A W A R D ● W I N BIGBIG N I N SALESALE G jmillers.com See details 934-6200 on pg. 4C Gulf Breeze ● Pensacola ● Destin 50¢ YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER June 12, 2008 Questions 5 With Coaches High-profile incumbents face challengers ■ Hall, Broxson among Court, Property Appraiser and Gulf Breeze. Williams Cutts of Milton those gearing up Supervisor of Elections have Broxson previously served as (Sheriff) pre-filed but had not incumbents facing challenges. Sheriff of Santa Rosa County officially qualified as of June 9. for hot election season Jeffery Van Camp of Gulf (1959-1961) and was a state Unless Democratic candi- BY JOE CULPEPPER Breeze, Gulf Breeze Assistant representitive (1962-64) and dates qualify before noon next Gulf Breeze News Police Chief Robert Randle of state senator (1966-72). Friday, County Commission page [email protected] Milton, Paul Johnson of Milton “Qualifying by petition has races will be decided Aug. 26. First in a series and Chris Roper of Jay are chal- already been completed,” said Races for Sheriff and Tax 1C1C With just over a week lenging Sheriff Wendell Hall of ■ INSIDE: Candidates Ann Bodenstein, Santa Rosa Collector will not be decided remaining before the noon, Pace. Hall, first elected Sheriff of already qualified, page 4B County’s Supervisor of until the Nov. 4 general election. June 20 qualifying deadline for Santa Rosa County in 2000, is Elections. “Other potential can- The School Board race in PAG E 1D the Aug. 26 voting primary, the seeking his third term. of Gulf Breeze in District 5. didates can qualify between District 2 will go to a November 2008 county elections are shap- County Commissioners seek- Opposing Broxson, who was noon June 16 and noon June 20 runoff if one of three candidates ing up to be quite intriguing. ing reelection include Tom elected to the Commission in by paying their fees.” doesn’t earn 50 percent of the ■ Optimists All county races with the Stewart in District 1, Don Salter 2004, are Lauretta Aiken of Stacia LaDue of Milton vote plus one. honor PBES exception of the Clerk of the in District 3, and John Broxson Navarre and Lane Lynchard of (Commission District 1) and faculty ■ Bubba’s Beach GB Chamber Castles defers on WWeatherEEKEND THURSDAY 6/12 Midway Fire Scattered Storms O in the high 90 low 76O fee support FRIDAY 6/13 BY JOE CULPEPPER Scattered Storms Gulf Breeze News Sand [email protected] O high 96 Faced with a projected budget shortfall of O low 76 $430,000 for fiscal year 2008-09, Midway Fire District was poised earlier this week to SATURDAY bring a second fire assessment fee proposal in 6/14 seven months before voters in the Aug. 26 Scattered Storms primary. high 89O Midway Fire sought the Gulf Breeze Area low 77O Chamber of Commerce’s formal blessing last week, saying it would be “folly” to move for- ward with another referendum without the SUNDAY 6/15 business community’s support. Scattered Storms Monday, the Chamber informed Midway O Fire it would not officially consider an high 90 endorsement until after the issue reaches the O low 77 August ballot. Midway Fire hoped to receive Chamber sup- port prior to Tuesday night, when Commissioners were scheduled to meet and INSIDE likely decide whether to approve the referendum. “The Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee and the Board felt like we needed Classifieds 3D more information before we could make a Community 3-5A decision in either direction,” said Meg Peltier, Crossword 3B See FIRE, Page 2A6 Editorial 6A Castle photo by David Standridge; graphic illustration by Jessica Bowie Entertainment 2B Team Fox, also known on the beach as Team Nearly-Wed, wowed crowds at Saturday’s Sand Island News 1D Sculpture competition on Pensacola Beach with this creation, ‘Honeymoon Suite.’ The castle was Crunching numbers crafted by Nicole Spiker Fox and James Fox. The event lured hundreds to Santa Rosa Island. Lifestyles 1B Obituaries 7A reveals fee impact Santa Rosa County 4B Schools 6-8C Nelson gets behind BY LISA NEWELL Seniors 7A Gulf Breeze News Sports 1-6C [email protected] Talk of the Town 5A Navarre Pier project Midway Fire District’s new proposal “Mailing Statement is comes less than five months after voters on Editorial Page” permits will be in the hand of rejected, by 81 percent, its Jan. 29 referen- BY PAM BRANNON the Fish and Wildlife depart- dum. FOUR SECTIONS Gulf Breeze News The difference [email protected] ment within the next couple INSIDE VOL. 7, NO. 24 days,” Nelson said. between the Jan. 29 ■ Chart shows JUNE 12, 2008 U. S. Senator Bill Nelson (D- “And instead of having the proposal and the cur- Fla.) is pushing to get permits usual lengthy process of rent proposal is the potential costs for the Navarre Beach Fishing approval, I have been pushing amount of money to businesses, Pier approved on the fast track. this paperwork along. It looks asked of residences page 2A He told a group of just over like they are assuring me we will and businesses. 100 Monday at a Town Hall have the final signatures and the “Basically, and here’s the important thing, meting in Milton that it looks green light within the next 30 is the commission has not made any decision like he might have all the per- days. I will stay right on this.” at this point about whether to put this before mits pushed through for the pier Nelson held an informal, the voters. All this (new proposal) does is within 30 days. hour-long question-and-answer replace funding we lost from Amendment 1. home! “I talked with the Army Town Hall meeting in the cham- Pam Brannon/Gulf Breeze News That translates to a $430,000 loss to the dis- Corps of Engineers office just bers of the Santa Rosa County U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida greets trict and the prior homestead exemption that before coming into this meet- Commissioners. Questions a constituent during Monday’s Santa See COST, Page 2A6 your ing, and it looks like the final See NELSON, Page 2A6 Rosa Town Hall Meeting in Milton. Residents shape city’s Visioning Meeting future,” explained Gulf Breeze into a Visioning Element to be modal transportation system; BY VICI PAPAJOHN City Manager Edwin “Buz” adopted into its Comprehensive future growth using population Call 932-8986 today Call 932-8986 today Gulf Breeze News [email protected] Eddy. Plan: priorities for economic forecasts and land-use patterns “First, we have to look back at development, preservation of that accommodate all of the pre- Enjoy your community paper community your Enjoy mailed directly to mailed directly The city of Gulf Breeze held what we have accomplished or open space, environmentally vious listed components. the first of three Visioning what is left to be done, and then sensitive land; mixed-use devel- Stephania Wilson, Indever Meetings on June 4 to realign its we have to look to our future. The opments; high-density commer- LLC President, conducted the master plan for the future. new vision will afford a vision cial and residential develop- workshop. Vici Papajohn/Gulf Breeze News “It’s time to examine our for the next 10 years.” ment; economic development “In an evaluation and Hospital administrator Dr. Bob Harriman (left) and Councilman 1998 Mission Statement and Florida statutes require that opportunities and employment appraisal report, we look at the Dick Fulford listen in as ideas Vision Statement and see if we every municipality include five centers; provisions for adequate population of the city and what are shared. need to tweak them for the of the following components work-force housing; multi- See VISIONING Page 2A6 GULF BREEZE NEWS (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com 2A June 12, 2008 GULF BREEZE NEWS FIRE: Appeals process would be available this time Continued from page 1A 21 personnel. It recently COMPARING JANUARY TO AUGUST attained a county-best ISO rat- Executive Director of the Gulf ing of 3 in a system established Thursday, June 12 City of Gulf Breeze Breeze Area Chamber of Jan. 29 referendum Proposed Aug. 26 referendum by the Insurance Services Office Public Hearing Blackwater Soil and Water Commerce. “We need to know Sought to fund fire Would seek to fund fire that rates fire protection on a (Rezoning request of protection services and protection services and Conservation District 409 Gulf Breeze more of the numbers and how facilities with non-ad valorem facilities with non-ad valorem scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Supervisors 7 a.m. 6285 the worst. Parkway from P to the assessment would affect assessments of $224 per assessments of $42 per Dogwood Drive, Milton C2), 6:30 p.m., businesses.” dwelling unit for residential dwelling unit for residential Should staffing fall below 18, Santa Rosa County Council Chambers, Shortly before the January property, 38 cents per square property, 7 cents per square the District fears its ISO rating Commission Regular 1070 Shoreline Drive, foot for commercial property, foot for commercial property, would be revised upward. Better Meeting 9 a.m., County Gulf Breeze referendum, the Chamber came 7 cents per square foot for 2 cents per square foot for Administrative Center, 6495 ratings often translate into savings Gulf Breeze out against Midway Fire’s pro- industrial/warehouse proper- industrial/warehouse Caroline Street, Milton Hospital Auxiliary posed fire assessment fee that ty, and 42 cents per square property, and 8 cents per on consumer insurance rates. Santa Rosa County Fire Fashion Jewelry & would have added to its coffers foot for institutional property.