April 17th, 2020
St. Johns County beaches are now open from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon seven days a week for uses that include physical activity and motion. Activities now permitted on St. Johns County Beaches include walking, running, exercise, surfing, biking, fishing, swimming, surfing, and other uses that require physical activity. As lifeguards may not be on duty, all swimming is at done at your own risk. “Walk to exercise not to socialize.” said Dawn C. Allicock, M.D., MPH, Director and Health Officer of Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County. “As long as individuals adhere to the CDC guidelines of social distancing, getting exercise and fresh air can be beneficial for our citizens’ physical and mental health.” The grouping of persons, commercial activities, group sports, and activities that do not require motion, such as sunbathing, and sitting, or those otherwise not allowed by local, state, or federal law are not permitted. In addition, items not allowed on the beach include blankets, chairs, coolers, umbrellas, tents, and any item that promotes a stationary presence. Beach visitors must continue to adhere to CDC social distancing guidelines, including limiting gatherings to no more than ten persons and distancing themselves from other parties by a minimum of six feet. All public parking lots are now open; however on-beach driving remains prohibited. “From day one, every decision we have made has been methodical and deliberate without knee jerk actions or reactions, and this decision is no different. Our residents have shown extreme grace, measure, and personal responsibility throughout this pandemic, and our trend is beginning to flat line and has been doing so for nearly two weeks.” said Hunter S. Conrad, St. Johns County Administrator. “We also know this not over and we are urging all who use the beach to follow the restrictions in place. Our hope is that this becomes a great mental health release for so many and becomes the first step of many in the coming weeks and months in our return to normal life.” St. Johns County, the City of St. Augustine Beach, the City of St. Augustine, and local enforcement agencies request that all beach visitors comply with CDC guidelines. St. Johns County continues to evaluate and adapt all policies and practices in order to appropriately respond to COVID-19, and as such, the status of permitted beach activities will also be assessed and adjusted based on public compliance. For more information, please call the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center COVID-19 Hotline at 904.824.5550.
1 Comment
St. Johns Cultural Council Establishes Emergency Fund for Local Artists and Small Arts Organizations4/1/2020 St. Johns Cultural Council Establishes Emergency Fund for Local Artists and Small Arts Organizations
In response to hardships created by event cancellations and venue closures related to the Coronavirus, the St. Johns Cultural Council has established an Arts Emergency Fund to support members of the St. Johns County arts community. Small arts organizations and artists of all disciplines may apply. Individual artists may request up to $500 and arts organizations may request up to $1000 in assistance through this program. Individual artists may access funds for basic living expenses, such as housing, utilities, or groceries. Arts organizations may request funding to support rent payments, utilities, and other operating costs related to arts, culture and heritage activities. The Cultural Council has designated a total of $10,000 of its unrestricted funds for this program, and hopes to increase funds available through donor contributions. 100% of contributions to the Fund will be disbursed to local artists and arts organizations. In many cases, these contributions will be tax deductible. Applications may be submitted now and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until funds are depleted. For more information about applications or donations to the Arts Emergency Fund, please email christina@historiccoastculture.com. Contributions to the fund may also be completed online at www.stjohnsculture.com/donate. ### The St. Johns Cultural Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local artists and arts organizations and to promoting St. Johns County as a premiere destination for travelers interested in arts, culture and heritage tourism. Christina Parrish Stone, Executive Director St. Johns Cultural Council 15 Old Mission Avenue Saint Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 434-0959 The St. Johns Cultural Council will present a series of online concerts featuring St. Johns County-based artists during the month of April. Concerts will be presented Monday through Friday evenings at 7 p.m. through the Cultural Council Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsculture/, beginning on Wednesday April 1st. Confirmed performers include Amy Hendrickson, Joe Pollock, Aslyn and the Naysayers, Ramona, Brittani Mueller, Sailor Jane, Lucio Rubino and Michael Lagasse. Participating musicians will receive a $200 stipend from the Cultural Council and will also receive 100% of any donations made during their performance. Each artist will be featured in a spotlight on HistoricCoastCulture.com and receive additional marketing support for future performances, recordings and merchandise sales. Interested musicians may schedule a performance time by emailing christina@stjohnsculture.com. Priority will be given to musicians who have lost a significant portion of their income due to recent event cancellations and venue closures. Donations to support the concert series may be made online at www.stjohnsculture.com/donate or by mailing a check to St. Johns Cultural Council, 15 Old Mission Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084. ### The St. Johns Cultural Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local artists and arts organizations and to promoting St. Johns County as a premiere destination for travelers interested in arts, culture and heritage tourism. Christina Parrish Stone Executive Director christina@historiccoastculture.com Direct Telephone: 904-434-0959 |
AuthorAs we receive press releases from our local governments we will share them here. Archives
May 2020
Categories |