All the signs of the season are here! The sun is shining, temperatures are warm, cobia are running and the nesting shorebirds are back. I know everyone complains about slowing down across the causeway for them, but we do it for good reason. The black skimmers are a threatened species of bird and our shorelines are one of the largest nesting habitats in the region. So, from now until October, slow down for the safety of the chicks. You can read more about this on the Navarre Beach page (1D).

Newspapers are the best place to work if you never want to feel like it is ground hog day – day after day – because every day is different and exciting. And, if you are a curious person, you get paid to be curious or as other people call it – nosey.  I remember in Jr. High School, someone complained to the science teacher that I was nosey. And, he stood up in the class and said how important it was to be curious or nosey. The problem is – I’m curious about too many things. I have literally hundreds of how-to and other non-fiction books that I’ve started, and I don’t finish before I move on to the next – bright shiny object.

This week’s deadline was a little earlier in the day so our production manager, Dickie Williams, could leave early to get ready for his gig. It’s not just any gig – they are opening Bands on the Beach with his Beatles Tribute band, “Not Quite Fab.” But as you will see, we didn’t skimp on coverage. Our sports coverage is over the top. Kudos to Brian Lester, Dickie Williams, John Richardson and Stuart Camp for all contributing to our sports coverage.  Someone told me they liked to read sports because it is always positive coverage. Even if a team loses, there is something positive to be learned from the experience. Not to leave out the news coverage – we appreciate Jamie Gentry, Brian Lester, Drew Drohan, Michael Bannon, Gail Acosta and the team that supports all our writers. This includes the graphics team that designs the ads, Jodi Kane and Thomas Kulesa. And the ones that like to remain in the background, our bookkeeper Cheryl Middleton and our circulation coordinator and traffic controller, April Pearson. I don’t want to forget (because I couldn’t if I wanted to) our distribution coordinator, Jesse Stewart who has been having to drive to Panama City to pick up our Lowe’s inserts for the past two weeks and drive them to Mobile, Alabama where our paper is printed. Phew, I hope I didn’t leave anyone out. I would mention our sales team, but you are looking at her. Gail helps her in her spare time which is scarce. Hopefully I’ll find more people that want to have as much fun as I am having helping other businesses succeed through effective print and online advertising. First, I must have time to look at all the resumes I have.

Please read the obituary page this week. We have information on Saturday’s memorial service for Orv Branham who frequently volunteered at Navarre United Methodist Church and an obituary for Dorothy Reynolds including information on her memorial service April 6, at the Navarre Presbyterian Church. Dorothy’s son, David and her husband of 65-years, Paul, made every effort to write the obituary just the way they wanted it.