By the time you read this it will officially be spring and our legislators will have been in session for a little more than two weeks. Appropriate enough – Leo Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina that, “Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
Daylight savings starts Sunday morning and that means Spring is here. Navarre Beach will start to get college spring-breakers. The University of Florida is out for Spring Break this week. Next week, Florida State, Troy, Auburn, University of West Florida, Duke, University of North Carolina, University of Georgia and Emory are out for spring break.
The Arc of Florida is working to make changes to state laws that are long overdue. Senate Bill 142, the Intellectual Disabilities Bill, would remove the term “mental retardation” and replace it with “intellectual disability” in state statutes.
Every now and then, we get to proudly proclaim the Santa Rosa County commissioners got it right. The commissioners got it right this time by approving an amendment to the Land Development Code (LDC) that creates and extends the wellfield overlay area around all 12 well heads.
It is official, Panera Bread will have a location in Gulf Breeze by the end of the year. On March 15, 2012 – almost a year ago – I wrote in my column that I was at the Fort Walton Beach Panera and spoke with a manager-type. I mentioned that the Panera truck has to drive through Navarre every day from Pensacola to Fort Walton and that it should have a stop in Navarre. He mentioned then that they were looking at a location in Gulf Breeze. I proceed to email Panera corporate to let them know that they should be looking at Navarre as well. Today, when I spoke with the regional marketing manager, I said the same. By the time I was finished with her she was sure they were looking at Navarre next and said, “Let us get this one (Gulf Breeze) open first.” I think I wore her down. She works out of the Jacksonville area and has never visited us on the far western side of Florida, but I believe she will now. She is also getting a package of materials from us promoting Navarre, including the 2013 Navarre Chamber Guide that we completed last month and a Visitor Guide.
An announcement is expected to be made this week regarding OfficeMax and Office Depot joining forces. Boca Raton-based Office Depot has 1,675 stores and Office Max, based in Illinois, has 900 stores. If there is a merger, the plan would be to close stores that compete with each other which will reduce costs overall.
Last year the Florida Legislature passed a bill that allowed returning outright prayer to public schools. Not a moment of silence, not gathering around the flagpole on the National Day of Prayer, but the bona fide right of students to lead other students in prayer at any student assembly, even mandatory ones. School officials are prohibited from interfering, or even judging whether the prayer in question is appropriate.
In case you forgot, today is Valentine’s Day. I’m sure there are cards and candy still available at local retail outlets. Valentine’s is at the top of my list of holidays. I know guys hate it because there is a lot of pressure – supposedly.
