Opinion Archive

Navarre Beach renourishment has gotten quite a bit of good press lately. People have said how it can be educational and a tourist draw because of the shells that get pumped up with the sand. But it can also be educational for the harm it does.

The Navarre High School Raiders will have its Maroon and White Game on Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m. Please make plans to go to the football stadium to show your support.

The Navarre YMCA wants to remind you that registration for summer camp and summer preschool is now open – as well as the pool.

On Mother’s Day and the ninth day of beach renourishment at about 2 p.m., we were returning to our residence on Navarre Beach. Turning onto the causeway, we observed many visitors at the reopening of the Butterfly House. Traffic was very heavy at the intersection but moving. We slowed to 20 mph and watched the skimmers and terns in the nesting areas.

I, and many other residents of Navarre, wonder why there is such a small sign identifying our little piece of paradise here on the Gulf Coast. The signs are not only small (compared to the one up in Holley) but they are placed way inside the town of Navarre.

Do we need a new tax to fund another disposable courthouse? The county says the 90-year-old structure is too small, has security issues, lacks parking, has inadequate heating/cooling and needs telephone and computer network upgrades. While these may be valid issues, they hardly require a new courthouse.

A suggestion for the Court House. There have been two new Court Houses built in our area. Santa Rosa County has an engineer on staff. Send the engineer to the new Court Houses and have him inspect them, review the quality of the work, determine which is the most economical to run/maintain, obtain a copy of the building plans, names of the contractors, the COST of the buildings and after determining which one would be the best fit for building in Milton, build it!  We don’t have to reinvent the wheel and waste taxpayers’ money on studies. The county already paid three times the value of property needed for the New Court House instead of just compensation and using the right of eminent domain. Also, Mr. Lynchard has to make sure Rob Williamson does not get involved with the Project because he has shown the continued ability to make bad decisions.

This year, Mother’s Day in Santa Rosa County was tragic indeed.  Two mothers lost their lives in equally tragic ways and both allegedly by the hands of their own child.  It is every parent’s worst nightmare.

This is our second week of publishing a page from the Milton Gazette. The issue this week is from August 19, 1910, and in it is a story that starts with “A rare relic.” It details how someone brought them a paper from January 4, 1800, that gives an account of George Washington’s funeral.  Here we are looking back at newspapers from more than 100 years ago to a paper that is also looking back at a newspaper more than 100 years ago. And, because the Milton Gazette reprinted that, we have a real treat – from more than 200 years ago. Please read the entire page of the Milton Gazette. If only you could hear Gail Acosta read it out loud. We may have to start a YouTube channel because the way she reads it – makes the entire page come to life.

In 1999, the United States Congress designated the month of May as Military Appreciation Month to give communities across the nation the opportunity to show their thanks to the men and women who serve in all branches of the United States military.

Fun Fest is this Saturday!  When I was the chairman of the board of the Navarre Chamber, we went from a Friday night, all-day Saturday, half-a-day Sunday event to just a Friday evening – Saturday event. This year…they are eliminating Friday night and holding the event only on Saturday. The changes sound good to me and it promises to be a very fun event. In fact, I may just enjoy every moment of it because all-day Saturday sounds very manageable.