A W Summer Soaring... A R Next PELICANS homestand D ● Memorial Day weekend. See ad W on page I N N I 3C N G 50¢ YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER May 17, 2007 Turning HOPE into CURE ... GB, Midway FD burying This TUESDAY! the hatchet MAY 22 Though tempers flared between Midway Gulfside Pavillion Fire District representatives (MFD) and city Arrive early for a special page staff members at a Gulf Breeze City Council US Marine Corps meeting May 7, both sides have decided to Tribute. 3B bury the hatchet in the interest of public safety. Despite the passage of a resolution related PAGE to MFD's county-wide ambulance service bid 1B and a weeks-long standoff between the two groups, MFD and Gulf Breeze Fire and Rescue officials have agreed to work through the issues between them. ■ SRIA close to "We don't want to get in a rock-throwing deciding hotel contest with Gulf Breeze," MFD Fire Chief Stephen Demeter said in a later interview. definition The core of the conflict has been Midway's ■ efforts to begin ambulance service. MFD PBES thrives officials submitted their own bid to the coun- ■ ty for county-wide ambulance service and Bubba’s offered to cover their own area in a joint bid Beach with American Medical Response (AMR). City and MFD officials have disagreed in the past over the qualifications and abilities of the two departments, and the city's decision to not support the MFD ambulance bids. "There are things we don't agree upon but WEEKEND we're working through it. We're trying to get Weather them resolved," Carmichael said. The night of THURSDAY 5/17 the City Council meeting, both agencies responded to a structure fire in the Tiger Point Iso. T-Storms area and worked together without incident, high 83O Vici Papajohn/Gulf Breeze News fire officials said. O In purple shirts, cancer survivors gather to take the “Survivor’s Walk” signifying their continuing battle against can- low 62 cer. The fourth annual Relay for Life was held Friday night at Gulf Breeze High School’s Dolphin Stadium. FRIDAY 5/18 Man dies as Mostly Sunny high 85O Lifeguard wins ambulance bid result of April O low 63 BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News countywide ambulance contract to the their contract. Each answered that they 20 traffic crash [email protected] Santa Rosa County Commissioners last expect to collect in the neighborhood SATURDAY 5/19 week. Each bidder on the five-year of $4-million the first year, with that A car wreck at the intersection of Highway Lifeguard Transportation Services, contract was given an hour for their being only about 50 percent of what 98 and Tiger Point Boulevard claimed the life Iso. T-Storms of one of the drivers. O Inc. was chosen last week as the new presentation, then another 30 minutes they will bill since much is never col- high 83 to answer questions from commission- lected in that business. John T. Mullikin, 69 of Gulf Breeze, died O ambulance provider for the next five low 64 years for Santa Rosa County. The ers. May 5 as a result of the traffic crash at 6:55 ambulance company serves six states, Some of the elements of the four Lifeguard a.m. April 20. SUNDAY is owned by a Gulf Breeze couple, and bidders’ proposals were the same, such Lifeguard Transportation Services, He was driving a 2001 Chevy Van east- 5/20 bound on Hwy. 98 in the outside lane when he Scat.T-Storms has its air and ground operations head- as each of the four would have ambu- Inc. owners John and Debra Roche of lances with Automatic Vehicle Gulf Breeze brought several staff to failed to stop for the red traffic signal, striking O quarters in Pensacola. It did promise, high 84 however, to move its ground ambu- Location devices that can tell the home answer questions. Lifeguard was a 2003 Isuzu SUV driven by Ozella Andrews, O low 66 lance headquarters to Santa Rosa base exactly where any ambulance is at founded in 1982 in Florida, now serves 41 of Gulf Breeze.The impact of the crash County. any time six states. They operate both ground forced both vehicles into a counter-clockwise Three private ambulance companies Some questions were the same for and air fixed wing ambulance services. spin into the westbound lanes, and the Isuzu and a fire department presented their each of the four bidders, such as how Their General Manager Chris Rucker struck a third vehicle, a 1993 Nissan driven by proposals on how they would handle a much they had projected to collect gave the presentation, and he knows Kristie Mitchell, 49 of Gulf Breeze. INSIDE Andrews, Mitchell and a passenger in from ambulance calls the first year of See COUNTY, Page 2A6 Mullikin’s car, Billie Mullikin, 64, were treat- Classifieds 2-3D ed for minor injuries at local hospitals. Community 3-5A Fruitticher remembered Crossword 3B Editorial 6A with artificial reef Principal leaving Faith 7A BY FRANKLIN HAYES idea, and the Susan K. Fun & Games 3B Fruitticher Memorial Reef Oriole Beach for Health 4B Gulf Breeze News [email protected] was deployed last week Island News 1B and is now open to the district job Military Appreciation 4A public. Sometimes the unseen reminders Sherry Movies 3B “It made her happy to BY PAM BRANNON can leave the greatest impact. A local Diamond School News 6-8C know that there would be Gulf Breeze News marine enthusiast will be remembered knows how a spot underwater named [email protected] Sports 1-5C with an artificial reef in the Gulf of busy you can after her,” said Julie Talk of the Town 5A Mexico. Deep below the gulf waters so get when Schroeder, Fruitticher's TV Listings 2B loved by a Susan Fruitticher, a quite you are trying to end one job while beginning sister. Schroeder added memorial reef will stand forever in her Submitted photo another. that her sister was always “Mailing Statement is memory, creating life where only sand A boat unloads an artificial, memorial reef for Diamond is Oriole Beach very fond of the area's on Editorial Page” stood. Susan Fruitticher. Elementary School's princi- aquatic resources and OUR ECTIONS Fruitticher, 42, passed away in 2005 pal. She has been for the last F S even earned a bachelor’s from ovarian cancer. Fruitticher had The $8,000 reef, paid for by dona- nine years, but this is her VOL. 6, NO. 20 in water resource management. been lifelong friends with Robert tions from family and friends, was last couple weeks in that MAY 17, 2007 “She loved native plants,” Schroeder Turpin, who serves as Escambia placed in the Large Area Artificial Reef job. She is moving up – to explained. “She was big into the envi- County's Chief of Marine resources. Site (LAARS) located in the Gulf of work as Director of ronment and doing things naturally. Shortly before her passing, Turpin pre- Mexico. LAARS is roughly 16 miles Elementary School Edu- She loved the water, maps and Diamond sented Fruitticher with the idea of a southeast of Pensacola Pass. cation for the entire county. Pensacola Beach.” memorial reef. Fruitticher liked the “I am excited about the process of the new opportunity, but also have a heavy heart leav- home! ing someplace where I have been so very County OKs additional tax break for seniors happy,” Diamond said. BY FRANKLIN HAYES Walker. “This meeting being the first “They have to meet certain require- Diamond started at Oriole Beach Gulf Breeze News meeting after that. The property tax ments,” Brown said. “They have to be Elementary 12 years ago, but the first three your [email protected] issue has not been resolved but this is 65 and meet these income require- years served as assistant principal. “I've loved the time that [the board] appointed it ments.” every minute here at Oriole Beach. But I Santa Rosa County Commissioners come back.” Low-income seniors in Santa Rosa know I am going to love working to keep recently voted to give low-income The $25,000 tax credit is for seniors County currently receive a $50,000 improving the entire elementary program for seniors a break on their property taxes. over the age of 65, who are homestead- exemption. The new exemption passed the 17 elementary schools in Santa Rosa On April 10 Property Appraiser Greg ed, have a total household income of by the board would take the total County.” Brown appeared before the commis- less than $22,214 per year and whose exemption to $75,000 off their yearly She said no one has been chosen yet to fill sioners to request an extra tax break for home is appraised at more than property taxes. the principal’s position at Oriole Beach, but county residents. The board passed the $75,000. Commissioner W.D. ‘Don’ Salter that is to be done at the May 21 school board Call 932-8986 today Call 932-8986 today exemption a month later on May 10. Brown said he believes the financial wanted eligible residents to know that meeting. “There are a lot of good candidates. “The board had deferred it to the impact for the county would be mini- the exemptions only apply to the coun- I know the next person filling this office will conclusion of the legislative session,” mal based on the number of eligible res- ty’s share of property tax and not the enjoy it as much as I have – they have great Enjoy your community paper community your Enjoy mailed directly to mailed directly said County Administrator Hunter idents.