NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick. Jennifer LLoyd, a bartender at Pub 44, pours a soda for one of her friends during the midnight hour Thursday, the opening night of Biketoberfest with a sparse crowd. In middle photo, Eddie and Linda Albertson of Chatsworth, Ga., and in right photo, Fred and Judy Weekly, of Rome Ga., leave Pub 44 to head back to their beachside timeshare.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Georgia resident Judy Weekly was blunt in her explanation for the poor showing on opening night of the Biketoberfest motorcycle rally as she hopped on board husband, Fred's Harley Davidson: "They elected the wrong (expletive) president."

James B. Ferguson, 77, New Smyrna Beach, owner of a brick manufacturing plant, died Saturday.

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. New Smyrna Beach resident Bob Tolley addresses his concerns Tuesday to the City Commission regarding spending by the Community Redevelopment Agency and the impact on Bert Fish Medical Center's ability to provide quality indigent care while having to pay large sums of tax money to the CRA.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bob Tolley is among a growing number of residents questioning the spending practices of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency and calling for elected leaders to consider directly overseeing the CRA.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Longwood resident Jerry Brown got a day's head start on Biketoberfest with a visit to Pub 44 in New Smyrna Beach. The four-day fall motorcycle rally begins today.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The way Longwood resident Jerry Brown sees it, since he's been unemployed for 10 months now, he might as well get on his Harley-Davidson and attend Biketoberfest events with a few buddies from up north at places like Pub 44, which he believes will help the local economy.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The famous Rosewell Haunted Brick has been pulled as an attraction at the Night of the Paranormal, scheduled for Oct. 24 at the Museum of Arts & Science in Daytona Beach.

"Some things are best left alone," said event producer Charlie Carlson, of New Smyrna Beach.

The decision to pull the brick from the lobby exhibits was made jointly by the brick's owner and event officials.

"Because of the high level of para-normal activity connected with the brick recently, we decided to exercise an abundance of caution," Carlson said.

DELAND -- In what can only be characterized as a startling development --even for the world of the paranormal -- the Athens Theatre's Halloween Spooktacular has been canceled.

Unnamed sources involved with the Halloween production are placing responsibility on a bizarre object connected with the event -- a haunted brick.

According to theatre manager Ed Kirkland, the all-day and night-film Spooktacular planned for Oct. 31, was to have included a host of classic halloween movies and unuusual lobby exhibits, culminating in the Rocky Horror Show at midnight.

Michael Scott Kent, 50, of Oak Hill, a native of Falmouth, Mass., who retired from the Navy after 20 years of service, died Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009.

Cass Aylwin, 87, of New Smyrna Beach, a former registered nurse at Salem Hospital, Salem, Mass., died Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009.

Robert Barnes, 41, born and raised in New Smyrna Beach, died Friday, Oct. 9, 2009.

William R. "Red" Patterson, 73, of Edgewater, a retired mechanic who enjoyed fishing under the bridge with friends and spending time with his family, yard work and gardening, died Friday, Oct. 9, 2009.

 

#2 John Hagood City Manager $167,757.47* *fired 5 mths. into fiscal year, receiving full severance #4 Khalid Resheidat Public Works Director $121,905.86* *5 months as interim city mgr #220 Pam Brangaccio Interim City Manager $19,856.00* *on job 10 weeks #7 Liz Yancey Parks & Rec Director $109,609.37 #3 Ron Pagano Police Chief $123,646.95

#1 Frank Gummey City Attorney $216,117.70

The city says it is doing its best to hold the line on spending, but its own salary structure shows historic increases in salaries and benefits for 247 employees on the city payroll in the fiscal year that ended Sept 31.

For the first time in New Smyrna Beach's history, its highest paid employee passed the $200,000 threshold, with City Attorney Frank Gummey grossing $216,117.70.

Just seven years ago, nobody in city government grossed more than $80,000.

This year, the lowest salary among the Top 100 was $45,000 compared to $40,000 the year before. In fact , in 2009, 136 employees made at least $40,000.

NSBNEWS.net  launches its investigative report "Show me the money" with the following chart.

Complete list here

It looks like the deal with Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) for an $80 billion reduction in drug costs is a sivery bad deal. The deal was made with Bill Tauzin of PhRMA.

Tauzin, of course, is the former Republican congressman from Louisiana who chaired the Hose committee that regulates the pharmaceutical industry.

While in Congress, Tauzin, who co-authored the bill of Medicare Part D, was at the same time negotiating for a $2.5 million job with PhRMA. He was a Democrat for 16 years and was one of the co-founders of the House Blue Dog Coalition.