Ribbon tree Murrell offers hope kids dig Pg. 10 gardening Rotary cares Pg. 10 Pg. 10 FACE MASKS $8 With pockets to insert filters Many in stock, call for special orders! 1141 Gulf Breeze Pkwy | Gulf Breeze (850) 316-6749 In the Live Oak Shopping Center behind XClean Cleaners April 30, 2020 YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER $1.00 Beaches to The heart will go on reopen with Adoption offers new hope for child and the limited hours family who cares for him BY PAM BRANNON BY GLENDA CAUDLE Gulf Breeze News © 2020 Gulf Breeze News© 2020 [email protected] [email protected] Navarre Beach will be open Some people believe in happen- from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. every stance, coincidence, luck. They’re even day beginning May 1 with no willing to make a bet on it. restrictions, except to follow Some people believe in … well, social distancing. Parking will you’ll see for yourself, but let’s call it a only allowed in the Marine “God thing.” And in this particular in- Science beach area and east of stance, in this particular family, they’re the bridge and the public/pier willing to take a chance on it. parking lots at the end of the Schebler Early 2018: It was a challenging year pier. Santa Rosa County Com- for the Rev. Shawn and Merrily York. missioners said at the end of the two weeks, they Believing that God’s plan for them will review and see if Phase One is working. If so, called for a commitment to put down they may then open for morning hours, also. The some roots in Gulf Breeze, the couple fishing pier will open May 1 with regular hours to purchased a home for themselves and annual pass holders, as well as to walkers with an- their children — Jackson, now 15; Ju- nual passes. lie, now 12; and Tyson, now 9. York Commissioners and residents debated for almost is community pastor at Gulf Breeze two hours opening the beach and fishing pier. All the United Methodist Church. Merrily is county commissioners except Sam Parker were in the church’s connections coordinator. See Beaches Page 4 » A former homebuilder, York took on a major renovation and expansion proj- See Prayers Page 8 » The Shawn York family (from left): Julie, Merrily, baby Chance, Shawn, Tyson and Jackson. SRSD students to graduate virtually Homeowner’s light ‘Real’ ceremony may be in July BY PAM BRANNON show honors 2020 grads Gulf Breeze News © 2020 [email protected] Rachel and Mike BY PAM BRANNON Santa Rosa County School Gulf Breeze News © 2020 Flowers of Gulf Breeze [email protected] decided that folks in Board decided last Thursday quarantine need some night, April 23, to pursue the fun and light in their lives idea of hiring a company to put — and that high school seniors should also be recognized in some together a “virtual graduation” special way this season. The Flowers already do special light DVD to give to students. shows with music at their home during Halloween and Christmas However, Superintendent each year. So why not pull out the decorations and add some fun Tim Wyrosdick insisted, “This lighting to the dark nights of COVID-19? would not replace the regular Wyrosdick “We have been doing the light shows as a hobby in Texas, since graduation gathering. I still before we moved here in 2018. We knew people having to stay want to plan to have those graduations sometime home except going for drives or going out for supplies might want this summer.” to see a light show now, during this quarantine time. So we de- Wyrosdick told the board several companies have cided to pull out the lights and put together a COVID-19 light contacted his office, offering to put together a vir- show. The we decided to add birthdays to the show with names of tual graduation DVD that could be a keepsake for people — especially kids — on their birthdays. And then we got seniors. Assistant Superintendent Bill Emerson said the idea of adding high school seniors’ names to the show Herff Jones is See 673 Page 3 » The light display is currently honoring over 600 graduating seniors. See Video Page 7 » Arrest Report . .3 THU 4/30 FRI 5/1 SAT 5/2 SUN 5/3 Mailing Statement Calendar ................3 PARTLY on Opinion Page Classifieds/Legals .........8 WEEKEND SUNNY SUNNY SUNNY CLOUDY ONE SECTION, Crossword Puzzle.........5 10 PAGES Weather-plus hi 78/lo 54 hi 79/lo 61 hi 83/lo 65 hi 84/lo 69 VOL. 20, NO. 18 rain: 1% rain: 0% rain: 2% rain: 5% Movies ..................9 APRIL 30, 2020 Opinion . .6 5215 SOUNDSIDE DR $1,299,000 | 4 bd 5 ba | 4,139 sqft MLS# 571016 2 April 30, 2020 GULF BREEZE NEWS gulfbreezenews.com GBHS Student Government encourages medical staff front line of helping others ev- BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News© 2020 ery day, but even more so dur- [email protected] ing this time of coronavirus. SGA sponsor Sarah Smith As cases of COVID-19 in- says the group is divided into creased, so did the stress on eight committees focusing on medical professionals and sup- different areas, including com- port staff members. munity service, faculty and staff To help them know how relations and environmental much they are appreciated, the concerns, to name a few. Student Government Associa- “I am always proud of these tion at Gulf Breeze High School kids,” Smith says. decided to create cards which Due to school being conduct- were then posted to a wall at the ed at a distance, the requirement hospital. for each committee to come up Freshman Grace Lloyd, with three projects per month whose father is cardiologist Dr. was reduced to one. Ben Lloyd, told Gulf Breeze “Grace came up with the idea Cards and tributes are posted in the hallway at Gulf Breeze Hospital, thanks to the efforts of Gulf Breeze High School’s Student News that SGA tries to do real- because her father is a cardiolo- Government Association students. ly good things around this com- gist at the hospital,” Smith says. munity and that more than half Grace is on the community ser- happy that (the display) was locally as in large cities, “there are taking virtual classes since get overwhelmed. of the members volunteered vice committee. there,” Grace says, adding that is a lot more stress than there schools were closed. Teachers “I definitely miss seeing all to make a card to honor those “My dad said a lot of the doc- although there are not the huge normally would be.” were doing a good job spacing my friends, but I know I’ll be medical workers who are on the tors and staff felt honored and numbers of COVID-19 cases Grace and her classmates out the work so students don’t back next year,” Grace said. School administrators get raises Teen wellness ‘town hall’ The school district administrators will re- BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News © 2020 ceive a 3.5 percent raise. Superintendent Tim [email protected] Wyrosdick went over the documents referenc- scheduled for May 1 ing portions of the recently negotiated con- The administrators in the Santa Rosa tracts, saying, “The average instructional sal- County School District will be receiving a pay ary raise was 3.5 percent. The average raise, Parents, guardians may attend virtually raise retroactive to July 1, 2019, soon. School also, for the educational support personnel and to ask questions or share because people assume they are board members voted unanimously Thursday, was 3.5 percent. We raise our administrators BY LISA NEWELL April 23, to approve the raises, which line up Gulf Breeze News© 2020 techniques that are helping still connected to their friends the same rate as what is negotiated in those [email protected] their teens cope while schools through their social media. But with the contract raises given to teachers and contracts.” are shuttered. there are questions parents may educational support personnel in the latest The school board approved the raises. The good news: school is “It’s like a radio call in have, such as, “Should I let my contract negotiations. out. where parents can chat their teen stay up all night and sleep The bad news: school is out. questions and professionals late in the morning?” Smith Being a teenager is tough from the Community Drug and says. right now because of the un- Alcohol Commission, military During this time when par- certainty caused by the global counselors as well as school ents may be experiencing de- Essential business guide is online coronavirus pandemic. Parent- counselors, can hear concerns pression or anxiety, teens may ing teens is also tough, because and offer coping skills,” says also pick up those feelings and Santa Rosa County launched search by location and busi- are encouraged to check their there are no easy answers to the Sarah Smith, Student Govern- multiply them, because they a searchable online map of res- ness type to find restaurants listing for updated information problems the world is facing. ment Association sponsor. don’t have the life experiences taurants and other essential and other open businesses and to register their business, if The Student Government These professionals can an- to know that sometimes things businesses that are open and nearby. it is not included. Association at Gulf Breeze swer questions about resources look bleak one day and sunny serving the public. Restaurant Many local businesses have Send any updated infor- High School is hosting a virtual available in the community in the next.