Advertising and editorial entwined for promotion of automobile insurance salesman Buddy Davenport 

His face can be seen on park benches and the occasional bus stop across the landscape of New Smyrna Beach. Now Buddy Davenport is featured as a writer in the revived Observer, promoting his car insurance business.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The former weekly Observer newspaper has emerged from the ashes of bankruptcy court after its ownership was relinquished last spring by Robert and Michelle Lott and purchased by Realtor Tom Alcorn for a mere $2,500.

This was a reality despite tens of thousands in taxpayer monies provided to the former owners through the city of New Smyrna Beach and its CRA, the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority and the publicly funded hospital authority that oversees financially troubled Bert Fish Medical Center.

The Observer, now presented as a website only, closed a year ago this month, though several hundred paid subscribers weren't given refunds. Others still, lost close to $200,000 in investments, including an elderly widow who was out $60,000 and a middle-aged widow, who lost $50,000.

Alcorn said he empathizes with subscribers and investors who lost money with the previous ownership, but added, "I'm just moving forward. Most of the subscribers were notified (of the bankruptcy)." 

Alcorn, a longtime chamber supporter and personal friend of Robert Lott, who was president of the chamber in 2008 when he and his wife bought the Observer, said he's continuing the emphasis on "good news -- information about what's going on in the community."

The 69-year-old Alcorn said he bought the naming rights and assets of the Observer because he wants to preserve its century-old history in greater New Smyrna Beach.

While the Lotts were running the newspaper out of their former home in Edgewater when they were forced to leave Flagler Avenue because of unpaid rent, Alcorn has set up shop in a storefront in the 1300 block of Turnbull Bay Road with the product going online in August. There is no longer a print version.

Under the new ownership, the Observer features a calendar listing of community events and photos of happenings around town and at the beach with government press releases as its editorial staple. Chamber Director Samantha Bishop also writes an occasional column highlighting chamber events.

With Alcorn as publisher-owner, there's a new look with a new slogan, "In Veritatis Amore," which means "in the love of truth."

The truth of the matter, though, is despite the great calendar listings, photos and features under a new editor, the product itself is entwined in advertorial and public relations with generic headlines that lack definition such as "Holiday Charity Ball" with grip-and-grin photos. There is a restaurant review that shows an empty dining room. 

Buddy Davenport is one of the Observer's key advertisers for his car insurance business where he also has a feature editorial spread.

And then there's the car insurance salesman and chamber booster, Buddy Davenport, with a byline story showcased today and dated Nov. 10, with the headline, Is your insurance agent your "Buddy" with the question mark left off.

It's more or less an insurance industry boilerplate with subhead topics like: Liability Coverage, Medical Payments Coverage and Collision Coverage.

And under these topics are questions like: How much coverage do you need? How are you covered in case of an accident? How high should your deductible be?

Davenport's write-up concludes with: Consider how much you could afford to pay out of your own pocket if you were stranded. Please remember that the following descriptions contain only a general description of available coverages and are not a statement of contract. All coverages are subject to all policy provisions and applicable endorsements.

Tom Alcorn and Tiffany Evers, shown here, are publisher and editor, respectively, of The Observer.

Alcorn's new editor is Tiffany Evers, who graduated in 2005, with a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Kennesaw State in her native Georgia. She lives in Edgewater with her baby girl, Bailey. 

Evers, who enjoys covering the social bar scene on Flagler Avenue, had started the "NSB Ear Hustler" on Facebook nearly two years ago, with that coverage now infused into the Observer.

Evers said her interest as editor of the Observer is to "provide a way for the community to know what's going on around town and to stay involved in community activities."

Evers said her interest as editor of the Observer is to "provide a way for the community to know what's going on around town and to stay involved in community activities."

She is Alcorn's sole employee with reliance on press releases and an extensive calendar listing, along with Instagram to highlight photos and an occasional video through Vineo, which she describes as the new YouTube. She herself was in a political advertising video for the successful state senate campaign of Dorothy Hukill.

Take a good look at the video screen before clicking it on. You'll see an image of Tiffany Evers who appears in this political advertisement shot for Dorothy Hukill, who defeated Frank Bruno in the dist. 8 state senate race in the Nov. 6 election. Evers told Headline Surfer the video was shot on location where there also is a garage. Those who saw the video may have just figured she was part of the auto business as she was not identified.