A W A R D ● W I N N I 11BB N G 50¢ YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER September 21, 2006 Residents: new development Gazebos added to causes Tiger Point flooding Wayside Park East Page A4 BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News Inside in [email protected] Ganges Trail, Tiger Point res- idents would have been better off taking a canoe to work on PAGE Tuesday, Aug. 12 as overnight 1B rainfall left two feet of standing water in their neighborhood. ■ At 7:15 a.m., Midway Fire Bubba’s name in District emergency responders lights arrived on scene with their res- ■ PBOC installs cue boat in tow to assist three motorists stranded in the flood- new officers ed roadway. Rescue workers ■ Casting Nets ferried motorists from their vehicles to dry land with their fire truck and closed Ganges Trail and portions of Tiger Point Boulevard to traffic until the water receded about an hour later. Although flooding was on WEEKEND a much smaller scale, some res- Weather idents compared the situation to THURSDAY 9/21 the 100-year flood event during Partly Cloudy the spring of 2005 that dumped O more than 20 inches of rain in Karen Murphy/Gulf Breeze News high 84 the Gulf Breeze area in two O Midway Fire District rescue workers respond to emergency calls from Tiger Point residents Sept. 12. Overnight rainfall flood- low 70 weeks. Midway Fire Chief ed yards and left roadways impassable. Stephen Demeter said the water FRIDAY 9/22 level seemed higher than it did a that the standing water drained a torrent of pointed emails and residents. Ganges Trail resident Pete Isolated T-Storms year and a half ago, but added much faster than last year. The phone calls to county public “I have fought this situation Simmons, explaining his yard mid- morning disturbance led to works officials from concerned for years,” said long time See FLOODS , Page 2A6 high 85O low 74O GBHS grad assists ‘instant beauty pageant’ queen SATURDAY 9/23 on a new show from The Style the day. She audition having no idea what “Sorority Sisters.” STAFF REPORTS Isolated T-Storms Network called “Instant Beauty reluctantly they were getting themselves Knell still had no idea what Gulf Breeze News O high 84 [email protected] Pageant”. agreed, hav- into. The next day they got a the show was going to be like, Friedman, roommate and ing been callback and went to the final so she and Friedman headed to low 64O Layla Knell, a 2005 graduate sorority sister of Knell at the slightly insult- audition. Friedman and Knell, South Beach that Saturday at 7 University of Miami, was ed, but she along with five other twosomes, a.m. expecting a relaxed day of SUNDAY of Gulf Breeze High School and 9/24 current business student at the approached early one morning decided to go were selected from a diverse shopping on camera to help Scatt.T-Storms University of Miami, got a taste while walking to class. along with it group of one hundred people to Friedman get a makeover. They O of reality (television) when she Friedman was asked to audition and chose Knell be on the show. The finalists had no idea they were going to high 83 for a makeover-type show, Knell to audi- included teams such as moth- be part of an impromptu beauty low 62O and her roommate, Lisle Friedman, were selected to be where a fashionable friend of tion with her. er/daughter and friends. pageant. The hosts Debbie hers would help her throughout The girls attended their first Friedman and Knell’s pair was See QUEEN , Page 2A6 Midway Fire names new division chief WUWF TV INSIDE BY PAM BRANNON will do this till Fire District in Gulf Breeze. We are excited to be here.” may come to Classifieds 5 D Gulf Breeze News the day I die, I He started his job here the Manning said. [email protected] know I will.” day after Labor Day. Midway has never had a divi- Santa Rosa Community 4,5A And now “The idea of moving north sion chief, but the current chief, Crossword/Movies 6B Jeff Manning retired after 28 Manning has came when our daughter and her Stephen Demeter, has been han- County years from the firefighting busi- moved from husband and kids moved to dling an increasingly growing Editorial 6A ness in Broward County, Florida that fire dis- Foley, Alabama. We were think- workload, so the department BY FRANKLIN HAYES Entertainment 5,6 B about four years ago — and trict in ing it would be so nice to be decided to advertise for a divi- Gulf Breeze News [email protected] Island News 1,2B drove right down the highway Osceola to Manning closer to the grandkids . Then I sion chief to help with duties. to take a job at another fire sta- Northwest saw this job posting, and I “Right now this is really the School News 2 D tion. Florida, accepting the job as brought my resume in. They job of a deputy chief,” Manning Santa Rosa County govern- Sports 1-8 C “It’s in my blood,” he said. “I Division Chief for the Midway asked me ‘when can you start?’ See MIDWAY , Page 2A6 ment is considering a proposal from the University of West Talk of the Town 5A Florida (UWF) to change the TV Listings 3 B New shopping center nearing completion way residents receive informa- tion. County commissioners “Mailing Statement is BY BRADLEY “B.J.” DAVIS, JR. listened intently as officials on Editorial Page” Gulf Breeze News from UWF described a plan to [email protected] adapt WUWF programming to FOUR SECTIONS meet Santa Rosa County needs VOL. 5, NO. 35 The new Marketplace at and connect county govern- SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 Tiger Point is nearing comple- ment to a national fiber optic tion and area residents will network called LambdaRail. soon be able to shop at WUWF currently broad- Boaters World, Moe’s casts Escambia County gov- Southwest Grill and Shane’s ernmental meetings, emer- Rib Shack. gency information and approx- “The visibility from the imately 20 weekly hours local road is great. It’s a really nice interest programming on Cox looking building and it’s not Cable’s Channel 4. The chan- hard to get in and out of,” said nel began broadcasting in Charlie Sutherland, represen- 1990. tative of the complex leasing “Through the years, many company, The Shopping of your residents have request- Center Group. ed to see the programming on Sutherland said that the Channel 4,” said UWF one-and-a-half acre out parcel Associate Vice President Pat located directly on Hwy. 98 is Crawford. “That’s the main under contract. He would not Bradley ìB.J.î Davis, Jr./Gulf Breeze News reason we’re here.” reveal the name of the compa- The Marketplace at Tiger Point, just west of Wal-Mart, is scheduled to see customers at the UWF administrators are ny interested in the piece of end of the month with the opening of Boaters World, an 8,000-square-foot retail store along offering a blended program land but did confirm it is a with two new area restaurants, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Shane’s Rib Shack. stream to serve the interests of restaurant. The 8,000-square- residents in both counties. foot Boater’s World is sched- able are 1,550 square feet and some work, and they’re really pletion. “Now that the center University representatives also uled to open at the end of the larger. Sutherland says he is anxious to get going,” he said. is up, the calls are picking up. advised the commission to month, along with a bedding still unsure when Moe’s and Sutherland said companies are We have about six spaces left. consider including the pro- store and ice cream shop. The Shane’s will open. showing increased interest in We’re able to accommodate remaining retail spaces avail- “Shane’s has been doing the complex as it nears com- anyone,” he said. See STATION , Page 2A6 GULF BREEZE NEWS (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com Inside: Sudoku, 5B Section B GULF BREEZE NEWS September 21, 2006 Bubba heads west to become headliner in Vegas BY VICI PAPAJOHN Gulf Breeze News [email protected] T. Bubba Bechtol When Bubba Bechtol returned from The ‘Redneck Comedy Live’ Grand Ole Opry last weekend, his smile was a little brighter, and his step a little lighter. Sahara Casino His dreams had come true. Oct. 9 - Dec. 16 “All my life I had two very special dreams,” Bubba said, beaming. “My num- ber one dream was to somehow, some day make it to the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. plans,” Bechtol says. “I never though it’d Well, I’ve done that over 100 wonderful come true. The deal is inked and I’m on my times. Now, my number two biggest dream way to Vegas!” is also coming true. I will be performing on Bubba got his show biz break when he stage in Vegas for ten weeks!” was working for Opryland Productions at Bubba’s trek to the stage at the Opry also the Governor’s Palace Theater in Pigeon about his hometown and the friends he will opened the door to his second dream. Forge. miss for the time being. “I’d dreamed of being on stage just once, “Jerry Clower had died, and Minnie Pearl “I’m really hoping people will come on and now I’ve been a regular there for years.