September 3, 2023 - Mayfield Minute

Mayfield Minute - September 3, 2023 - Mayfield Minute_Labor Day

Good Morning!

I hope you are taking time to relax and enjoy this long weekend with your family and friends.

While many associate this occasion with the end of summer and the beginning of football season, Labor Day is a time to pay tribute to the contributions and the achievements of the American worker. Our economy and the overall well-being of our country is dependent on our labor force.

The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. Two years later, 23 states adopted the holiday. On June 28, 1894, over 129 years ago, President Grover Cleveland signed a law establishing the first Monday in September as the national Labor Day holiday.

"We built this great Nation, built it to surpass the highest standards ever imagined, through the hard work of our people. I would match the American worker against any in the world. The people whose labor fuels our industry and economy are among the most productive anywhere.” --President Ronald Reagan

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

Hurricane Idalia Makes a Historic Landfall in Florida's Big Bend as a Major Category Three Hurricane

Hurricane Idalia reached major hurricane category four status before slightly dropping to a strong category three storm approximately 15 miles before making land fall near Keaton Beach, 75 miles Southwest of Tallahassee. The rural city of Perry surrounded by many fishing villages, nearly 50 miles Southwest of the Capital City, suffered the greatest damage.

At the request of Governor DeSantis, President Biden issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the hardest hit counties of Citrus, Taylor, Dixie, Lafayette, Levy, Suwanee, and Hamilton.

Sadly, one life was lost in a traffic fatality in Alachua County. Forty successful live saving rescues were made by first responders. With the storm surge projected from 12 to 16 feet, 125 mph winds, and flash flooding anticipated, it is a notable there were not more casualties or injuries.

The thorough planning, vast experience and leadership of the Governor, state agency heads, first responders, state and national guardsman, and local government working together was evident. Advanced preparation, sheltering in place, and pre-staged recovery mechanisms after the storm, serve as a testament to how an impending catastrophic event can be managed effectively to minimize loss of life.

Also, residents and business owners heeding early preparation and evacuation orders likely saved lives, property, and livelihoods. For those who refused to evacuate, local officials made contact with each, recorded their addresses and the number of residents in the home to make well-check contact following the passage of the storm.

That is not to say that significant financial losses have occurred. Early estimates of insured losses from Hurricane Idalia are approximately $9 billion, yet far lower than officials feared.

Some of the proactive measures taken before and after included:

Over one million gallons of fueled staged strategically around the state
200,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) distributed
Over 1.2 million bottles of water distributed
More than 900 tarps distributed
Over 450,000 customers had power restored within 24 hours
5,300 Florida National Guard mobilized
2400 high mobility, high-water vehicles staged
14 FLARNG helicopters strategically placed around the state
23 small watercraft staged in most immediate areas for rescue
Over 1,000 bridges were expected and deemed safe for usage within 24 hours
All toll fees were suspended on West Coast Florida highway evacuation routes and for those returning post storm
Thousands of generators to operate traffic signals were already in place water receded allowing police officer to prioritize response to 911 calls rather than traffic direction
900 first responders, including trauma surgeons, structural engineers, K-9 units, EMT’s and fire rescue teams were deployed to the region

Many of the 900 first responders were experts from City of Fort Pierce, and Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties. Out-of-state teams from Virginia and Pennsylvania also arrived to assist Florida’s first responders.

While District 19 was largely spared from Hurricane Idalia, Florida's leadership and comprehensive emergency management structure continues to demonstrate robust preparedness plans, rapid response, and successful recovery efforts during natural disasters.

First Lady Casey DeSantis has activated the Florida Disaster Fund to support residents and business owners negatively impacted by Hurricane Idalia. To donate or volunteer, click here.

Constituent of the Week

Mr. John Scott

Our Constituent of the Week is John Scott, Director of Brevard County Emergency Management.

A native of Florida and Brevard County, John Scott has worked for Brevard County’s Emergency Management Department for 11 years. He was named Director in January 2021 after serving prior in the department as homeland security coordinator, operations coordinator, and operations manager. The Brevard County Emergency Operations Center is the most activated site in Florida due to the numerous launches and potential hurricane threats in our area.

This past week in preparation for Hurricane Idalia, Director Scott regularly provided updates on storm preparations, status of schools, public transportation, and community services via YouTube messages from the EOC.

Throughout his career, Director Scott has responded to local, state, national, and international disasters including floods, wildfires, COVID-19 pandemic, the Haiti Earthquake, Deep Water Horizon oil spill, radiological space launches, and countless tropical storms and hurricanes.

Previously, Director Scott worked for Monroe County (Florida Keys) Emergency Management as the Senior Planner, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management as the Region 7 Coordinator. He holds the designation of Florida Professional Emergency Manager from the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association, where he served seven years on their Executive Committee, including two terms as President.

Director Scott led Brevard County’s emergency management team in the longest continuous activation in Brevard County during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. He managed vaccination efforts, logistical resources, and created the “pop-up pantry program” utilizing existing churches and community organizations to deliver meals to residents experience shortages of food and financial resources.

He has earned countless local, state, and national recognitions and served on many boards and councils citing his leadership experience in critical emergency management operations, crisis planning, and major disaster response and recovery.

Director Scott graduated from Rockledge High School and the University of South Florida. He and his wife, Bobbie of 19 years, reside in Rockledge with their beloved dog, Storm.

District 19 is grateful for Director Scott's ongoing leadership in crisis preparation, emergency management, and recovery efforts throughout Brevard County, the state of Florida, and beyond.

District Highlights

Governor DeSantis Announces Reappointments to the St. Johns River Water Management District

Last week, Governor DeSantis announced the reappointment of Ryan Atwood, Ronald Howse, and Jon “Chris” Peterson to the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Mr. Atwood, of Mount Dora, is the Owner of Atwood Family Farms and H&A Farms. He is the former President of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association and serves on the Florida Fruits and Vegetable Association Board of Directors.

Mr. Howse, of Cocoa, is the President and Founder of Real Deal Development Group and HOWSECO, LLC. He currently serves on the Eastern Florida State College District Board of Trustees and the Florida Transportation Commission.

Mr. Peterson, of Winter Park, is the President of Hell’s Bay Boatworks, Inc. He is a board member of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and a legacy partner of Captains for Clean Water.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is an environmental regulatory agency of the state of Florida whose work is focused on ensuring a long-term supply of drinking water, and to protect and restore the health of water bodies in the district’s 18 counties in northeast and east-central Florida.

West Shore and Edgewood Junior/Senior High Schools Rank in the Top 10 Best in Florida

US News and World Report recently ranked two Brevard high schools among the top 10 best high schools in Florida.

West Shore Junior/Senior High School in Melbourne ranked fourth in the state and 34th nationally. Edgewood Junior/Senior High School in Merritt Island ranked seventh in the state and 74th nationally.

WSJS High School and EJS High School each have a graduation rate of 100% WSJS received a college readiness score of 97.3 and EJS received a score of 97.1. The schools were ranked based on how they performed nationally and statewide out of 17,680 nationally ranked schools and 618 schools ranked in Florida.

Criteria for evaluation included how many students took at least one AP exam, passed at least one AP exam, mathematics, reading, and science proficiency, and graduation rate.

Congratulations to the students, families, faculty, and staff of West Shore and Edgewood for seeking excellence in education and earning this well-deserved recognition.

Upcoming Events

Grant-Valkaria Community Park Playground Rebuild

The Payton’s Playspace Community Rebuild Playground project will begin on Tuesday, September 5th at the Grant-Valkaria Community Park (1449 Valkaria Road) in Grant-Valkaria.

Volunteers are needed for the following shifts beginning Tuesday through Friday:

1st shift: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
2nd shift: 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
3rd Shift: 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The project is a week-long community effort culminating in the grand opening of Payton's Playspace on Saturday, September 9th at 5:30 p.m.

To volunteer or donate to the new Payton's Playspace Community Playground, click here.

Brevard County Veterans Memorial Center to Hold 9/11 Event

The 2023 Brevard County 9/11 22nd Anniversary Memorial Tribute will be held on Monday, September 11th at 6:00 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park (400 South Sykes Creek Parkway) in Merritt Island. The event is sponsored by Club 1013 and the Military Officers Association of America Cape Canaveral Good Deeds Foundation, and hosted by the Veterans Memorial Center.

Citizens of Brevard County will gather to remember and honor the civilians and first responders who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, the military members who waged war on terrorists abroad, and the ground zero rescuers who later succumbed to illness or fatality after toxic exposure.

The Uniform Ceremony begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. For more information, contact the Veterans Memorial Center at 321-453-1776 or visit the website.

"We Remember" Tribute to 9/11 in Vero Beach

The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1038, POSTNET, and Masonic Lodge 250 will host "We Remember", a tribute recognizing the 22nd Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America. The event takes place on Monday, September 11th at 6:30 p.m. at the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce (1957 14th Avenue).

Paul J. Bartoszewicz (Mr. B), President of VVA Chapter 1038 will be providing a visual presentation. Seating is limited to the first 100 attendees. The event is free-of-charge; donations are appreciated and will benefit the VVA Chapter 1038 Scholarship Fund.

For more information, call (770) 905-9821 or click here.

4th Annual 9/11 Melbourne Firefighters Memorial 5K

The Fourth Annual 9/11 Memorial 5K to benefit Melbourne firefighters will be held on Saturday, September 16th at Wickham Park (2500 Parkway Drive) in Melbourne at the large pavilion beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m.

Registration:

Online registration ends Thursday, September 14th
Early registration: Friday, September 15th at Running Zone (3696 North Wickham Road) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Same day registration: Participants choosing to register race day (Saturday, September 16th) must check in between 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. at the Wickham Park large pavilion.

Costs to participate are $35.00 for an individual and $30.00 for individual participating with a team.

For more information and questions, call (321) 751-8890.