NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- When I got word that New Smyrna officials were going to honor retiring Police Chief Ron Pagano on Tuesday night, it got me thinking: With three weeks left before we say goodbye to 2012, and usher in the "teens" if there is such a label, we have seen time march forward with a clearly defined changing of the guard across the Volusia County political landscape.
Stalwarts like Frank Bruno, Carl Persis and Glenn Ritchey are fading from the spotlight. So is the case for longtime State Sen. Evelyn Lynn of Ormond Beach, County Council member Joie Alexander of Port Orange and Jim Hathaway, the 18-year member of the city commission who tried to make the jump to the county council.
Gone, too, is Hathaway's elected colleague Lynne Plaskett whose sometimes bizarre career goes back to the mid-1990s on the county council. Then there's 85-year-old Mary Lee Cook, who outlasted her nemesis in Police Chief Diane Young, dubbed the "cocaine chief," along with the police force.
Coming into the spotlight is the likes of Jason Davis, whose overwhelming defeat of Persis for the county chairmanship term-limited Bruno was forced to give up, only to fall in crushing defeat to Dorothy Hukill for state senate seat. Derrick Henry won convincingly to replace retired Glenn Ritchey and former Ormond Beach Mayor David Hood made the jump to state representative.
For every newcomer like Deltona's David Santiago who won a Statehouse seat, was the return to elective office in New Smyrna Beach's Deb Denys and DeLand's Pat Patterson on the County Council, joining newcomers Davis of Edgewater and Doug Daniels of Ormond Beach.
There was the return of Jeff Bracey, former acting mayor of Oak Hill, to a seat on the commission when his opponent's disqualified filing was upheld by a judge. Bracey's return comes with newly elected Mayor Douglas Gibson over rival Linda Hyatt, one of the former police chief's ardent supporters.
Even in steady Port Orange, longtime Port Orange Councilman Bob Pohlmann felt the sting of defeat to newcomer Drew Bastian And two months of the new year, we'll be saying goodbye to longtime City Manager Ken Parker.
The aforementioned Dorothy Hukill of Port Orange, found new life in the senate and Pat Northey's political career could end when she's term-limited in two years on the county council.
Like these two, longtime heavyweights Ben Johnson and Diane Matousek, sheriff and clerk of the circuit court, respectively, also extended their political lifelines over lesser known challengers in November.
Steve deLaroche, former elected county judge, gave Matousek some heartburn in the primary, and one of the most formidable office holders in Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall, disposed a slate of challengers including County Councilman Andy Kelly of DeLand, who opted not to seek re-election in favor of his wife, Missy Kelly, who didn't make it out of the primary.
On the legal side, State Attorney RJ Larizza held off retired County Judge Stasia Warren and longtime prosecutor Chris Kelly prevailed over Warren's son, Adam Warren. County Judge Bryan Feigenbaum staved off an opponent whose name as the same as a longtime retired judge.
And not to be outdone at the party level, Tony Ledbetter took over for retiring Stan Escudero as chair of the Republican Executive Committee and Democratic Chair Phil Giorno saw defeat to David Santiago. In Holly Hill, Roland Via failed in his comeback over the incumbent.
And a former political giant by the name of Big John made it through a qualifying snafu with a judge siding in his favor only to finish behind fellow radio commentator Via and out of the running in a primary fight to try and unseat Mayor Roy Johnson.
Last but not least was power attorney Ted Doran, who spent a lot of money, 200 grand give or take of his own money to see Davis move on with his rival, Persis.
This game of political musical chairs is dizzying. So much so that I can't remember why it was worth the effort. Then again, that's what the voting public feels when these politicians get into office and do the opposite of what they promised.