Toys for Tots donations accepted
New and unwrapped toys are being accepted now through Sunday, Dec. 15, for the Toys for Tots toy drive at a local resort. Donation boxes are located in the main lobby of the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, 1000 Tournament Players Club Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach, and the Cabana Beach Club, 619 Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach.
Palm Valley Market every Tuesday
The Palm Valley Market is held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday inside the Palm Valley Community Center, 148 Canal Road. The market offers fresh produce, baked goods, local honey, tea, seasonal treats, soap, jewelry, plants and more.
Family seining activity planned
Join a guided family seining activity from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Learn about the animals and their roles in Guana Lake by pulling a seine net and collecting species of fish, crabs and other marine life.
Meet at GTM Research Reserve Guana Dam, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach.
Register online at gtmnerr.org/visit/events.
The event is free, but parking is $3 per vehicle. All necessary gear (waders and boots) will be provided. Hat, insect repellent, water and sunscreen are recommended.
St. Johns County Commission OKs $2.18M for Diamond of Dreams
At their Dec. 3 regular meeting, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved two motions that authorized the use of $2,187,252 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and a funding assistance agreement for the St. Johns County Police Athletic League Diamond of Dreams project. It is an all-inclusive specially designed baseball/multipurpose field and playground for children of all abilities planned for southwestern St. Johns County.
The Diamond of Dreams project plans include a carpeted, wheelchair-accessible baseball field, dugouts, a press box, family seating, ADA-complaint asphalt parking spaces and restroom facilities and a wheelchair-accessible playground.
On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury launched the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). St. Johns County was allocated $51,409,434. One part of the ARPA objective was to provide emergency funding for eligible local governments, to support the immediate pandemic response, bring back jobs and lay the groundwork for a strong and equitable recovery. Up to $10 million of ARPA funding can be appropriated to capital projects under a “lost revenue” category. St. Johns County must commit/encumber ARPA funding by Dec. 31.
Previous ARPA-funded projects have included the Hastings Vocational School, water/sewer infrastructure and the West Augustine Medical Facility.
Rare turtle nests on St. Johns County beaches
St. Johns County’s 2024 sea turtle nesting season included a milestone: the presence of four rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests on county beaches.
The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world. It is also the smallest, reaching no more than 32 inches in length and 100 pounds in weight, and is the only sea turtle species that nests primarily during the day.
The first Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nest recorded in St. Johns County was in 2015, and only a few more sporadic nestings have been recorded between then and 2024.
Ashley Raybould, environmental supervisor of St. Johns County Beach Services’ Habitat Conservation Program, emphasized that the Kemp’s ridleys’ rarity and daytime nesting behavior makes it even more important to give them plenty of space and observe from a distance.
— Compiled by Shaun Ryan
