The cabbage weighed 9 1/2 pounds and was 32 inches from leaf to leaf.

We’re very proud of her!

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

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.

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.

The tree was titled “Angels Abound”. It was purchased and donated to the Rescue Mission’s Bethel Village by an anonymous donor.

The Arts Department presented a check of $1000 to the Jr. Museum to build a permanent Sand table.

This is a special table with special sand to be used indoors.

This is a wonderful new addition to the museum. Louise Johnson, coordinator of the Arts Dept. mailed out over 100 pinwheels that were made at Northside School for International Day of Peace.

These were sent to UNITE IN PEACE to be distributed to children around the world with messages of Peace.

These are the First Place winners of the Essay Contest that GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club International Affairs Department sponsored for
International Day of Peace.

Each fifth grade class was asked to write on “Why Do You Think It Is Important to Celebrate an International Day of Peace”.

There was one First Place winner from each fifth grade class.

The students were presented with a certificate and cash award.

This is the fourth year that Northside School has participated with Gulf Coast Woman’s Club on this special day.

Team members included from the back Matt Darnell, Arieon Gautier, Zack Kubisz, John Hunter, Dylan Bush and Matt Hunter.

This annual North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) “5 Star” tournament hosts more than 3000 competitors from 15 countries who compete for the prestigious title of “Diamond National Champion”.

John Hunter placed first in the traditional kata division going first in a lineup of 17. This is almost unprecedented to win – having his score remain number one with 16 others competing after him.

Matt Hunter won 1st place in sparring – fighting seven times and did not have a single point scored against him.

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

GFWC Gulf Coast Woman’s Club will offer an opportunity drawing at the 2007 Holley Fair.

The fair is to be held Nov 8-11th at the Boardwalk Beach Hotel on Panama City Beach.

Tickets for the 7 ½’ Designer Tree valued at $1200 may be purchased for $5 or 3 for $10.

The winning ticket will be drawn on Sunday Nov. 11th at 4:P.M.

The lucky winner will be notified by phone and arrangements will be made for complimentary delivery of the tree.

For more information call 763-7939.

Proceeds will go to benefit Community Charities.

I had been looking for a travel trailer for almost 6 months when I met Nate, a salesman at Holiday on Wheels. He did not press for a sale, rather, he listened and asked questions related to our plans for use. On several occasions he spent more than an hour with my wife and me, showing us different models, floor plans, and construction types. During our conversations I also mentioned the styles, types and salesmen from competitors that I had spoken with. At no time did he even hint at a less than complimentary comment about his competitors or the products they were selling. In short, regardless of the trailer type, we chose this dealership because of Nate. He was and is the gentleman people wish a salesman would be but never seem to find.

When we narrowed our choices down to the trailer we wanted to purchase, again Nate was most helpful. Because this was my first trailer, he made sure I was fully aware of distribution hitch types, and then let me make my decision. Based on all of the trailers I had looked at, there were also certain options I wanted that did not come standard. This is when we met Connie who runs the parts department. As gracious as Nate was with our purchase, Connie was equally kind and professional with the extras we needed. Then I met Sam.

Sam is the owner of Holiday on Wheels. Sam introduced himself and asked if we had all of the options we wanted and even added a few I hadn’t thought of- at no extra charge. He was sincere, friendly and focused on my satisfaction despite the fact that my $20,000 purchase was a drop in the bucket compared to the six-figure Class-As on his lot. Through the entire purchase process I was treated as if I were buying a half-million dollar RV. But surely this can’t last, right?

Wrong. A week after I brought the trailer home, I found surface rust all over the bottom of the trailer. I called Nate who said bring it back. This is when I met Dave the Service Manager. Dave is simply spectacular. For this first issue, Dave had the trailer repaired and back to me in 9 days- he must have had 200 RVs stacked in his service department, but I was back in business in 9 days, amazing. A few weeks later there was an electrical fire in the fuse panel that happened on a holiday weekend when I was over 300 miles away from home. I called both Nate and Dave. Neither were upset I called; they took my family’s plight personal. They wanted me fixed and made it happen within 2 hours of the incident. There have been at least 6 to 9 other times I’ve had the trailer serviced over the last year. Each time Dave or his partner Cliff have ensured I was taken care of quickly- in most cases within minutes of my arrival. This type of treatment pervades to the service staff. Rick, in particular, always has the right bolt, screwdriver and answer. There are many others I’ve met and dealt with in parts and service, they’re all equally exceptional.

It’s a rare day the customer feels taken care of during vehicle purchases and ownership. It’s even rarer to find service after the sale that equals or exceeds what is advertised. Let there be no doubt, this dealership, the owner and all of his staff are the benchmark for how sales and service should be conducted.

William Roach
Panama City, FL

Visualize a world of peace and plenty enjoyed by all who share our beautiful planet. End your minute with the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth”

Gulf Coast Woman’s Club is planning special events at Northside Elementary School, Shaw Adult Center, the Respite Center and Sim’s VA Facility on this day.

You and your organization can get involved.

For more information go to http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/.

WHO: St. Joseph Bay Humane Society

WHAT: 2nd Annual Paws in the Park and Bow Wow Bash

WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2007 (All times Eastern)

9 a.m. - 2 p.m.  Paws in the Park
9 a.m. 5 k Run/Walk (with our without dogs)
10 a.m. K-9 Demonstration by Gulf County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit followed by contests, games and fun for people and their pets.  Photos with Santa and pets.  Booths selling pet related items.
11 a.m.  Lunch available served by South Gulf County Fire Department
6 p.m. - until?  Bow Wow Bash - Featuring food, cash bar, music, dancing, live and silent auction

WHERE: Paws in the Park at Centennial Park, Port St. Joe (behind Centennial Building) (between U.S. 98, Allen Memorial Way, Gautier Memorial Lane, Long Avenue) Bow Wow Bash at Centennial Building

WHY: To celebrate animals in our lives and to raise money to help the needy animals in Gulf County.

HOW: Paws in the Park is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (A small fee is required for the 5K run/walk and to enter contests)

Tickets to Bow Wow Bash - $30 each or $250 for a reserved table of 10 available at:

Port St. Joe, Faith Thrift Hut on 10th Street
(Thur.,Fri.& Sat. only 10 - 2)
Port St. Joe, Sunset Coastal Grill - 850-227-1223
Port St. Joe, Capital City Bank - 229-5253
Cape San Blas, Loggerhead Grill - 229-9703
Mexico Beach, Prickly Pear - 648-1115
Wewahitchka, Petals N Things - 639-5588
Apalachicola, Petunias - 653-9144
Or by emailing:  bowwowbashtickets@hotmail.com
For more information:  http://www.sjbhumanesociety.com

The St. Joseph Bay Humane Society is on a mission.  Following the success of its first paws in the park-Bow Wow Bash fundraiser in 2006, the society is gearing up to repeat the success for its second year, propelled by overwhelming community support.

Last year the fundraiser netted an astounding $46,000, giving volunteers the incentive to make the event an annual fundraiser. Last year, the major auction/drawing items were coins from the Spanish treasure ship Atocha and a classic 1979 Corvette convertible.  This year, along with even more outstanding auction items, one of the major prizes will be the winner’s choice of a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser turbo convertible or a 1973 Mercedes SL450 convertible.  All proceeds from the day-long event support the St. Joseph Bay Humane Society for operating costs for its new, state-of-the-art facility and to house and care for Gulf County’s injured and abandoned animals while they wait for their “forever” homes.

The St. Joseph Bay Humane Society is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that serves all of Gulf County and Mexico Beach.

What people need to know is that several things could happen such as your insurance can go up or be canceled due to NO fire coverage from Freeport Fire because they will responded only in the city limits.

The tax payers will have to depended on Walton County Fire Rescue to respond from 10-15 miles away depending on others stations in the county. Its bad to see people’s live put in danger because of politics in Walton county.

Freeport Fire covers 151 miles of area right now and has an excellent response time, but if the county forces them into the city limits due to lack of funds, the lives and property of the citizens will be in danger.

The Walton County Fire Rescue knows that they have tried to force Freeport to go county but they won’t, so I guess this is how they want to treat the PEOPLE of the area.

We all know of the growth in the area and the impact fees will go to the Walton County Fire to support there needs and not those of the people that live outside the city limits of Freeport and that is a shame.

Its time the tax payers wake up and look at who there commissioners area and let them know they need Freeport and not the county for fire protection.

James R Watson
850-319-7760
Freeport Fl.
Walton County

Here’s what’s in store for visitors to the 2007 Jazz-By-the Bay Festival in Panama City on Oct. 19 and 20th.: a bop piano stylist, a charming singer and a respected composer whose career spans a half century; a gifted son of a jazz legend who many say eclipses his father; a trumpet virtuoso who sings like Chet Baker; and a local piano and vocal duo singing and playing music of the great American songbook.

Heading the two-day program which begins on Friday night will be New York singer, composer and pianist Bob Dorough; Tampa pianist Kenny Drew Jr.; Atlanta trumpeter and vocalist Joe Gransden; bassist Steve Gilmore and local and regional favorites including saxophonist Joe Occhipinti, pianist Amanda Matthews, and vocalist Sharon Carroll.

Music will begin on Friday at 6:30 p.m. from the pavilion in Oaks-By-the-Bay Park in the St. Andrews section of Panama City. The Park is located at the foot of Beck Ave. next to the St. Andrews Marina.Food, beverage and f estival concessions will be located on site.

Dr. Muffelata and his Basin Street Stompers will entertain on the festival grounds between sets, Bob Dorough is a jazz icon, admired internationally for his bebop jazz piano, musical composition and vocalese singing. Dorough has worked with Miles Davis and Allen Ginsberg, and his adventurous style was an influence on Mose Allison, among other singers. He is perhaps best known as the primary composer of many of the songs used in Schoolhouse Rock!, a series of educational animated shorts appearing on Saturday morning television in the 1970’s and 1980’s on ABC affiliates in the USA.

Kenny Drew Jr., a New York native, now living in Tampa, has performed worldwide with a comprehensive variety of musicians, including Stanley Turrentine, Slide Hampton and the Jazz Masters, and the Mingus Big Band. He is the gifted son of jazz legend Kenny Drew Sr. He was the winner of the 1990 Great American jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville FL. He has appeared as a leader at many major festivals, including the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Kyoto Jazz Festival, Savannah on Stage Festival, Clearwater Jazz Festival and the Newark Jazz Festival. Kenny also played a solo piano tribute to Duke Ellington on Ellington’s 100th birthday at the Tonhalle in Zurich. He has recently appeared with his own trio at the Village Vanguard in New York, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago and on the Queen Elizabeth 2 Jazz Cruise. In his mid thirties, Atlanta trumpeter Joe Gransden has already performed worldwide and released four CD’s under his own name. Renowned first for the hard bop approach of his trumpet, Gransden’s singing voice has been compared to Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra. “Joe Gransden is following in the line of great classic singers,” said actor/director and jazz buff Clint Eastwood. “He sings jazz, pop, and beyond and does it with a flair and a talent beyond his years...he is sure to be a hit with young and old alike.”

After hearing Gransden’s latest CD , Eastwood invited Gransden and his quartet to play at his exclusive Tehama Golf Club in Carmel, CA. last April.

In the early ‘90’s, just out of high school, Gransden toured the world with the Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller bands. He eventually moved to New York where he performed with numerous groups including Toshiko Akiyoshi and Chico O’ Farrill. Meanwhile Joe formed his own group which performed in Brooklyn each week and included noted guitarist Joe Cohn.

The festival will wrap up on Saturday night with a jam session featuring festival artists at the Granite Cafe on Beck Street adjacent to Oaks-By-the-Bay Park.