Night Of Lights

November 21. Concert watchers in the Plaza waiting for the "Night of Lights" to be switched on

A trip

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Criminalizing Ordinary Behavior

Photo by J.D. Pleasant

City Attorney Ron Brown and City Manager William Harriss

"En Plein air is a French expression meaning "in the open air"and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist's subject in full view. Plein air artists capture the spirit and essence of a landscape by incorporating natural light color and movement into their works." The Crescent Beach Paint Out Oct.2009.

For the past five years Island Fine Art in Crescent Beach has invited regional "plein air artists" to our town for a Paint Out. Artists scatter throughout the area setting up their easels in locations that they want to capture on canvas or paper. At the end of the day everyone meets and discuss their works over dinner and cocktails. At the end of the week works are hung and the public is invited to view and purchase those works done on location or plein air.

A watercolor artist from Winter Springs set up her easel in the plaza to paint the east facade of the Government House. In the midst of the painting, a police officer approached and told her that she must leave or be arrested. The artist first assumed that this was a joke...but no she found out that the law in St. Augustine prevents "artistry or the creation of art" in the Plaza de la Constitucion. The artist left with her watercolor unfinished.

Two days later she was perplexed when she saw a wedding photographer using the same view as background for the couple's album pictures. Surely the photographer considers his work artistry and so do we. Performances are also not allowed. The ordinance makes no exception, though the city has sanctioned Christian concerts and secular concerts almost every weekend. By the way, artists are now referred to in all documents as "street performers". The false logic of this is that street performers are not covered constitutionally as "fully protected" (it has to do with noise) while artists are fully protected constitutionally. Ergo...just call 'em something else.

Crime is caused by laws. Any action is simply an action until there's a law against it. "Criminals" are invented by legislators; fewer laws, fewer law breakers. Suvo

The Pursuit of Happiness

1. Ralph Waldo Emerson "Every actual State is corrupt. Good men must not obey laws too well."

2. Herbert Spencer "Society exists for the benefit of its members, not the members for the benefit of society."

3. Thomas Paine "A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right. "

4. Victoria Woodhull "I shall not change my course because those who assume to be better than I desire it. "

5. Carl Shurz "From the equality of rights springs identity of our highest interests; you cannot subvert your neighbor's rights without striking a dangerous blow at your own. "

1851 Herbert Spenser's "Law of Equal Freedom" ..........Everyman is free to do that which he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man.

Everyman is a visual artist... The City of St. Augustine will now start arresting artists once again. "This (the Plaza) is not public property , this is City property" . So says St. Augustine Police Officer Protami

Blue Boy

No readers, we 're not kidding. This costume by Gainesboro is similar to St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles' dress for "The Night of Lights" which has increasingly become the Mayor's own show. (Never mind that it is the low paid city employees who crawl through the trees hanging the two million lights) The Mayor and his Lady Jane will stand with other local luminaries above the crowd on the Governor's House balcony. His Excellency will bestow his good wishes to the common citizenry before escorting his entourage 100 yards to the Lightner Museum for a 300 dollar a couple dinner at the Lightner Museum. All funds (after considerable expenses) go towards removing the homeless from downtown.

Poor Joe, he seems to waver between the "good ole boy" act and posh Volvo drivin' metro sophisticate. All things to all people eh? When these kinds of attempts at acting are made, it usually comes off as ludicrous.

In his recent "Old City Life"magazine article, Mr. Mayor wrote about his personal significance with the number four. ( We suppose a monthly article can tax your imagination, coming up with stories).

Mr. Mayor....you forgot, in that article, to mention what City Attorney Brown calls "The Four Horsemen", Printers, Painters, Sculptors and Photographers. Would the taxpayers think that the $100, 000 spent on a lost Federal lawsuit insignificant? The citys illegal end run with lottery,licence fees and unduly restricted spaces will be met with more resistence.

Missed Perceptions

There are men too gentle to live among wolves

Who anoint them for burial with greedy claws

And murder them for a merchant's profit and gain.

There are men too gentle for a corporate world

Who dream instead of candied apples and ferris wheels

And pause to hear the distant whistle of a train.

There are men too gentle to live among wolves

Who devour them with eager appetite and search

For other men to prey upon and suck their childhood dry.

There are men too gentle for an accountant's world

Who dream instead of Easter eggs and fragrant grass

And search for beauty in the mystery of the sky.

James Kavanaugh