NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- In the wake of several issues related to the blurring of Mayor Adam Barringer's public and private business interests, Headline Surfer notified him in writing Tuesday night by e-mail that the "Mayor's Message" blog that was posted every other week or so in the "Community Spotlight" section on the home page of the 24/7 Internet newspaper is no longer being published.
The decision was made because of unanswered questions as to why the mayor's restaurant was made available for a private party honoring 18-year city commissioner Jim Hathaway eight days ago. The city has earmarked $1,410 in taxpayer money for a private dinner for Hathaway attended by 47 guests.
Barringer has refused to answer questions as to why his beachside wine-bar restaurant was chosen over a dozen or so other eateries such as Norwood's, Clancy's, the Garlic, New Smyrna Steakhouse, Outback, Blackbeard's and others.
Another issue was his support of the recent appointment of friend Steve Sather to the Planning and Zoning Board, knowing full well that Sather pleaded no contest in court 20 years ago to a reduced felony charge of selling an ounce of cocaine to an undercover New Smyrna Beach cop when he was 41 years old. Adjudication of guilt was withheld after Sather completed community control and probation.
The third issue was Barringer's open support for his boyhood friend, 46-year-old David Patrick Fernandez, who received a $20,000-plus CRA grant earlier this month for renovation of his Trader's Pub bar on Flagler Avenue.
The CRA taxpayer funding was approved by Barringer and his fellow elected commissioners just weeks after Fernandez reneged on a pre-trial intervention agreement months earlier on a felony charge of beating a bar patron so badly 13 months ago that his face was covered in blood. A bouncer there entered into the PTI earlier this year.
The State Attorney's Office ultimately dropped the charge against Fernandez, who has a history of run-ins with the police with at least half a dozen arrests going back nearly a decade or more. Headline Surfer is awaiting information on the disposition of those cases and at this time presumes he's innocent unless the record shows otherwise. That information is expected to be delivered today.
Less than two weeks ago, Headline Surfer covering the annual Holiday Charity Ball at the Brannon Center when Fernandez began loudly cursing while sitting at a table by himself and drinking near an open bar, insisting the 24/7 Internet newspaper was wrong to report his arrest. Fernandez left after a cop working the private detail interceded and he left. Headline Surfer was then confronted by insurance salesman Buddy Davenport who demanded the internet newspaper's removal. Headline Surfer voluntarily left at the suggestion of the cop to avoid further problems.
Headline Surfer wrote about the incident, then took it down after Davenport sent an e-mail asking that it be removed and apologized for the incident. Headline Surfer then wrote another story documenting that prior incident after the 24/7 Internet newspaper showed up for Hathaway's party with the retired commissioner's blessing, only to be confronted by Commissioner Judy Reiker's husband, who said the party was invitation-only, that the press was not invited and that Headline Surfer should leave because the other guests were uncomfortable. When Headline Surfer asked why the press should not be present, Mariande responded, "You're an idiot!" and walked away.
Headline Surfer first learned taxpayer money was used after citizen watchdog Bob Tolley forwarded the results of a public records request to the Internet newspaper on Thanksgiving morning showing public monies had been earmarked for the Hathaway party and an earlier sendoff party for then-Commissioner Lynne Plaskett.
Despite texting, emailing and leaving repeated voice mail messages for the mayor, none of the messages were returned. At Tuesday night's commission meeting, he remained silent even after confronted by Tolley.
Here is what Headline Surfer wrote to Barringer, cc'd to the city clerk and sent at 10:15 p.m. Tuesday with a return-receipt option activated, which showed he opened the e-mail at 12:15 a.m. today:
Dear Mayor Barringer:
With ethical questions surrounding your private business dealings and your role as the elected leader of our city, I believe it is best that I no longer continue the "Mayor's Message" blog that I offered you as a platform to share your thoughts with the public.
As publisher of this 24/7 Internet newspaper, I have serious concerns about our ability to report the news regarding your office while providing you this forum. Your blog was intended to engage the public in your perspective on community issues. Despite some apprehension, I published your latest installment on Monday under the headline, "Reflecting on election season: Doing right thing for people we represent." In it, you wrote in part: "Since this election season has ended, I reflected back on all the meetings, seminars, interactions and relationships that I have made with political leaders on all levels. It is my contention that we all have one thing in common: service to our communities, to our country and the belief that we are doing the 'right thing' for the people we represent."
After finally receiving documentation this afternoon from the City Clerk's Office that your restaurant, SoNapa Grille, was or will be provided taxpayer monies for hosting a sendoff party for a retired city commissioner, it raised a red flag. The documentation I received has figures that don't even add up. The party could have been held at any of a dozen or more restaurants in this city.
This is not the first time your private business interests have been called into question. By your own admission, you helped a friend, Chad Schilsky, get a position on the CRA, and while serving, he sought a public grant to renovate his restaurant. Your family's Barringer Construction was identified as a contractor, and though both of you abstained in separate votes that led to the CRA taxpayer grant being awarded, the CRA consulting attorney later ruled this was a violation of state law and the financing was withdrawn, though Schilsky told me he paid Barringer Construction for the work performed.
You supported the appointment of Steve Sather to the Planning & Zoning Board, knowing that he pleaded no contest 20 years ago to selling cocaine to an undercover New Smyrna Beach cop. Because it was his first offense and the sentencing guidelines were less strict then, adjudication of guilt was withheld after he completed court-ordered community control and probation. In his campaign for a city commission seat in 2009, the same election as your run for mayor, his past was reported by this internet newspaper and the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Mr. Sather finished last in the primary.
Recently elected Commissioner Kirk Jones, a retired 35-year NSB firefighter, told me he was surprised Sather was appointed considering his no contest plea to a reduced felony charge. Regardless of the adjudication being withheld, Jones said that as a firefighter, he' seen the devastation of drug abuse.
This leads me to the third and final concern. As mayor, you were Instrumental in support of a CRA grant for your boyhood friend and bar owner, David Fernandez, who had authorized his attorney to enter into a deferred prosecution agreement in the alleged felony beating last year of a patron in his Trader's Pub. Fernandez later balked at the agreement and the state dismissed the charge last month. The public record shows Fernandez has been charged with at least half a dozen prior offenses. I am in the process of reviewing the record, and unless I can find otherwise, he is always presumed innocent.
Because I need to continue gathering facts regarding Mr. Fernandez, concerns about the public perception of an admitted drug dealer serving on the P&Z and questions as to why another of your private businesses is involved with taxpayer funding, I need to ensure that our media outlet is free of any conflicts of interest. Perhaps, this will could have an adverse impact on our advertising as this is a small town, but the integrity of the journalism is paramount to me. With the specter of the above mentioned issues, I need to report the news unencumbered.
Respectfully,
Henry Frederick
Publisher Headline Surfer, Florida's first 24/7 Internet newspaper
On the web: HeadlineSurfer.com NSBNews.net, VolusiaNews.net
henryfrederick@headlinesurfer.com 386-689-2830 NSB News LLC 168 Turnberry Circle New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
