March marks the return of the spring breakers along with the only thing that keeps them from hurting themselves: Navarre Beach Lifeguards. “We have hired eight guards this season and expect to hire another six,” Sonja Lusk of the Navarre Beach Water Department said. “The guards will be on duty seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. We will have a minimum of two guards in each tower. Many of our guards are still in school and as they complete the school year, we will fill more positions.”
On Friday, March 11 about 150 homeschooled children and their families attended the Homeschoolers’ Ocean Awareness Day hosted by the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station. The event included educational and interactive displays concerning many topics related to both marine conservation and biology. Field studies of marine life, anatomy and physiology of marine creatures, sea turtle nesting and conservation, along with many other subjects were all taught by currently enrolled or graduated Pensacola State College student volunteers.
The $17 million dredge-and-fill project to restore sand that has been eroded from Navarre Beach can’t start on the planned date of April 1 because the contractor is delayed on another job near Sarasota.
Escambia County has adopted a new ordinance effective Mar. 1 restricting open containers in public areas of the commercial district of Pensacola Beach. Residents and visitors can no longer consume or possess any alcoholic beverages in an open container in the public areas within the commercial district like sidewalks, boardwalks, roads and parking lots. It is, however, permissible to have an open container on the sandy portions of the beach, except the family area of Casino Beach just west of the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier.
Florida’s best kept secret remains a favorite destination amongst travelers, and the secret may be getting out. Navarre Beach has been named one of the top beaches in the country in the annual TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.
Kevin, Rene and Marie Rudzki, representing Juana’s, presented the Fisher House with a $9,370 check on Feb. 12. “The check represents proceeds raised during our Penguin Plunge event on New Year’s Day,” Marie Rudzki said. “We have partnered with the Fisher House for the last five years. Over those years we have raised more than $30,000 for the Fisher House. We chose to partner with the Fisher House because of the community’s strong ties to the military,”
The $15 million dredge-and-fill restoration of Navarre Beach planned to begin around April 1 could be postponed for months because the equipment and crews are behind schedule on similar projects in Delaware and Sarasota counties.
Sometimes it really is a small world.
In fact, it’s part of the reason why a WeatherSTEM unit will soon be installed at the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station.
Construction of the $30 million SpringHill Suites on Navarre Beach has resumed after overcoming some obstacles, and the 161-room hotel is tentatively scheduled to open in December.
Gigi Naggatz was affectionately known as “The Turtle Lady” on Navarre Beach and she was a leading volunteer and conservationist who worked tirelessly for the sea turtles. She passed away Jan. 5 after a years-long battle with cancer. While she will be greatly missed by many, her spirit will live on through the many volunteers that carry on her mission on Navarre Beach.
