I was troubled when an initial search did not show Sharon Aydelott, a teacher at Holley-Navarre Middle School, as ever being on the pages of Navarre Press. However, when I read that she was teacher of the year for her school in 2005, I knew there must be a glitch. Sure enough, we interviewed Sharon after she won the honor in December 2005. We reprinted the article this week on our education page in honor of her. We received the press release on Christmas Eve about a murder and posted it immediately to our Facebook page. Then news started leaking that it was Sharon who was killed even before we even received the official press release, my heart sank along with everyone else. The story has appeared all over the world in gruesome detail. We elected not to publish all the details on our website because we knew that this was a time to mourn the loss of Sharon and to celebrate her life and contribution to our community and it was not necessary to detail the manner of her death. The minimal details were enough at the time. There will be a trial and if not a trial, there will be sentencing and the details will be detailed at that time.
As I’m writing my column my friend and former editor, Brenda Bordelon, and her husband, Matt, walked into the office – on a Sunday, knowing we would be here because she remembered the drill. And, they laughed when they heard I was working on my column because as always – that is the last thing that gets done before we put the finishing touches on the paper. And, oddly enough, I was reading my column from this time in 2007 when she walked in – which is right around the time Brenda left. I was writing about our next editor in that column. Matt told me I should just copy and paste it for this year’s column and no one would know, and he might be right. However, I would know. Brenda left the area in 2008 and now lives in the D.C. area. I really hate that all our new employees didn’t get to work with Brenda. She is a blast, and I’m blessed to be able to call her and Matt my friends.
It’s almost near the winter break for school districts across the state, and students are no doubt anticipating with glee a short respite from the usual breakneck pace of homework, group projects, pop quizzes, and high-stakes tests that encompass a school term.
I hope everyone realizes what a big deal it is to have a new luxury apartment complex with 250 units to be built in Navarre. First of all, it had to be financed. If you have tried to get a loan lately , you would know that. I’ve never known them not to be tough but apparently there was about two years where they didn’t even check your employment history. It is a good thing I didn’t know about that at the time, or I may have more house or office building that I could afford to pay – especially when the bottom fell out of the market.
Joyce Charles Enghauser live in North Shores in Navarre and she and her husband Charlie adopted a 10-month-old Beagle from the Pensacola Humane Society last week. The dog had not been treated very well by previous owners and was skittish. The minute she was let go in the backyard she jumped the fence and ran away. North Shores is on the south side of Hwy 98 and Lucy has been spotted on the north side of Highway 98. In fact, I saw her yesterday in front of our office in Harvest Village. I was leaving my office around 9 p.m. and when I walked outside and there was a little Beagle running north on Harvest Village Court – with a red collar. Lucy went to a dark area of the street and I didn’t see here anymore. That had to be Lucy. I immediately called Joyce because she wanted people to call with sightings. The Enghauser’s have a reward for $500 if you can bring her home safely. The phone number is 939-0156.
The approval of funding for a pedestrian overpass across U.S. Highway 98 near Navarre Park is great news – and could be a key accompaniment in the possible incorporation of Navarre.
We have a new Navarre Press Pass Discount. Sail Inn is offering a free cup of soup when you buy a whole sandwich or sub and a beverage. They have the best soups ever. I had one the other day that was squash, chicken and kale. Yummy! Sail Inn is under new ownership since October and Chuck has made some very subtle, but essential, changes to the menu and quality of the food. For example, all of the meats and cheeses are Boars Head. And they have a killer Saturday Breakfast.
“Florida tourism” conjures images of theme parks, resort hotels, state parks and the finest beaches the world has to offer. Sailfish, marlins and mackerel don’t immediately come to mind, but recreational fishing is an important part of the tourism industry in Florida, too. Florida is uniquely positioned to attract visitors to the state for recreational fishing, as our natural fresh and salt waterways are truly world-famous. Each year, millions of Americans and international visitors come to Florida to spend time fishing on our waterways.
We have some great advertising to help you shop locally in our Holiday Happenings Gift Guide! We hope you will take the opportunity to visit their businesses and spend a little holiday cash. I l-o-v-e the cover that Dickie Williams’ designed for the guide. He took our new artificial reefs, turned one into a Christmas tree and then put the face of a Navarre “legend” on the scuba diver, which wasn’t a stretch since he is one of our most avid local divers and responsible for most of the reef footage that we have. Yes – it is Mike Sandler.
Politics starts from the bottom up, not the top down. Lawmakers in Washington are elected by the people and have a responsibility to the people. It is an immense honor and privilege for me to represent the people of Florida’s First Congressional District, and it is absolutely vital that I have the opportunity to hear from them so that I can ensure that Northwest Florida’s voice is heard in the halls of Congress. One message that I continue to receive loud and clear from constituents in all parts of Northwest Florida is opposition to and concern about Obamacare.
