Jay Area

by
Faye Hudson
Email: lilafaye@erec.net
2280 Harvest Rd.
Jay, FL 32565
(850) 675-6130

January

PRESS RELEASE//PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
January 23, 2004
JANUARY SANTA ROSA COUNTY NEWS UPDATE

Santa Rosa County Commissioners want you to mark your calendars in February. Several important meetings, public always invited, are going to be taking place. First up, Feb. 6th, 9 a.m., Board of County Commissioners Meeting Room, Santa Rosa Administrative Center, Milton. This meeting is called, “Revenue Modeling Workshop”, and economic experts from around the State of Florida will join the Commission in a corporate roundtable discussion on government revenue generation.

There are sixty-seven Counties in the State of Florida, and there are many different forms of revenue generation in use. Chairman Don Salter wants to hear all the information, and hopes that the workshop will produce an idea for the fairest form of taxation for residents of Santa Rosa County.

“I want to hear all the methods, see what is working elsewhere, and then, along with my fellow commissioners, go to the people at upcoming Town Hall Meetings and hear their feedback on what they think is the right way to proceed,” said Salter. The Board of County Commissioners held a very successful Town Hall Meeting in Navarre back in November, and the encouraging turnout for that meeting led Commissioners to schedule Town Hall Meetings with the other high-density areas of the county in February and March.

For residents living in the Town of Jay and the surrounding areas, look for the Board of County Commissioners to visit the Jay Community Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11th at 6:30 p.m. For Gulf Breeze area residents, Wednesday, March 3rd, 6:30 p.m., at Oriole Beach Elementary School in the cafeteria. Residents of Pace and Pea Ridge can speak with the Commissioners at their Town Hall Meeting on Monday, March 22nd, at 6:30 p.m., at Freedom Hall, Pace High School. The Commission will hold their last Town Hall Meeting for the City of Milton and surrounding areas on Tuesday, March 30th, 6:30 p.m., Board of County Commissioners Meeting Room, Santa Rosa Administrative Center.

The Board of County Commissioners discussed the need for completion of a long-range plan at the two meetings held in January, and utilizing the adopted Better Santa Rosa Plan, and the accepted South End Tomorrow Plan as guidelines, the Board will attempt to identify infrastructure needs and how to pay for those needs. Public input is important and encouraged by the Board at these meetings. Put them on your calendar.

TEAM Santa Rosa continues to attract new businesses to the area with more going into the Santa Rosa Industrial Park. Latest information from the Planning and Zoning Division indicates positive business growth all around the county. For a complete listing of approved site plans, what’s headed this way, please don’t forget to visit our Santa Rosa County website for all your information, www.co.santa-rosa.fl.us. TEAM Santa Rosa members, business leaders, and state and local government officials will visit the country of Panama next month with exciting trade and business development potential on the horizon. This delegation will be the guest of Panama and be the guests at a presidential dinner in their honor.

Marine Sanctuary progress for Navarre Beach State Park will be discussed at the February meeting of the Board, with Commissioner Gordon Goodin having met with state officials in Tallahassee on January 22nd. An agreement has been reached with the state regarding the sanctuary, and the Park is expected to be open to the public on March 6th of this year.

Commissioner Robert Hilliard asked the Board to consider renaming a portion of US 90 as Pace Parkway, and the Board agreed, providing the business community and the Pace Area Chamber participate in the process.

With Commissioner Bob Cole’s assistance, the Santa Rosa County Fair received the go-ahead to conduct their annual Santa Rosa County Fair at the East Milton Recreation Park, Sept. 21-26. Commissioner Buck Lee is pursuing a subject that has been discussed for years in Santa Rosa County, and that is county-wide toll-free calling. BellSouth charges a toll for a phone call from Gulf Breeze to Milton, the County-seat, and Lee doesn’t think that is fair to county residents in different parts of the county. “It just doesn’t make sense to me,” said Lee, “I will work with BellSouth to get this changed, it’s way overdue.”

If you are a new arrival, especially if you have moved into an unincorporated area of the County, you are encouraged to make our website a frequently visited place. You will find everything you need to know about how Santa Rosa County works, how meetings are held, links to all the constitutional offices, and best of all, phone numbers on how to reach all County departments and divisions.

If you still are having problems getting information, you can always call the Santa Rosa County Office of Public Information, 494-7458, or email me at: donc@co.santa-rosa.fl.us.

Don Chinery
Santa Rosa County
Public Information Officer

December

Christmas Parade Pictures

Happy Thanksgiving, it has been a fast year I am sure most of you have all your Christmas shopping finish if not get busy it will soon be here.The annual Jay Christmas Parade will be at 10am on Saturday December 6 line-up will be at 9am at Bray-Hendricks Park. After the parade there will be a shop around after the parade with lots of special gifts given away.The lighting of the Christmas Tree will be at dust dark. This is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit.

Sabrina Ownes the sponsorship chairperson for Relay for Life she has set a gold of 25 teams and $38,0000.The relay will be held on April 16 and 17, 2004 on the Jay High School Football field. Sabrina gives her all to this cause and dose a great job thanks for all your comunity works.

Fred Barrow will host another Rodeo at Ted Mays Barn in Jay on Hwy 4 it will be renamed Jay Professial Rodeo this will be the second annual rodeo to be held there.

Jackie Stewert Mayor of the Town of Jay completed a certification program for elected officials she was awarded a certificate of completion y the Town Council.

The Jay Historial Society will meet the third Thursday of each month at 6;30 pm at the Jay City Park Historial Building . Thanks to Earl Murphy for doing a great jobs working with the historial society.

Political opinon> What is this free nation and free elections coming to when those who have been elected by the people and for the people are being turn out of office by these who have been appointed to their jobs.I thought I would never live to see an appointed President to this country. It dosen't matter what your politicial convictions allways vote for the best man you belive will do the best job for our County and Country that is your right many have died for it.

Irish Blessing > May there always be work for your hands-May your purse always hold a coin or two-May the sun always shin on your windowpane-May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain-May the hand of a friend always be near you-May God fill your heart with gladnes to cheer you.