You Are Here Bay County Sports

Recreational Catch Limits Debate

We need your support on February 7th…

To: All our elected OFFICALS,

We need your help, on February 7,2008 the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) plans to hold a meeting in Panama City Beach, Fl to discuss the Recreational Red Snapper Limits and closures. The Feds have already cut the Recreational limits to two fish per person, per day.  This limit excludes the captain and crew, not allowing them to keep any. I understand the State of Florida wanting to drop the daily bag limit to two fish per day, the same as the Feds, because of the enforcement problems. We can live with that, what we can’t live with however is the proposed changes in the season.  From April 15th to October 31st is the current season, but changing it to June 1st through September 30th will cause us to lose over two months of our season. With the slow economy and rising fuel prices, shorting the season may force some of us out of our livelihood.

Florida wants tourist to come, and many come here to fish.  If the FWC has their way many of my customers have already told me they will not come to Florida to fish, they will go elsewhere. I know there are more and more people who are selling their boats at the marina (Scipio Creek Marina in Apalachicola, Fl) and leaving to do things in other states.

I am sending this letter to every elected official in the state.  In November, we will elect a new President.  I know each party; Democrats and Republicans alike want us to vote for their candidate. We want to see if someone out there is concerned about us, and are willing to stand up for us, and with us. If we can find someone that will help us, then we in turn are more than willing to support and help them.

I am a 60-year-old native of Florida, a Vietnam Veteran, and husband of 40 years to the same lovely lady.  I have two children (both Florida residents) who are hard workers and support themselves, as my wife and I do. I have never been in jail or any trouble with the law. Frankly though, I am fed up with the government wanting more and more.  We are the ones, who pay taxes and keep the country running, but you want to enact laws and restrictions that put us out of business, but give a hand out to the people that won’t work in this country. Your dang right I’m mad, it’s hard enough to make a living with all the things we face, we don’t need additional laws prohibiting us from making an honest living.  Is there anyone out there that cares?

Sincerely,
William C Wilson

CC: Governor, Charlie Christ & all Florida lawmakers

You Are Here Bay County Sports

Panama City Karate Center Return Victorious

Matt VanGennup won the heavyweight men’s division and then took second place in the men’s “Grand Championship”. John Johnson won second place in the men’s light-heavyweight division. Both athletes had to compete against several fighters from other teams competing from throughout the Southeastern United States.

The Thunderbirds train out of Marty Martin’s Karate Training Centers - http://www.panamacitykarate.com.

You Are Here Bay County Community

Moooooooooove That Cow!

The GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club has been a long time supporter of Heifer International. It seeks to penetrate the dark cloud of poverty which pours down hunger, disease, illiteracy, and a myriad of other conditions which are the storms brewed by the powerlessness of people without resources for self sufficiency. Heifer International is an organization dedicated to empowering women through economic development. The cause has been taken up and successfully implemented in places with names spanning the alphabet from Albania to Zanzibar. Trained facilitators are sent worldwide to educate participants in the care, production, and sharing of the resources which are brought to them. These resources are carefully selected for the area’s environment and needs; while a camel might be the greatest asset for one village, chickens or goats may best serve the needs of another. Plants and animals and their products become enabling resources and an escape from the scourge of environmental degradation and, often, death. Having a special fund raising project for Heifer International came naturally as we sought a way to honor Judy Houser, a charter member of our club and International Affairs Department, who passed away this year.

Our department, consisting of twenty-five members, voted to implement a project with the goal of collecting five thousand dollars, which would be enough to purchase an entire ark for Heifer International. A community volunteer cut and department members painted three life size, wooden cows which would be placed in yards of businesses and private homes. Before we could set out on the trail, two cows wandered in from another ranch and joined our three. Our five heifers were accompanied with fliers and brochures which explained our project goals and introduced the International Affairs Department, GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club, and Heifer International. Large, easy to read signs, which were made by another club member, were placed next to the grazing cows. Instructions asked for a twenty-five dollar donation to moooove the cow to another location of choice.

To initiate the club to the plan, The International Affairs Department had a kickoff dinner, complete with barnyard animal hats and balloons. Members prepared and served a Mexican dinner and then explained our goal to collect five thousand dollars. This dinner generated five hundred twenty-three dollars and sixty-four cents, which was dedicated to Heifer International. This project was introduced to the community on television and in the newspaper. All of the local veterinarians received a letter outlining our plans for the project; many provided pasture for the cows and made generous donations. Our cows have grazed along our busiest streets in Panama City where many local businesses allowed us to decorate their landscape, and then subsequently gave some green to the cause. Numerous private homes were on the route of the cattle drive and became publicity for GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club and Heifer International while Daisy, Bessie, Flossie, Bossie, or LuLu relaxed on the lawns. As the Cow Ladies roped and wrangled cows from no less than one hundred and forty-one pastures, the entire community was educated about the International Affairs Department and the GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club.

Mooooving cows wasn’t all there was to this effort. In addition to putting cows out to pasture, we also sponsored a card party including a brunch to raise money for this and other department projects. Also, decorated cans were placed in businesses for donation collections. A special contribution of one thousand six hundred sixty-five dollars was made to this project from the Judy Houser Memorial Fund, which was established shortly after her death. Judy’s husband, knowing his wife’s belief in and support of Heifer International, requested that the Board of the GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club apply her memorial funds to this project. As the sun set on our roundup, lariats and hats were hung on hooks. After the bills were paid, the money was counted; the herd and the ranch hands had raised seven thousand three hundred dollars so that an ark of animals could be sent around the world to replace dark clouds of poverty with the promise of rainbows and economic opportunity. Our bunch of cowpokes is proud to launch this ark for its voyage around the world.