Our view: Flagler College: Top grant rank well deserved

Flagler College shines again in historic preservation this time taking home the number one ranking from state of Florida in its historic preservation small category matching grants.

The college received full funding of $50,000 for the Flagler Room, historically the Hotel Ponce de Leon Grand Parlor. It will be used for restoration/rehabilitation of the 19th century George W. Maynard ceiling murals there, in the dining hall and the rotunda. Flagler College also received a $10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors to cover the cost of the consultant who is overseeing the work.

Grants as these don't just happen. They take a commitment from the college's leadership to historic preservation. It's rewarding to attain the kind of attention for venerable icons of the days when St. Augustine was known as Florida's Riviera. The Ponce de Leon and its sister hotels, The Alcazar now the City Hall/Lightner Museum, and the Casa Monica, returned in 1998 to its former hotel elegance by hotelier Richard Kessler, continue to be fine examples of adaptive reuse, an historic preservation goal fostered by the National Trust.

Flagler College has spent nearly $35 million on historic preservation for more than 30 years including their own funds and competitive grants; a boon to the economy. These projects put people to work, many of them local residents; enable the purchase of goods and services from suppliers, some of them local businesses, and sustain a building's use for the future, in this case an accredited four-year liberal arts college. Those who come into the area to work on the projects spend money in our community, too.

By receiving grants for historic preservation, the college is able to stretch the use of its other capital improvement funds, too.

We congratulate Flagler College on receiving these grants and we look forward to enjoying the results.

Reason for staying at St Augustine Florida vacation rentals rather ...

St Augustine vacation rentals can offer you high level of comfort that too at the very minimal cost, so would you like to go for it? There are many more things that you can get through vacation rentals like privacy, lower rental fees as well as amenities when compared to that of the hotel rooms.

When you stay at the vacation rentals you will find that you will get high amount of privacy as well as comfy as compared to that of the hotels. You will be able to come as well as go whenever you want with actually zero disturbance form the room services or housekeeping. You will feel like you are at your home and no one would be there to disturb you. In case you would like to have a luxurious stay then you need not worry as there are luxury vacation rental apartment. These apartments can provide you with private pools which can be utilized only by you.

Are you planning to go with a large group of family or friends to St Augustine? In case St Augustine vacation rental would be a better choice as compared to that of the hotels. You must be wondering why? The main reason behind this is that if you go for the hotels you will have to stay in different rooms but this is not the case with these as you all can stay together. On top of that cost will also be shared. The best thing is that the parents will not have to worry about their children being in another room. These rentals will just be like the second home which will make it simpler for you to monitor your kids. These rentals also have rooms in it so you can enjoy more space as well as privacy and there is no need for you to sleep in the same room when you are going in a group.

As far as St Augustine vacation rentals are considered they will charge you a flat fee which will be for the complete apartment irrespective of the number of occupants. With this you will be able to save lot of your hard earned income as compared to what you will have to spend on hotel for the rooms.

In these rentals you will get complete kitchen which will actually give you the chance to cook the meals that you want rather than having outside food. When you are at the hotels you will have to order form the hotel restaurant which is generally expensive.

These are some of the reasons why St Augustine vacation rentals are preferred as compared to hotels.

Flagler's St. Augustine hotels, the Ponce de Leon, the Alcazar, and the Casa Monica

The confessions

The Confessions of St. Augustine

The history of Saint Augustine, Florida, with an introductory account of the early Spanish and French attempts at exploration and settlement in the territory of Florida; together with sketches of events and objects of interest connected with the oldest town in the United States; to which is added a short description of the climate and advantages of Saint Augustine as a health resort

Saint Augustine