Community Archive

Potters gathered from across the Southeast in Holley Saturday, Feb. 8, for the 20th rendition of Woodstoke Pottery Festival. The annual event is held at Holley Hill Pottery and is organized by Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society, a nonprofit promoting arts and culture in Santa Rosa County and throughout Northwest Florida.

Responding to emergency calls can be difficult when you have limited staff or resources. Fortunately for three Navarre area fire districts, they have each other to rely on.

Beginning five years ago, Holley Navarre Fire District, Navarre Beach Fire Rescue District and Midway Fire District formed the South Santa Rosa Fire Alliance to provide mutual aid and training for its firefighters.

Keeping Navarre and nearby waterways clean is a goal of many in the community. Tracy Glaze, the environmental project chair for the Santa Rosa Women’s Club, is one of those people. For the past couple of months, Navarre Park has been home to a five-foot-tall recycling receptacle with a large turtle sculpture affixed to the top of it. Nicknamed “Crush,” an ode to the turtle from the Disney movie “Finding Nemo,” the receptacle accepts aluminum cans only and has a can crusher attached to the side.

Early childhood is a time of immense importance in the development of children, physically and intellectually. According to the Harvard Center for the Developing Child, brain development occurs over time, from the bottom up, meaning the first few years of life are critical for creating a solid foundation.

A cacophony of celebration ignited inside Kayla Stanford’s fifth-grade classroom Tuesday, Feb. 4, as Santa Rosa District Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Barber and others surprised Stanford with the announcement that she was District teacher of the year. The announcement came as happy news to teacher and students alike, although for different reasons.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., United Way of West Florida will be hosting a distribution for children’s coats at the Pensacola State College Century Campus in Building 1, 440 E. Hecker Road in Century. This event is open to Santa Rosa County residents.

Northwest Florida, with its coastlines, forests and serene sunsets, has become a haven for photographers.

While many photographers have made a business out of their photos, some do it as a hobby. Beatrix Booth, better known as “BeBe,” is one of the hobbyist photographers.

November through January is generally known as the holiday season in the United States, as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day are celebrated and observed as days employees have off. Other holidays are also celebrated during that time of year, including Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. While the holiday season may be a short period of the year, there are many other holidays observed throughout the calendar year. In Florida, there are state-specific holidays, which are observed in state offices.

The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, as well as County, State, and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials, met at the corner of Highway 90 and Avalon Boulevard Wednesday, Jan. 29, to commemorate two public servants of yesteryear. Bart D. and John R. Broxson were both Sheriffs of Santa Rosa County, as well father and son.

It’s no secret Navarre residents love their animals, and their wildlife. On any given day, you can find Navarre residents posting pictures of their pets, bears, foxes, or visiting the Gulf Breeze Zoo and Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge or serving as volunteers at the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center. When animals need help, a core group of residents jump into action.