Overall, reports from major exhibitors indicated sales would significantly exceed last year’s levels.
Palm Beach County Passes Referendum to Purchase Water Access Property From the Boating Industry E-News Daily In the November election, Palm Beach County voters approved a referendum question that allows the government to borrow $50-million to buy development rights to privately-owned marinas, build new boat ramps and create more public parking, according to several newspaper reports. The intention of the proposal is to preserve and grow public access to the waterfront by preventing real estate developers from buying up marinas and replacing them with condos, reported the Palm Beach Post. Currently, while there are 40,000 registered boats in the county, 26,500 of which are on trailers, there are only nine public marinas and 550 parking spaces at public launches, according to the Sun-Sentinel. If the County Commission gives it final approval, the $50-million bond will be paid for through property tax increases. However, estimates suggest that the owner of a $200,000 property with the homestead exemption would pay less than $6 more per year.
Local News For Southern Sailors
Before soliciting this final approval, administrators will have to create a more concrete plan for using the money. Initial speculation is that, in addition to purchasing private marinas’ development rights, building boat ramps and creating parking, the money might be used to buy waterfront land or to buy development rights from condo developers, helping to reduce the size of their projects and thus preserve current marinas, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Don’t Teach Your Trash to Swim Mini-Posters Now Available Reef Relief announces the release of a new educational miniposter that shows why you shouldn’t “Teach Your Trash To Swim.” The recently published poster features a beautiful, full-color photograph of a coral reef. Falling on the reef are all too familiar items that end up on coral reefs; cigarette butts, plastic jugs, and Styrofoam. Under each item is information on how long it takes it to biodegrade. “The information is eye-opening,” says Joel Biddle, Reef Relief’s educational director. “For instance, did you know a latex balloon takes 6 months to biodegrade and that balloons and candy bar wrappers made from Mylar never biodegrade? An aluminum can takes 400 to 500 years to be
SOUTHWINDS
December 2004
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