Letters to the Editor Archive

I would like to thank all of the Firefighters and the Forestry Department who responded to the fire in my backyard at 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Without their quick response there is a good chance my neighbors and I would have lost our houses. They were able to not only save our houses but they were able to save our fences as well. Being that close to losing our homes gives me a new understanding of what fires can do and what risks firefighters take to put them out. Thank you again for everything.

Campaign season:  months filled with signage throughout neighborhoods, alongside highways, intersections and atop billboards; mission statements, claims, counterclaims, occasional clarifications and retractions.

Heretofore, my opinion on the new Santa Rosa County Courthouse was not expressed in writing, although I frequently voiced, for many years, that it should remain downtown Milton, as many agree!

Navarre Press won nine awards, including two first place awards, in Division C of the Florida Press Association’s Better Weekly Newspaper contest. More than 60 newspapers submitted about 1,600 entries for consideration by out-of-state judges.

Does anyone care in Santa Rosa County? Why isn’t there anyone swimming or fishing in the sound around Navarre? Why are there more frequently than not –  posted signs behind our Chamber of Commerce in Navarre stating, “swim at your own risk” because detected high levels of fecal counts in the water. The water is consistently not safe, so why don’t we do something about it? Why can’t the county officials see that the only answer is to re-open the Navarre Pass!  All we want is our water to be cleaner, so we can enjoy our area like others enjoy theirs. The beautiful artificial reefs that have been installed in the sound are hardly visible underwater because of the water clarity. Not to mention the ones installed in the Gulf are very hard to get to unless you take a chance on swimming or kayaking to them. What about the treatment facility on the beach dumping partially treated sewage in the sound because they don’t have anywhere else to put it? Maybe that is the reason why there are no fish other than mullet, red fish and trout.  Where have the clams, the oysters, the shrimp and the crabs gone? Are we being held hostage by the county because we are just a zip code and not an incorporated area? Does not being incorporated and having money for stormwater projects hurt our area compared to other areas such as Escambia, Okaloosa and Walton counties? Why is Navarre left out when it comes to funding needed projects? (Senator Gaetz just announced a $10 million grant from the BP oil spill for coastal counties of which $5 million will be designated for seven projects in Santa Rosa, Bay and Okaloosa counties.)  Gulf Breeze was the first project mentioned to start.

Just a quick note to thank you for the recent article in the Navarre Press that featured my wife and me. What a pleasant surprise. Yes, we were interviewed in our home by Bobby and Nancy, but we did not expect the final product to be so well written and polished. What great tallent. Bobby said it would be quick and painless. We have received many, many nice comments from our friends. You made us celebrities for a day.

As you are probably aware, the Florida Legislature concluded its annual legislative session in Tallahassee. Under Governor Scott’s leadership, Florida has made an amazing comeback over the past four years and the work we did this session will continue to move our state in the right direction.

Supporters and opponents of Navarre becoming an incorporated city spoke before the Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners Monday. Supporters presented the commissioners with petitions, signed by hundreds of residents, who are seeking an opportunity to express their opinion on the issue.

Check out the front page of this week’s Navarre Press and it shouldn’t take long for you to spot the double whammy for south Santa Rosa. First, we learned that Santa Rosa County in 2007 had an opportunity to gain $3 million in grant funds for stormwater mitigation for Holley By The Sea, but passed. Plus, we’ve also just learned that while other nearby counties are raking in grant funds for beach renourishment, Santa Rosa County, with its beautiful Navarre Beach, is getting none.

The East Milton Courthouse, Sheriff’s Office, Jail complex was bungled by the County Commissioners from day one. My opinion is the intent was to never build a County Courthouse on the site from the conception of the project. I don’t say this lightly and will explain how I have come to this conclusion.