Opinion Archive

Last Friday, the Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County issued a water advisory cautioning residents and visitors to stay out of the Sound at Navarre Park and refrain from swimming, boating and other water activities.

I experienced my first fishing rodeo this weekend. I wasn’t participating as an angler, but as a volunteer. I met some really nice people and I think I like hanging out with anglers. James Broxson with Broxson Outdoors, Tyler Manning with Flat Out Fishing and Brad King with South Again Charters were very helpful at the weigh in and identifying fish. They didn’t even laugh too hard when I called a Cobia a really big Catfish. I really like fishing – but I haven’t had time in the past 30 years or so.  I’m looking forward to the next Fishing Rodeo, which might be as soon as this Fall.

The rodeo rolled into town last weekend, but this event didn’t attract cowboys, bulls and clowns to Navarre. No, the Navarre Fishing Rodeo brought a perfect blend of local residents, visitors/tourists and anglers out to the Emerald Coast’s lesser-known beach.

The wooden sign at the northern foot of the bridge reads “Welcome to Navarre Beach – Florida’s Best Kept Secret.” But there are many other signs that tell a different story.

We need police officers to direct traffic on holidays and event weekends at the Gulf Blvd stop sign and Hwy 98 traffic light. Last night at 8 o’clock, the traffic on Gulf Blvd was almost backed up to the National Seashore. This started at 4 p.m.

Memorial Day weekend was crazy on Navarre Beach. I heard horror stories of how it took two-and-a-half hours to get off of the beach. I also heard the TDC used to have police offers during Memorial Day weekend to help alleviate traffic and the county attorney said something about it being “illegal” to have hired cops.  So…I guess more needs to be done – or looked into. I’m glad we have so much traffic because that means commerce is happening. As a resident of Navarre, I just know better than to go to the beach even though I really wanted to go take pictures. 

In the name of protecting us from hackers, computer viruses and cyber-terrorists, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that would make it easier for sites like Facebook and Twitter and Internet service providers like Comcast and Time-Warner to share users’ private messages and files with government agencies.

Wow, what a weekend. The first event I attended was the Emerald Coast Chapter of Heroes on the Water. What a great group of guys and gals. They are a well-oiled machine and they know exactly what to do and in what order to do it.

Sequestration, Now (4-7-13): Fewer employees 10 plus, restroom closures, picnic shelter closures, reduces grounds maintenance, trash can elimination, less storm-caused sand removal, longer storm-caused road closures, visitor center closures, fewer Ranger-led programs, reduced facilities maintenance and shorter lifeguard hours.

One of our favorite Navarre events is back.  The Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Thursdays in the Park Concert Series starts tonight, and as co-hosts of the event, we invite everyone to come out and enjoy the music.  Admission is FREE.  Tonight’s performance happens to be the kickoff of another great event happening in Navarre, The First Annual Songwriter’s Festival.  You can see ads about both of these events in our paper this week to get all of the details and schedules.