Youth Advisory Council will run naming contest for new pirate statue, votes 7-0

The Fernandina Beach Youth Advisory Council voted 7-0 to take responsibility for a community naming contest for a newly carved pirate statue intended for Waterfront Park.

At a public presentation, Lisa Finkelstein, Downtown District Director for the city, and Joe Brown, president of the Fernandina Pirate Club, described the statue’s origins and asked the council to design and manage a naming contest. "Hi, I'm Lisa Finkelstein. I'm the Downtown District Director for the City," Finkelstein said, and Brown said the statue was carved by a local youth, Jett Paxton, and finished during Shrimp Fest two years ago.

The council asked staff and members to help set contest rules and outreach. Members discussed whether to limit entries to particular schools, how to pair a name with an accompanying story, and whether the high school or middle school would lead parts of the process. One council member proposed opening the contest to both middle and high schools to broaden participation; another suggested allowing separate name and story submissions so a favored name could be paired with a different story.

Council members agreed on next steps: Zach (council member) will prepare a submission form; Olivia will contact the middle school about participation; and the group plans to promote the contest through the city newsletter and local paper. The presenters suggested coordinating the announcement with Waterfront Park’s opening; Finkelstein said the unveiling would be anticipated next spring. The council settled on an outreach timeline to open the contest after Martin Luther King Jr. Day (around Jan. 20) and to have results available before the council’s February meeting (Feb. 25).

The motion to "take on the pirate naming project" was made and seconded during the meeting and carried by voice vote. Chair announced, "This motion passes 7 to 0, so we will be taking on the project." The Pirate Club also offered event support and said it would help promote the contest.

The council discussed related logistics — prize expectations (announcement at the opening ceremony was suggested), entry word limits, and whether to accept submissions online or via schools. The Pirate Club and council members volunteered to support promotion and the eventual public ceremony.

The council did not set a monetary prize; presenters said the announcement at the grand opening would serve as recognition. Zach will share the draft contest form at the next meeting so members can finalize rules and timing.

The council moved on to other business after completing the vote; the project will return to the agenda for form review and finalization.