June 25, 2023 - Mayfield Minute -

Mayfield Minute - June 25, 2023

Good Morning!

June 25th thru June 30th is the National Recognition Week of the Boys and Girls Club of America. The purpose is to celebrate the invaluable service local clubs bring to communities to enable young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens, to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, and to live a healthy lifestyle.

The Boys Clubs of America began in 1860 by four women in Hartford, Connecticut. Together, they organized the first Club establishing character development as the cornerstone of the movement, and that mission remains the foundation of the program to this day.

In 1990, the Boys Clubs of America added ‘Girls’ to their cause and the U.S. Congress amended the Club’s original Congressional Charter to recognize the organization as the "Boys and Girls Club of America."

If you are interested in serving as a mentor or volunteer, of if you know a child or teen in need of their services, click here to locate the four Boys and Girls Clubs of America chapters in Brevard County (Melbourne and Cocoa) and Indian River County (Sebastian and Fellsmere).

I consider it a great honor to represent District 19. Please share this link with your friends and family so they too, can sign up for the Mayfield Minute.

If you or someone you know needs my assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My staff and I are here to serve you!

Statewide Update

Governor DeSantis Provides Update on FL's Role in Texas' Operation Lone Star

Florida Officials Interact with Over 10,000 Undocumented Migrants

Last week, Governor DeSantis announced that Florida teams that were dispatched to the Texas southern border made contact with over 10,000 undocumented migrants and assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety with over 600 arrests.

The felony charges included:

Human smuggling
Drug paraphernalia
Unlawful carrying of weapons
A suspect with a capital murder warrant
An MS-13 gang member currently on the U.S. Terror Watch List

Florida teams continue to intercede human smugglers and drug traffickers with over 230 pounds of drugs worth an estimated $184,000 seized.

Team members of the following state agencies remain deployed in Texas:

Florida National Guard
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Florida Highway Patrol
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

To view the Governor's recent announcement, click here.

Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez Leads Florida’s Strategic Business Meetings at the 2023 Paris Air Show

Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez met with national leaders in the aerospace industry to discuss current needs and future opportunities for Florida. Aerospace continues to be one of Florida’s best performing sectors of Florida’s economy with an average annual impact of $1.1 billion.

“As Chair of the Board of Space Florida, we are committed to supporting the growth of Florida’s flourishing aerospace sector,” said Lieutenant Governor Nuñez. “We have worked hard to attract companies that are building today’s aerospace assets and imagining tomorrow’s innovations. From modernizing and sustaining aerospace infrastructure investment to adapting to a dynamic global market, Florida has made the conscious decision to position our state as the world leader in global aerospace operations."

Key meetings were held with the AAR Corporation, Boeing Corporation, Embraer, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation, Lockheed Martin, RTX, Safran, and ST Engineering.

Governor DeSantis Approved the Following Bills Agreed Upon by the FL Senate and FL House

Since we last reported in the June 18th edition of the Mayfield Minute, some of the bills Governor DeSantis has signed include:

CS/CS/SB 1322 – Adoption of Children in Dependency Court

CS/CS/SB 1352 – Medicaid Enrollees with Sickle Cell Disease

SB 1396 – Department of Elder Affairs

CS/SB 1540 – Elder Abuse and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Fatality Review Teams

SB 7030 – State Opioid Settlement Trust Fund/Department of Children and Families

CS/SB 978 – Secured Transactions

SB 1442 – Terrorism

CS/CS/SB 7016 – Department of Corrections

SB 7044 – Changes in Ownership of or Interest in Pari-Mutuel Permits

HB 1349 – Mental Health Treatment

CS/CS/HB 1383 – Specialty Contractors

CS/CS/HB 1489 – Designation of Brevard Barrier Island Area as Area of Critical State Concern

CS/CS/HB 1517 – Agency for Persons with Disabilities

CS/HB 1133 – Physician Assistant Licensure

S/HB 1189 – Monuments

HB 1207 – Operation New Hope

CS/CS/HB 121 – Florida Kidcare Program Eligibility

CS/CS/HB 299 – Education and Training for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Forms of Dementia

CS/HB 339 – Education of Dependents of Deceased or Disabled Servicemembers, Prisoners of war, and Persons Missing in Action

CS/CS/HB 625 – Children’s Initiative Projects

HB 795 – Private Instructional Personnel

CS/CS/HB 935 – Chiefs of Police

CS/HB 967 – Medicaid Coverage of Continuous Glucose Monitors

CS/HB 977 – Clerks of Court

CS/CS/HB 1281 – Preemption Over Utility Service Restrictions

Constituent of the Week

Captain Winston Elliott Scott

Our Constituent of the Week is Captain Winston Elliott Scott, Director of Operational Excellence at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, retired United States Navy Captain, and former astronaut.

Captain Scott was born in 1950 in Coconut Grove (Miami, Florida). In 1968, he graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School where he is still remembered as one of the best trumpet players in school history. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Florida State University in 1972, attended the Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1974, and completed a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1980.

In 1974, he was designated a Naval Aviator serving as a production test pilot flying the F/A-18 Hornet and the A-7 Corsair aircraft. Captain Scott accumulated more than 7,000 hours of flight time in 25 different military and civilian aircraft, and more than 200 shipboard landings.

In 1992, Captain Scott was selected by NASA and reported to the Johnson Space Center where he trained as a mission specialist and astronaut.

In January 1996, during the Space Shuttle Endeavour mission, he completed his first spacewalk lasting six hours and 53 minutes. His assignment was to evaluate techniques utilized in the assembly of the International Space Station.

Space Shuttle Columbia’s mission in November 1997 was Captain Scott’s longest mission, traveling over 6.5 million miles and lasting 376 hours and 34 minutes. He completed two more spacewalks during the Columbia mission and conducted experiments on the effects of zero gravity on the human body.

In total, throughout his career Captain Scott spent 24 days, 14 hours, and 34 minutes in space.

After a lengthy career as a naval aviator, an astronaut, University educator, and advisor, Captain Scott was appointed as Director of Operational Excellence at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. In this position, he is responsible for ensuring visitors of all ages have a memorable and educational experience with Veteran astronauts in the Astronaut Encounter program.

Captain Scott and his wife, Marilyn, reside in Melbourne and they have two children. In his free time, he still plays the trumpet with various bands along the Space Coast including his own Winston Scott Cosmic Jazz Ensemble. He also holds a second-degree black belt in Shotokan karate.

District 19 is grateful for his decades of dedicated service to our nation and for inspiring future generations to pursue careers as naval aviators, space explorers, and astronauts.

District Highlights

New and Existing Companies to Add 1,100 Jobs on Space Coast

Florida Ranks as the #1 Destination in America for Corporations Relocating Headquarters

Last week the Orlando Business Journal reported that four companies will either expand or relocate to the Space Coast resulting in 1,100 new jobs.

Dassault Falcon: The jet manufacturer will build a 175,000-square-foot maintenance facility and 54,000-square-foot paint shop on the Melbourne Orlando International Airport property. Dassault Aviation will open the maintenance facility and paint shop by 2024 creating 400 local jobs. This location will be Dassault Falcon’s largest investment in the United States.

Orion180: The company plans to build a new $50 million, six-story headquarters in Melbourne. Orion180 has nearly 100 workers currently in Brevard County and plans to add 300 more by 2026 with workers earning an average of $75,000.

Space Perspective Inc.: The Cape Canaveral-based company will add 240 jobs by 2026 and invest more than $38 million tied to its planned space travel experiences. It started test flights early this year and has sold more than 1,000 tickets as of November 2022.

Burns & McDonnell: The Kansas City, Missouri-based architecture firm plans to double its staff at its Melbourne office from 10 to 20 by the end of the year, and reach 50 by 2025.

In statewide news, a new report by The Florida Standard stated Florida scored the highest percentage of net gains in corporation migration among all 50 states. California, New York, and Washington finished in the bottom three.

Last year, Florida surpassed New York for the highest number of jobs among all 50 states.

Upcoming Events

Celebrate America at the Annual Palm Bay Independence Day Event

The City of Palm Bay's Annual Independence Day Celebration will be held at the Palm Bay campus of EFSC (250 Community College Parkway Southeast) on Sunday, July 2nd, beginning at 5:00 p.m. with fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Other events include over 20 food trucks, art vendors, live music, and a Kids Zone with bouncers, games, and face paining.

Free parking is available on EFSC's campus at San Filippo Drive and Community College Parkway (behind Lowes). A limited amount of VIP parking passes can be purchased in advanced here.

54th Annual Sebastian 4th of July Festival

The City of Sebastian will host their annual 4th of July Festival on Tuesday, July 4th beginning at 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Riverside Park (600 US Highway 1). Entry to the day-long festival is free of charge.

Over 110 vendors will be on site with crafts, foods, and beverages available for purchase. The event is expected to attract 6,000 to 7,000 attendees. Organizers encourage all to arrive early and plan for a long day as fireworks over the Indian River Lagoon will begin at approximately 9:00 p.m.

For more information, call 772-538-7658.

Brevard County Sheriff's Office and Veterans Memorial Center July 4th Parade in Merritt Island

The annual BCSO and Veterans Memorial Center annual Fourth of July parade with Sheriff Ivey and K-9 Junny will take place on Tuesday, July 4th beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Merritt Island High School (100 Mustang Way). The parade route then heads South on Courtney Parkway, East on Merritt Avenue, and ends at Edgewood Junior/Senior High School.

Following the parade, food trucks will be on site at the Veterans Memorial Center to continue celebrating the United States of America and the heroes who have served our nation.

For more information, contact the Brevard Sheriff's Office Charity, Inc. at 321-505-8752 or click here.

Symphony Under the Stars 2023 in Cocoa Celebrates 4th of July

The Brevard Symphony Orchestra will hold a free concert, "Symphony Under the Stars 2023", on Tuesday, July 4th at 8:00 p.m. at Cocoa Riverfront Park (located at 401 Riveredge Boulevard). Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m.

The park will open early with food available for purchase at 6:30 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to relax and celebrate Independence Day.

Limited VIP tickets are available for purchase here and include reserved parking and concert seating, a BBQ dinner and dessert.

City of Melbourne “MelBOOM” Fourth of July Event

The City of Melbourne’s 2023 Fourth of July Celebration fireworks display will take place on Tuesday, July 4th at 9:00 p.m. at Front Street Park (2210 Front Street). Food trucks will be available.

Attendees are encouraged to park at the Melbourne Auditorium (625 Hibiscus Boulevard) and use the free shuttle service which will run from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Bus service will resume after the fireworks show until 11:00 p.m.

Know Before You Go:

No parking is allowed on the portion of the causeway that is in the City of Melbourne.
Some businesses do not allow public parking whether they are closed or not on Tuesday, July 4th. Towed vehicles from private properties will be retrieved at vehicle owner’s expense.
The Front Street Park boat ramp will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 3rd and reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 5th.
Canopies and tents are prohibited.

The following roads will close at 8:00 p.m. and will remain closed until approximately 10:00 p.m. depending on pedestrian traffic:

Strawbridge Avenue (U.S. 192) from U.S. 1 to Riverside Drive (Indialantic)
New Haven Avenue from the east side of the Mansion’s driveway to Strawbridge Avenue
Riverview Drive at Palmetto Avenue
Front Street at Melbourne Avenue

In the event of rain, the fireworks display will be rescheduled to Wednesday, July 5th. There will be no bus service or skydiver performance on the rain date.

For the most up to date information, click here.