 11-15 at the Scarlett-Hill Theater inside the Larimer Arts Center, 216 Reid St., TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. If you leave a Palatka. Director is Eli Higginbotham. For related story and more photos, see today’s Currents. On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther message, please give your name, 911 posted his 95 Theses on the door of address and phone number. the Wittenberg Palace church, marking the start of the Protestant For home delivery subscription, Thursday separate juries will decide DAYTONA BEACH Reformation in Germany. the fates of Lonna Lauramore Barton including tax State News Aeronautical university 13 weeks ................................ $24.62 and William Ruben Ebron Jr. follow- ON THIS DATE 26 weeks ................................ $49.25 ing their Dec. 7 trial. to construct $28M facility In 1864, Nevada became the 36th 52 weeks ................................ $93.68 Lonzie Barton was 21 months old state as President Abraham Lincoln e-edition .............................. $7/month JACKSONVILLE when he went missing in July. He Embry-Riddle Aeronautical signed a proclamation. Duration of subscription subject to has not been seen since Ebron University announced plans to con- In 1941, work was completed on rate increase. Deputy charged reported him missing. struct a $28 million research facility to the Mount Rushmore National with grand theft Assistant State Attorney Rich house labs and a wind tunnel. Memorial in South Dakota, which Paul Conner ..................386-312-5246 Mantei said the two juries will hear The university made the announce- began in 1927. Circulation Director A Florida deputy was charged with most of the evidence together, but ment Thursday night as it celebrated In 1961, the body of Josef Stalin [email protected] grand theft after authorities said he they’ll hear some testimony sepa- 50 years in Daytona Beach. was removed from Lenin’s Tomb as tried to collect benefits after his wife’s rately. Construction for the Advanced part of the Soviet Union’s “de- OBITUARIES death even though they were Defense attorneys opposed efforts Aerodynamics Laboratory and Wind Stalinization” drive. divorced. to combine the cases. Tunnel is scheduled to begin January In 1968, President Lyndon B. Death notices and obituaries are St. Johns County Sheriff’s Deputy Both are accused of child neglect 2016 and is set to be finished Johnson ordered a halt to all U.S. published daily. We accept obituaries Shane Tolerico, 43, turned himself in and giving false information to September 2017. School officials said bombing of North Vietnam, saying Thursday. He is charged with police. But Ebron also faces three the lab could support 300 additional he hoped for fruitful peace negotia- and photos from funeral homes. The defrauding St. Johns County of over counts involving a potential plot to graduate students over the next five tions. deadline is 5 p.m. Obituaries can be $60,000 in insurance claims. escape. years. In 1984, Indian Prime Minister emailed to clerk@palatkadailynews. According to the indictment, the University President John Watret Indira Gandhi was assassinated by com. For information about obituaries investigation began a month ago.