June 22, 2017 Volume 47, No. 25 75 cents PonteVedraRecorder.com Riding the wave Health Care Profiles Pages 15-18 Business Weekly: Featuring Distinctive Homes Pages 19-32 Raising an Photo by Jon Blauvelt Olympian: A local child learns to surf at the 10th annual Riding the Wave of Autism Surf Camp. Read more on page 34. Page 33 Serving Ponte Vedra and the Beaches since 1969 8 2 4 9 3 V L - 3 V P SEE THE NEW LOTUS EVORA 400 www.LotusOfJacksonville.com | (904) 998-9992 2 COMMUNITY NEWS Ponte Vedra Recorder · June 22, 2017 Send us your news PUZZLE SOLUTIONS INSIDE We welcome submissions of photos, stories, columns and letters to the One of Us editor. E-mail submissions to Page 6 [email protected] bring them by our office at 1102 A1A N., Unit 108, Ponte Vedra Beach. Calendar Pages 8-9 Sports Visit our website at Pages 33-35 www.pontevedrarecorder.com Obituaries Plus, find the Recorder on Facebook at Pages 36 www.facebook.com/ThePVRecorder WHAT’S THIS? Do you know what this is? Susan Griffin Publisher [email protected] Email your answer to [email protected] (904) 686-3938 by Monday at 5 p.m. All correct entries will be entered into a ran- Jennifer Logue Managing Editor dom drawing to win tickets for two adults and [email protected] two children to the Jacksonville Zoo. In order (904) 686-3943 to allow as many families as possible to win, Jon Blauvelt participants are only eligible to win a ticket Reporter/Production prize pack once every four months. Coordinator Solutions correspond to last week’s puzzles. [email protected] (904) 686-3939 Samantha Logue Two readers correctly identified last week’s Reporter photo as Fishman Pediatric Dentistry. Winner [email protected] of the random drawing was Andrea Middle- (904) 686-3945 brook. Rob Conwell Circulation Manager Congratulations, Andrea – you may pick up [email protected] your prize at the Recorder offices during nor- (904) 686-3936 mal business hours. Ed Johnson Senior Account Executive [email protected] ADOPT A PET (904) 686-3940 CAT OF THE WEEK DOG OF THE WEEK Kristin Flanagan I am Dinah, a 1-year-old My name is Nellie and I Account Executive female cat. I was brought am a 1-year-old female (904) 285-8831 to the pet center as a dog looking for a new April Snyder stray. As this animal was a home. I was brought to Sales Assistant stray there may be some the pet center by my fam- [email protected] traits that are unknown ily because they could no (904) 686-3937 at this time. Come visit longer care for me. Come us today here at the pet visit me today here at the Leigh Mitchell Cary Howard center! #38274 pet center! #38448 Page Designers [email protected] Any new pet being introduced to a new home will need time to adjust to their new environment. Please reinforce house-training and behavioral training and be mindful of interacting with other pets. U.S.P.S. (705-300) Periodical Postage Paid at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. 32082 Postmaster: Send change of addresses to: Ponte Vedra Recorder, P.O. Box 501, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, 32004. (904) 285-8831 St. Johns County Pet Center Subscription Rates, Bulk Mail: One year, $35; six months, $20. Rates not ap- Cat adoptions at the St. Johns County Pet Center are $30 for males and $40 for females. Dog adoptions are $45 plicable in Canada or overseas. for males and $60 for females. Adoption fees include microchipping, neutering/spaying, rabies vaccinations To subscribe, call Circulation Manager Rob Conwell at (904) 686-3936. and shots. The pet center is located at 130 N. Stratton Rd., off US 1 between County Road 210 and International The Recorder is published every Thursday Golf Parkway. Business hours are Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The at 1102 A1A N., Unit 108 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 center is closed to the public on Sunday. On Monday, the office is open by appointment only to claim a lost pet. For more information, please call the St. Johns County Pet Center at (904) 209-6190. PV2-LV39484 Ponte Vedra Recorder · June 22, 2017 COMMUNITY NEWS 3 Nease band director resigns amid allegations of inappropriate relationship CUSTOM BUILDING & REMODELING SINCE 1962 with student, other misconduct RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL By Jennifer Logue ing frustration on the part of the person reporting the alleged misconduct. The director of the Nease High School “Michael Johnson, the band director TOM TROUT, inc. band resigned last month after school district currently working at Nease High School, officials launched an investigation into al- needs to be reported,” the person wrote in GENERAL CONTRACTOR 3 5 3 legations he engaged in a sexual relationship a Feb. 1 letter that followed several emails 9 3 V CBC026189 L - with a former student and other charges of asking whether the allegations were be- 2 V inappropriate behavior. ing investigated. “…This is about a true P Michael Johnson was suspended by the physical relationship between himself and an St. Johns County School District March 27 underage student. And the potential of more (904) 737-5412 • tomtroutinc.com after it received complaints that the teacher Contact us for a FREE consultation! had engaged in a sexual relationship with a BAND continues on Page 4 student. On May 8, Johnson submitted his resignation after being interviewed by school officials, who also conducted in-depth inter- Call today to schedule an appointment! views with both current and former students FREE ESTIMATES! and teachers. “Upon learning of the allegations of inappropriate conduct, (Johnson) was immediately placed on suspension with pay (3/27/17) pending the outcome of the investigation,” school district spokesperson Christina Langston wrote in an email to the Recorder. SAVE BIG on anew HVAC System! Yet a review of Johnson’s personnel file AIR CONDITIONING • HEATING indicates that between December 2016 and REFRIGERATION late January 2017, school officials received several anonymous letters and emails alleg- 904-713-9600 ing sexual misconduct by Johnson – com- www.tropicaire.net #CAC057369 munications that went unanswered, prompt- “Perfect Temperature Any Season” PV2-LV39475 ­ ­ PV2-LV39489 4 COMMUNITY NEWS Ponte Vedra Recorder · June 22, 2017 Fatal collision claims life of Neptune Beach man A Neptune Beach man died Saturday for D.R. Horton of North Florida, was after an SUV collided with the motorcycle flown to UF Health Jacksonville, where he was riding on SR A1A in South Ponte he later died from his injuries. According Vedra Beach. to the authorities, the driver of the SUV Neil Phelps, 44, was riding his motor- was Kelly Saltman, 30, of Ponte Vedra cycle north on A1A in South Ponte Vedra Beach. She and her two passengers – a Beach shortly before 4 p.m. June 17 when 5-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy – were a black SUV traveling south turned left uninjured. into his path near 2477 S. Ponte Vedra A GoFundMe account has been es- St. Johns Fire Rescue photo Blvd. The motorcycle and SUV collided tablished for Phelps’s children at https:// An SUV traveling south on A1A in S. Ponte Vedra Beach collided with a motorcycle traveling in the northbound lane of A1A. www.gofundme.com/amazing-father-of- north Saturday afternoon. The driver of the motorcycle, Neptune Beach resident Neil Phelps, Phelps, a father of three who worked 3-killed-in-crash. later died of his injuries. wrestling. One student claimed that Johnson made a Band student spin a rifle in his underwear in front Continued from 3 of the band, while others alleged Johnson in- Arbor Terrace Ponte Vedra is seeking exceptional people sisted on personally measuring male students for the following employment positions: than just one…. Ruining children’s lives is for band uniforms, sent photos of himself in Certified Nursing Assistants: inexcusable….” his underwear to students and bought “re- Full and Part Time; Day, Evening, and Nights According to school records, new Nease vealing underwear” for other students. Engagement Coordinator (Activities Assistant): Principal Lisa Kunze responded that evening, Additional charges include claims that Part time Day and Evening and weekends saying that school officials had sought guid- Johnson publicly ridiculed African American Dining:Dining:Dining:Dining: Full Time Utility and Full time Cook ance from district personnel and requesting and Asian students with racially insensitive more information to initiate an investigation. remarks and hazed freshman students during Housekeeping: Richards Mattress & Part Time/ Full Time Housekeepers The most serious allegations involve band camp, requiring them to crawl in the Wicker Warehouse For more information and to submit an electronic 1079 Atlantic Blvd. • Atlantic Beach charges that Johnson engaged in an inappro- dirt and grunt like animals. Next to Elvis’s Upholstery application for a position, please visit our website at PV3-LV39429 priate relationship with a student. According Students told investigators that despite https://pontevedra.vikus.net/ M-S • 11-5:30 • Sunday • 1-5 to notes taken during school officials’ inter- being afraid to come forward, they wanted to EOE, Drug Testing Conducted 249-3541 AL# 12080AL#12080AL#1208012080 PV2-LV39394 www.richardsmattressandwicker.com views with Johnson, the band teacher admit- “protect” younger classmates from John- ted to the relationship. When asked when the son because he “put students in dangerous, relationship became sexual, Johnson initially unsafe situations.” According to the St. Johns answered, “I don’t remember” before saying County Sheriff’s Office, deputies investigated it was after the student had turned 18 and the allegations regarding Johnson’s relation- graduated from Nease.