With the holidays we can say “Happy Thanksgiving” as we all give thanks for all we have in our lives, and not question what is missing in our lives. We are now allowed, and appropriately so, to say “Merry Christmas” again without being attacked in public. Yet there is always someone who hates the evolved idea of Santa Claus, Christmas, and religion.
This weekend is full of fun times in Navarre. It begins with the Navarre Beach Area Chamber Foundation Jingle Bell run at 8 a.m. on Saturday Morning at the Fire Station behind McDonalds. This is a fun family run and pet-friendly as well. There are more participants registered this year than in any year past – but there is still room for you. You can show up at packet pickup at the fire station Friday afternoon or at the fire station at 7 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning. You will get an awesome long-sleeved T-shirt. If they run out of this year’s shirts – they may have previous year’s shirts to share. The Navarre Beach Area Chamber’s Christmas in the Park brought to you by Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood store begins at 10 a.m. with Merry Market – with local arts and crafts vendors. At 11 a.m. the reindeer games begin – where the children play for prizes. School choirs will begin singing at 11 a.m. and continue singing until the 5 p.m. lighting of the tree. The Christmas Parade begins at 2 p.m. from the Navarre Library and Navarre Senior Center Parking lots and ends at Navarre Park where you will find Mrs. Claus’s bakery, the lighting of the tree and more. You are sure to see Santa and Mrs. Claus and the Grinch if you go to the park after the Christmas Parade.
The date was Nov. 21, 2017, and it was a standing room only board meeting of the Holley Navarre Water System. Tempers were raging – some were trying to remove Brian Kelly from the board and others were trying to save him from being ousted.
I just want to congratulate Rob Williamson on his new position as the CEO of the Holley-Navarre Water system and for garnering a wage that is thirty percent higher than his Santa Rosa County Commission gig. That was quite a feat considering he was fired in August and shown the door by nearly three of every four voters. There was no need to do a nationwide search to hire the best candidate for the water system. He was obviously the only candidate considered because of his vast experience of …. nothing.
Next week you will be receiving your papers on Wednesday because next Thursday is Thanksgiving. We hope you have a special time planned with friends and family. This is the time of year where we are forced to slow down in our everyday lives – and speed up and pay attention to the part of our lives that matter the most. It would be awesome if we all had time to always pay attention to what matters the most – and that is our relationships with others and our God. However, that isn’t always the case at least in my life. I’m just thankful that I have very patient and gracious people in my life that know that I mean well, and my intentions are good. And, they are busy too with everything I delegate so it all works out. I hope. I do not want to take them for granted. Please pause this holiday season and thank those that mean the most to you.
The One Warm Coat drive this year has been very successful. Three hundred and fifty coats were collected and distributed to the needy without charge through the Waterfront Rescue Mission. The volunteer team thank following businesses for their participation in the coat drive: YMCA; Everman’s Market and Café; Four Square Fitness; Pensacola State College campuses at Pensacola, Warrenton and Midway; Studer Group; Mission Anglican Church; Gulf Breeze Recreation Center; Holly by the Sea Recreation Center; Apple Market.
