On Jan. 15, despite the cold temperatures, the Navarre Garden Club donated several trees to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office District 2, Navarre substation on High School Boulevard in honor of Arbor Day. The trees were donated and planted to show appreciation to the Sheriff’s Office.
On Jan. 15, the Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual Awards and Installation Banquet at the Soundside at Hurlburt Field to honor outstanding members and install a new board of directors. The new Chamber President and CEO, Judy Morehead was the evening’s emcee.
The state grant funding sought by Santa Rosa County to promote Tough Mudder Inc.’s military-style endurance event in April will be limited to about one-third of the requested $30,000.
Gigi Naggatz was affectionately known as “The Turtle Lady” on Navarre Beach and she was a leading volunteer and conservationist who worked tirelessly for the sea turtles. She passed away Jan. 5 after a years-long battle with cancer. While she will be greatly missed by many, her spirit will live on through the many volunteers that carry on her mission on Navarre Beach.
On Jan. 5, a tearful-eyed President Obama set out a call to action for the American people in a public speech outlining his new executive order on limiting gun violence.
Santa Rosa County continues to have discussions with Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, to identify an alternative for recycling. ECUA was contracted to accept all recyclables in Santa Rosa County and transport them to a center in Montgomery, Ala. This center abruptly closed in October 2015. ECUA then began transporting recyclables to Tarpon Paper Company in Loxley, Ala. Because it was cost prohibitive, ECUA stopped transporting recyclables to Tarpon in December when they began charging a $12.50 per-ton tipping fee. ECUA is currently in the process of establishing a new processing facility in Escambia County. Santa Rosa County discussions with ECUA concern future agreements as well as looking for all available long-term alternatives.
The overthrow of local authority to limit fracking, the controversial method of drilling for oil and natural gas after injecting chemicals underground to fracture rock formations, is being supported by Northwest Florida legislators.
At the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners’ meeting on Jan. 14, the discussion with pier operator Coastal Concessions continued regarding making amendments to the pier management contract currently in place with the county. Coastal Concessions has been under the microscope recently because of overdue payment of pier admission fees to the county. Coastal Concessions has contended since August that the financial struggle to pay the fees was precipitated by the maintenance costs associated with the upkeep of the pier. According to the contract in place, Coastal is responsible for all expenses to maintain the pier while all of the revenue or gate fees revert back to the county.
A “notice to proceed” to replace the aging Pensacola Bay Bridge will be given by end of the year if everything falls into place, says Florida Department of Transportation engineer, Kerrie Harrell. Harrell drove from Tallahassee Thursday morning, Jan. 14 to speak to the Gulf Breeze Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Andrews Institute. “My true day job right now is the Pensacola Bay Bridge,” Harrell told the audience of nearly 50 chamber members and their guests. Gulf Breeze City Manager Edwin “Buz” Eddy was also in attendance as well as Gulf Breeze Councilwoman Cherry Fitch.
