Opinion Archive

Eight words and at least two months of argument that revealed political fissures, real or imagined, between the north and south ends of Santa Rosa County and pitted science against business might have come to an end.

It is anticipated that the county commission will vote 5-0 during a Feb. 25, 2021 meeting to drop a proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that would have allowed more or new borrow pit mining above a protected drinking water reservoir that serves tens of thousands of people.

There was a Santa Rosa Board Meeting last night. Presiding over the meeting were:

– Commissioner Sam Parker – District 1

– Commissioner Robert Cole – District 2

– Commissioner James Calkins – District 3

– Commissioner Dave Piech- District 4 

– Commissioner Colten Wright – District 5

On 2/4/202, I bore witness to the deep-rooted and systemic issues that are a cancer in our county, state and country.

When 220+ signatures of verified voters in Santa Rosa County voicing opposition to a county board of commissioners’ (all documented and available for public verification on BOCC website) empty resolution saying we support their resolution when we do not, ignoring our voices, is plain wrong.

Archeologists can learn a lot about our ancestors by going through their garbage.

Those treasure troves, called midden piles, can tell us what people ate, what kind of dishware they used, even what they excreted, which is a fancy way of saying poop.

For two months, officials and citizens have been asking for county commissioners to reconsider the proposed repeal of some key wellfield protections.

These same concerned folks were hoping agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection of the Northwest Florida Water Management District would review the proposal and nix it.

I grew up in Mobile. Navarre was our most favorite secluded beach. In the 60s, my family would vacation in Destin.

By the early 70s, my friends and I had driver’s licenses and when it was just us guys wanting to spend a few days away camping and fishing, we always went to Navarre Beach.

The botanical pause of winter is monotonous in its consistency. Each day, with very few exceptions, is just like the one before it with plants in suspended animation.

February brings the first inkling of the burst of activity coming to Santa Rosa County which will soon arrive with vigorous growth and riotous color. One herald for the landscape’s eruption is the awakening of thistles, native weeds entwined with many cultures reaching into antiquity.

The names change and the accomplishments vary but what has remained consistent through it all is a run of success that is seemingly unbreakable.

Navarre’s girls weightlifting team is headed to state this weekend. Again. Those words have become as much of a guarantee as death and taxes.

When my wife arrived, she went straight to our bedroom to quarantine herself pending her co-worker’s test results, an estimated 24-48 hours. At first, it was kind of fun. We clowned around with the Two-Way app that turns your smartphone into a two-way radio. My radio handle was Base, kind of boring, and my wife’s, […]

Please answer WHY Navarre NEEDS another Dollar Store? And who approves this in our county?

Especially since there is another one just a block or two down (State Road) 87 already!