Opinion Archive

In the course of life, sometimes families experience overwhelming circumstances out of their control, which can make it difficult to provide for all their family’s needs.  It’s my hope and prayer that you moved through the end of the year with your family and loved ones and experience the joy of the season and did not go without nourishment.

The U.S House of Representatives late last week approved a resolution, sponsored by Jeff Miller that  requires Escambia County to convey Navarre Beach to Santa Rosa County, as well as provides an opportunity for both counties to offer fee simple titles to leaseholders on Santa Rosa Island. Now the issue must be considered by the Senate, and if approved there, then signed by the president.

Spring is officially March 20, and there are officially 41 days until Spring by the time you receive this issue. When I was researching “Spring” I found a widget that you can put on your desktop that counts down the days, hours minutes and seconds until Spring. I did more research on the extended forecast and saw that the last full week of February it will be above 70 every single day!

In my opinion it should be obvious to the powers that be the tax deed was improperly issued for the County owned property located at 8228 Gulf Blvd, Navarre Beach; the County property formerly leased and d/b/a Sandy Bottoms. 

In the course of life, sometimes families experience overwhelming circumstances out of their control, which can make it difficult to provide for all their family’s needs.  It’s my hope and prayer that you moved through the end of the year with your family and loved ones and experience the joy of the season and did not go without nourishment.

It seems like a distant memory, but only last week much of north Florida was paralyzed by roadways and bridges covered with a light coating of ice. Temperatures in Navarre and across the panhandle were below freezing for more than 48 consecutive hours. Law enforcement officials for safety reasons closed bridges, state routes and even Interstate-10 for nearly 72 hours. The combination of cold temperatures and the lack of vehicles moving across the frozen pavement essentially meant road conditions would not improve until the temperature climbed above freezing. The sand used in Florida to provide traction on slick roadways does nothing to melt the ice. In other parts of the country where winter is synonymous with ice and snow, states and local jurisdictions use specialized snowplow trucks and spread salt to eat through the ice and keep roads clear.

The Sheriff’s Citizen’s Academy I wrote about in my column last week was canceled due to lack of participation. Perhaps I should have highlighted it a few weeks earlier. I have always wanted to participate but one night a week, for three hours, for 10 weeks was more than I could carve out. However, I was going to do my best to make this time. Darn.

“Mandela believed in God, was not a Christian,” per his confidante.  Surprisingly, admirably Mandela forgave his jailer. So did Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian, imprisoned for hiding and saving Jews from the Nazis! Corrie Ten Boom whose sister died in prison – they were incarcerated for hiding and saving Jews.

I could not have been more excited when I pulled up in front of the Navarre Press office Monday morning. I had accomplished two things. First, I was returning to Navarre and second, I was returning to my first love, journalism.

There was a little uproar on social medial last week about the Holley-Navarre Water Department proxy forms that were sent out for the election that is this Tuesday, Jan. 21.  There is a story about this on the front of this issue. The water department has been conducting their elections this way for as long as we have been a newspaper which will be 14 years in May. If someone doesn’t like the way the water department holds elections, then perhaps they will change it when the get involved and run for the water board. The candidates for the water board are Chris Richardson, Daryl Lynchard, James Dabney, Ashely Strabla and incumbents Charlie Enghauser and Sheldon Hutchins.  Please go vote Tuesday.