A W A R D ● W I N N I N G jmillers.com 934-6200 Gulf Breeze ● Pensacola ● Destin 50¢ YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER June 19, 2008 Questions 5 With Coaches Tiger Point Park gets appropriation ■ County approves advisory Tiger Point Park improvement plan rec- Breeze garnered plenty of attention committee request for $81,000 ommended by the recently formed from locals concerned about the condi- Advisory Committee at its June 10 tions of nearby parks, specifically Tiger BY SCOTT PAGE meeting. Point Park. Gulf Breeze News “The Tiger Point Sports Association Phase 1 will address the critical Second page [email protected] (TPSA) Board, via the TPSA Growth needs of Tiger Point Park that should be in a series and Planning Committee, drafted the made immediately. 1C1C The first fruit of the District 5 three-phase plan,” said Shane Player, “We’re calling this phase ‘Turf, Trash Recreation Advisory Committee’s labor President of TPSA. and Trailer,’ “ said Werner, a committee has been born to the tune of more than TPSA Growth and Planning mem- member representing Tiger Point Sports PAG E 1D $81,000. bers include Tom Dorsey, Mike Werner, Association. On Thursday, June 12, the Santa Donnie Wilson and Player. Specifically, Phase 1 entails re-grad- Scott Page/Gulf Breeze News Rosa County Commission appropriated The Recreation Advisory Committee ing, drainage improvements and Cracked sidewalks pose hazards to ■ Work of $81,426 for Phase 1 of a three-phase meeting at the Andrews Institute in Gulf See TIGER POINT, Page 2A6 visitors of deteriorating Tiger Point Park. stops on roadway ■ Bubba’s Beach Midway Fire nixes assessment WEEKEND Weather ballot proposal THURSDAY 6/19 ■ Commissioners cut administrative Isolated Storms staff position to save money high 90O BY JOE CULPEPPER low O 77 Gulf Breeze News [email protected] FRIDAY 6/20 The Midway Fire District Board of Isolated Storms Commissioners voted 3-2 on June 10 against high 90O putting a fire fee assessment on the Aug. 26 low 77O election ballot. Instead, the Commission voted unani- mously to lay off an administrator — Lt. SATURDAY 6/21 Clayton Miller — as it continued to Partly Cloudy grapple with a pending budget that O Beach stands to lose $430,000 in tax revenue high 89 O as a result of property tax reform low 77 Amendment 1. Two weeks ago, Midway Fire asked for the local SUNDAY access business community’s support of a proposed fee 6/22 The Santa Rosa assessment significantly lower than one condemned Cloudy by the Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce O Island Authority and high 88 Escambia County are studying prior to the Jan. 29 referendum. O low 76 could the possibility of raising the toll at A small percentage of Chamber members who Pensacola Beach to $2 a vehicle. responded to a recent e-mail survey indicated they would not support another fire-tax referendum, which would have been the second in seven months. the DeLuna Shopping Center and Cutting an administrative position brought the INSIDE double Quietwater Boardwalk. ON THE SPOT number of Midway Fire District personnel to 21, a Toll revenues are earmarked to 20-percent reduction from its level of 27 on Jan. 1. Classifieds 3D BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze residents pay for transportation improvements, and Lee said he believes that would The mood was somber as Miller, who attended Community 3-5A Gulf Breeze News sound off on how a the meeting, saw his job eliminated. [email protected] include adding a soundside prome- Crossword 3B $2 toll would affect their nade from Radical Rides to Paradise “We’re disappointed, absolutely,” Midway Fire Editorial 6A The cost of going to the beach visitation habits at Bar and Grill and walkovers to the Chief Steve Demeter said. “It definitely hurts. If the Entertainment 2B might double, if a proposal to Gulf side of the island. citizens want reduction, that’s the way it is. Pensacola Beach. “It’s not a dead issue to me. I’m going to keep push- Island News 1D increase the toll succeeds. — Page 6A The plan to increase tolls and pay Currently, the toll is $1 for all for a parking garage is specifically ing because, as I’ve said, the average citizen doesn’t Lifestyles 1B vehicles to cross the Bob Sikes designed to benefit local visitors, understand that you need the personnel to do the job Obituaries 7A bridge accessing Pensacola Beach. A The toll has been $1 since the Lee explained. correctly and safely. We were at 27 staff (in January). Santa Rosa County 4B new proposal would raise the toll to early 1990s, when it was increased “People staying here have a place Now we are down to 21. That is a big hit.” Schools 6-8C $2 per vehicle, though transponders from 35 cents. to park (at their hotels),” Lee said, Falling property values and an adjusted $50,000 Seniors 7A would remain at $50 per year. “That 65 cents paid for beach adding that people who live within a homestead exemption resulting from Amendment 1 30-mile radius need to park to go to put a serious dent in Midway Fire’s projected 2008- Sports 1-5C, 7C “If the toll was increased, it would renourishment,” Lee said. dinner or entertainment venues on 09 fiscal budget. Talk of the Town 5A generate $2.5 to $3 million in The increase was able to bond for income,” Santa Rosa Island Authority $10 million in beach renourishment the beach. It’s a dilemma similar to what many businesses and “Mailing Statement is Executive Director Buck Lee estimat- to match the state and $20 million in If the toll is raised to $2, transpon- citizens are facing in an era of skyrocketing fuel and on Editorial Page” ed for the board, which could fund a road improvement, underground util- der sales may increase, which would food costs, falling property values and tighter credit. parking garage on the island. ities and parking lot improvements at See TOLL, Page 3A6 See MIDWAY, Page 2A6 FOUR SECTIONS VOL. 7, NO. 25 JUNE 19, 2008 Feds still deciding School District Cancun’s next move tweaks start times ■ mid-July or later before the Property might ■ First- and second-tier schedules be auctioned online federal government mar- kets the property for sale. to begin slightly later at 7:30 & 8:25 a.m. or sold by Realtor “Obviously, there’s a lot of interest because there is BY PAM BRANNON Y OE ULPEPPER home! B J C not a lot of land left in Gulf Gulf Breeze News Gulf Breeze News Breeze Proper to be [email protected] [email protected] acquired,” a spokesperson Starting times for next school year were finalized your Interest is high in the for the U.S. Marshals by the Santa Rosa County School District but vacant Cancun’s Mexican Service in Pensacola said, changed slightly from the originally proposed times. Grill building and property requesting her name not be Schools still will operate on a three-tier system in Gulf Breeze that was published. next year, but the first-tier starting time will be 7:30 seized by federal authori- “I’m optimistically hop- a.m. (instead of 7:15). The second tier will begin at ties in December. ing mid-July that we’ll 8:25 (instead of 8:15), and the third tier involving The property’s former start the sales process on it. high schools still will begin at 9:15 a.m. Call 932-8986 today Call 932-8986 today owner, Rogelio Galvan- It either will be put up for “Personally, I would like to see the high Chavez, was sentenced to sale through a local Karen Murphy/Gulf Breeze News schools start earlier,” Superintendent John Rogers Signs on the windows of Cancun’s inform the public Enjoy your community paper community your Enjoy life in prison April 30 for Realtor, or we’ll list the mailed directly to mailed directly said. “But if we flipped the high schools into operating a major drug property on an online auc- how information can be obtained about its sale. another earlier starting time, it would cut our cost ring from the business and tion service.” savings in half.” violating immigration and The Cancun’s Mexican Gulf Breeze High School stunned when Galvan- Gulf Breeze parent Lee Farmer attended last firearms laws. Grill sits at 1385 Shoreline made it a popular dining Chavez and 25 employees Thursday’s School Board workshop and asked why The U.S. Marshals Drive. A monopoly on the location for adults, teens and associates were arrest- the high school and middle school starting times in Service seized the property local Mexican food retail and family alike. ed Dec. 3, 2007, and Gulf Breeze could not be flipped. May 2, and it might be scene and its proximity to The community was See CANCUN’S, Page 2A6 See TIMES, Page 3A6 GULF BREEZE NEWS (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com 2A June 19, 2008 GULF BREEZE NEWS MIDWAY: Chief says he’ll keep pushing for funding Continued from page 1A “Everything has to be super-transparent. he reflected on the Midway A majority of Americans agree Board’s decision last Tuesday. the country is in a recession. Everybody has to be involved, and everybody “Midway Fire is like a family, Thursday, June 19 Board 5 p.m., and we’ve cut one of our family. Commissioners Board “The economy is what it is has to have every opportunity for input for us to Santa Rosa County Room, 6495 Caroline right now,” Midway Fire regain any funding.” That’s what the people have told Commission Special Street, Milton Commission Chairman Jacque us we should do,” McPherson Rezoning 6 p.m.