People of St. Augustine: Saint George Street

Devin Feagin - Local Political Activist

“I’ve been trying to understand what to do with the way people think. In preference to Donald Trump and the many women who’ve come forward and pressed charges. I was molested when I was very young and it's something that's stuck with me for a long time and it's very difficult to press charges as well. So, he's never been incarcerated, he was a man, a family member. So, I felt a lot of empathy towards the woman who weren't able to successfully file charges. I’ve been homeless for a while, I've been trying to figure out how I can progress in a political way and an artistic way, it's a creative style. Thats something I've not tried much in my life so it's something I'm trying to bring to fruition. In 2018, I had a very strange incident with the US government. I had a business and there were some very strange investigations going on in my life, so I had to close my business and next thing I knew I was on the street. They still have some more investigations going on currently in my life but it's something I've had to speak to a few agents on. It's very strange to speak to someone when your homeless that works in the CIA and FBI, and having a very deep conversation to them about who I am and why, because I'm very politically active, and during the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton election I was extremely active, and that's what led someone to report me. 

This is what we live in today, some big news agency and this is what everybody says, and it's strange when people walk through here and say the same thing everybody else says. Very few people are actually genuine in their comment, oh I wonder what news agency they got that from, where did that come from? Its scripted, there's no free thought, there's no thought that comes from anywhere. Like, you read a book, oh that makes sense now I can include that in a conversation, there's nothing like that. Mainstream news and the comments that comes from it, it's like a cult following.”  

Saldatore Pitti - Retired NYPD Officer

"I’m retired NYPD. I kind of moved down here about 6 months ago, I've been coming here for years, I love this town, it's been beautiful as long as I can remember and my wife, she got offered the remote work and we were like “it's time to go”. It's a lot quieter and peaceful down here, things move at a slower pace but that's what we were looking for, that's kind of what retirements about right? I was a police officer, street cop. Every story you’ve heard, I've pretty much seen it or done it at some point. I served 12 years, multiple surgeries from an injury I sustained, but otherwise I’m pretty much the same as every other law enforcement officer out there. It was a line of duty injury. I was chasing a guy down one night, ended up never saw the ditch, cause we were running through this grassy lot, believe it or not in New York, and one of the local homeowners happened to dig a ditch that nobody knew about, and never saw it. Next thing I knew I was eating dirt at the bottom, you know. Over the years the injury got worse and worse and worse and led to multiple surgeries, you know, unfortunately. Thats pretty much one of the reasons I wanted to come down here and just get quiet. I’ve seen enough action in my day.  

Just enjoy life while you can, that’s the simple part of it, you know. Take every day as it comes and just keep moving forward. I worked since I was a young kid, I took every day as it came, whatever happened, whether it was quiet, fast paced, injury prone, whatever it may have been. Now I just look forward to sitting around, smoking my cigars, you know, tonight I’m having a hot chocolate, but normally I’m drinking, having a beer, and just relaxing. You know, my wife is out with her girlfriends enjoying the night, and like I said, probably in a couple hours I'll be going home like the old man I've become."

Mishela Lee - Local Musician

"It's an Asian name, it means “friend of God”, my mom actually meant to name me Michele Lee after the actress but, typos. I drove eight states here, when the pandemic hit, some bishops new I could sing, and some other people that said come on down here, we wanna work on your album, put you on the radio, but on my way a lot of them have passed on. So, I decided to come back anyway, and it was hard. All kind of challenges started happening. Lost my car, I was stranded, and a voice spoke to me, and I believe that was the Holy Spirit that said, ‘remember if you put me first, I’ll take care of you’. So I had no music, It was so awkward, I was singing hymns and then I got from singing by the walls, someone gave me a tambourine, and then from there I made the news twice, you can see me on First Coast News twice, and I’m telling a little bit of my story I like to tell everybody everywhere I go, that the gift that I have, God gave it to me. And I have a responsibility to impart positive things through that gift. I love it when I come down here, sometimes you think that you're alone, then all of a sudden people just gather around you and they sing. And through my pain and perseverance, of, you know running from domestic violence and going through a lot of things, everybody has their own story. It pushed out some creativity in me i didn't know I had. Last year I wrote over a hundred songs. 

I found out that, when I was little, I clinged to God. I know that a lot of young people are hurting, and I think that's why they are gravitating toward my music, I noticed that. Which is why I have a vision to build a house of refuge, where there's a stage where they can perform, act, sing, talk about their story. It's a place where they can rehearse from dancing to music, and I believe music turns pains into purpose, music does, the right music. So, I feel like I have a charge to keep for that."