A move by three Santa Rosa County Commissioners to revisit the vote on the management contact for the Navarre Beach Pier has been challenged, and an injunction against a re-vote was filed by the team that was selected as the top-ranked proposal in August.
The responsibilities of a newspaper go much deeper than simply writing stories that entertain and inform. The words public service and watchdog are often tossed around, and rightfully so.
Monday is Labor Day, which means that summer is coming to an end. We have had relatively cool mornings with low humidity this week and the days without rain seem brutally bright and hot. I haven’t looked at my July 2012 power bill as compared to July 2013, but I’m sure it is a lot lower due to the rain and cloudy days. So, there is something good to say about all of the rain we had this summer. However, the rain brought to light the fact that many neighborhoods in Navarre are lacking in stormwater protection. The handling of stormwater is not a new topic. In fact, the ancient Greeks collected storm water. However, if you bring it up around here, the concept of taking care of stormwater and the fact that it should be part of basic infrastructure is “Greek” to some. The City of Tampa actually has a “Stormwater Division.” They have 600 miles of stormwater pipe, more than 250 miles of ditches and culverts, and more than 100 treatment ponds. And get this…the staff annually cleans 21,000 miles of curbed roadway with a fleet of street sweepers to reduce flooding by preventing sediment and debris from entering the drainage system. And, I bet they have a vacuum truck that sucks up standing water so that it doesn’t “muck-up” the culverts and swales that do exist. I know Tampa is a lot bigger than Santa Rosa County, but the basics are the basics. Panama City is close by and they own a vacuum truck. We need a vacuum truck for times like these. There is still standing water and we haven’t had an extended hard rain in more than a week. The reason there is still standing water is because of the muck that will never perk water again, and because a lot of the holding ponds are full to the brim. Have you seen the ponds to the side of High School Road? It almost looks like the water is standing higher than the road. We need to be praying that we don’t get any more tropical moisture this season — and heaven forbid the “H” word.
Frustrated by the county’s response to drainage-related flooding issues in Holley By The Sea (HBTS), residents of the massive subdivision drove to Milton last Thursday to attend Santa Rosa County’s annual flood mitigation meeting at which the county’s flood plan is reviewed with respect to flooding incidents.
A family with plenty of beach experience and encounters with marine life, the Damrons didn’t get overly excited when they first saw a fin moving through the water and coming toward them last Thursday on Navarre Beach.
Santa Rosa County residents and interested parties will be a part of the process on Monday when the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners reviews the proposals to manage the Navarre Fishing Pier.
She moved silently, each step bringing her nearer her prey. The inclination to attack was strong, but experience held her back. Vicki and Jack Dunklebarger, relaxing at Navarre Park, were unaware they were being watched.
Mark Hall didn’t like what he saw after he made the transition from sitting on a church pew to standing in front of the congregation. As a young youth pastor in Samson, Alabama, what Hall observed from the pulpit was troubling. Church members were not acting as the loving body of Christ but rather as an audience behaving in ways which he felt wasn’t welcoming to others, especially those in need.
