I’m not sure who needs to see this column in Santa Rosa County to make it happen, but I’d really love it if we could get a public pool at either end of the county some point before the end of time. Having a pool at both ends of the county would be even better.
We get too caught up at times with recruiting and the pressure of getting noticed.
I get it. Everyone wants to play at the next level. It’s the dream. And there’s nothing wrong with dreaming big.
Apparently, you can find some great coaching candidates in the comment section of a Facebook post.
I learned as much after Navarre’s football team was blanked by Choctaw in week two.
Most of my friends are considerably younger than me, as in, “I am old enough to be their father” younger than me. Our age difference is not an issue. It is not apparent in our conversations, at least from my perspective. My friends, of course, see what I do not: a white-haired man talking. But it doesn’t seem to matter. Occasionally, however, like a poker player’s tell, I will say something that instantly marks me as from a different generation. Usually, it is me quoting some iconic, funny line from a television show I grew up watching. Not only are my friends unfamiliar with the iconic line, but they usually have never even heard of the television show.
We had the opportunity to participate again in the Santa Rosa County Leadership program’s media day. There were lots of faces we knew, and we were happy to meet new friends. Our newest team member and reporter, Madison DeVito, went and was a panel member with our publisher Gail Acosta and the owner/publisher of Gulf Breeze News, Lisa Newell. The questions from the group were so good – but one stood out: “How do we use AI in the newsroom?” The simple answer is – we don’t. We think there is no substitute for human reporters using their intuition, curiosity and talent to conduct interviews with other real people, to tell a story that can become part of the history of the community. And quite frankly, no one does better than our team.
In communities across Florida, from Milton to Navarre, the quiet lines on zoning maps are being redrawn with alarming frequency. What was once a tool for thoughtful planning has become a revolving door for developers seeking exceptions. But zoning isn’t meant to be flexible on demand—it’s a promise to residents, a blueprint for sustainable growth, and a safeguard for the character of our towns.
Florida has some interesting rules when it comes to high school football.
I learned last week that apparently high school football teams here are not allowed to play an opponent from another state in a Kickoff Classic.
We hope you enjoy our Sports Guide in this issue of Navarre Press. A few years ago, our sports reporter, Brian Lester, went from covering one high school to making sure we have coverage for eight high schools. That is a huge leap in coverage. Thankfully, we have had help from high school yearbook staff and others that want to get on the field and courts and report on the games. Brian has done a phenomenal job. We have an opening for a sports reporter in Crestview if you know of anyone that might be interested.
Actions have consequences, and so does inactions, especially when the inaction is an extraordinary number of state residents who do not complete their census survey. We count every person because every person counts.
