Letters to the Editor Archive

The proposal to utilize the Navarre Marine Park as a concert venue is fantastic provided the county is the recipient of a fair and equitable return. All other commercial ventures on the beach return 5 percent of gross proceeds to the county.

I’d like to point out that Mr. Rob Williamson is our duly-elected (by a wide margin I might add) county commissioner despite the Navarre Press’ and reporter Romi White’s diligent efforts to prevent that from happening last fall. 

The Confederate battle flag should not be flown anywhere in the United States of America. This flag for many is a symbol of anti-civil rights, slavery and the Ku Klux Klan. For others and groups such as the Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy, the flag symbolizes their heritage and they feel they should display it proudly.

In December 2009 when the shuttered Zoo of Northwest Florida was purchased, the Florida Fish & Game Department said they would not renew the zoo’s licenses for a new owner because of the past history of the zoo; too many promises had been made and then broken again and again.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we’re going to remind everyone once again the importance of heeding the warning flags on the beach. They’re not waving as part of some festive decoration. The flags are there for your safety and the safety of your friends and family.

This week (May 6 through 12), the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System honors the dedicated men and women we in the Department of Veterans Affairs consider to be the backbone of the veterans’ health care system – nurses.

I was surprised to see what was chosen to be the Photo of the Week in a recent Navarre Press. A rival high school high jumper was shown in an “awkward position,” with a very unsportsmanlike comment below it. Rivalry and comments between sports teams is understood but insinuating remarks by the local newspaper is uncalled for.

I am thankful Santa Rosa County decided to give our children Good Friday off. Contrary to James Hamel letter, it was not considered a religious holiday but simply a non-school day. Perhaps Mr. Hamel would also like to know that it was also a Jewish holiday, Passover.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is considering several potential new changes to ease traffic flows (east and west) through the historic City of Milton area. One FDOT plan I consider best overall for, functionality, historical preservation, hurricane evacuation, minimal residential disruption, minimal time to modify, and fiscal responsibility (lowest cost), is to build one new bridge across Blackwater River. The new bridge should be the same size as the current Highway 90 bridge, but connecting to Berryhill road.

As a resident of Navarre, I knew there were many great people who lived and worked here. What I could not know was just how generous and magnanimous this community is. By now, everyone is aware of the loss of 11 brave service members when their Black Hawk crashed in the Sound between Navarre and Eglin Air Force Base. What you may not be aware of is the generosity of the residents and businesses of this great community.