Out and About
The Navarre Beach Marine Science Station is hosting a car wash this Saturday at Keller Williams across from Navarre Park. All donations are being used to help fund a new ATV. See their ad for more details.
Toes N Sand Free Sunset Movies are back Wednesday nights at Navarre Beach Pier. Wednesday the 29th will feature Grease on the big screen in the sand.
The 28th annual Juana Good Time Regatta will be held Sept. 7 – 9 at Juana’s Pagodas on Navarre Beach. This will include two days of racing and three days of parties. Register at juanaspagodas.com by Aug. 31 for the best deal. See their ad in the Fall Sports Guide.
I want to say thank you to our readers and advertisers that took the time to pick up the “Navarre Press We Are Fake News” signs – not once but three times this past week. They are not located on private property, they were in easements, they are illegal signs, and by picking them up – you are saving taxpayer dollars because the county didn’t have to send someone from Milton to pick them up. We had Facebook posts, texts and phone calls with “sign sightings.” Someone suggested we have a contest with a prize for the person that picked up the most signs. I thought about it until I read on Facebook that someone had “electrified” their sign to give someone a “shock” when they grabbed it.
Our commissioner, Rob Williamson, has been calling us Fake News for more than a year and now we know he has possession of one of the “Fake News” signs in his garage because he basically sent it to us in a Facebook post. I think he is trying – but failing – to channel Donald Trump. I tried to describe the situation to my mom over the phone – and it was difficult. The text I sent Rob wasn’t my finest moment, but I stand by every word.
I decided to do my own postcard to inform voters because I am worried that the north end of the county wouldn’t know what we knew about Rob Williamson. Certain pertinent facts are important when hiring someone for a job where someone must make high stakes financial decisions. I was concerned that Rob might actually succeed in garnering votes with his complete falsehoods (lies) and misrepresentations of himself as the “Trumpest.” I loved Andy Marlette’s editorial about this topic last Sunday in the PNJ.
Williamson’s opponent, Dave Piech, has stated on video and elsewhere that he wasn’t going to say anything that might be considered negative about Mr. Williamson. Since when are facts negative? I’m an individual and individuals are allowed to send out postcards during campaign season, so I consulted with the supervisor of elections office. I had doubts and decided against the project but then on Friday afternoon – a friend sent a verse out of the blue, Ephesians 5:11 (NIV): “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” But even that wasn’t enough. I guess I’m hard-headed. I had a call out of the blue from someone I have only met once. She is a staunch Republican and very respected. She also lives in Milton. I asked her for her opinion regarding the postcard and she said that it was my job to inform the voter and I should trust my gut. I read her just a small portion of the postcard and she was astonished – so much was news to her. I knew then that the postcard had to go out. The voters will decide but hopefully those that haven’t voted will have more facts in their hands than they did previously. Unfortunately, the northern Santa Rosa residents do not have the advantage that our Navarre Press readers have. So out of good will, and my vacation fund, we will have very informed voters. That is – if they believe me, since Rob Williamson so cunningly put out a fabricated postcard this past weekend…but you can read all about that in the editorial. A big thank you to all (and there were a lot) that have called and encouraged us to keep up the fight for truth. We will never apologize for speaking truth to power.
Quote of the Week: “Don’t ever forget that a narcissist is, first and foremost, an opportunist who feels falsely entitled to do whatever he wants whenever he wants with whomever he wants at anyone’s expense.” Zari Ballard, Freelance Writer/Author