Panama City Living

FREEDOM Bay County’s Most Beautiful Beaches The Zen of Beachcombing Food for Heart and Soul www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

$4.95

Repairing the Red, White and Blue

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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ON THE COVER July - August 2013 Volume 8 - Issue 4 Publisher

Ashley M. Wright

Panama City Living Media, LLC

Sales and Marketing Panama City Living Media, LLC (850) 325-0050

Sandra Day sandralday@comcast. net (850) 832-2644

Writers

Steve Bornhoft Walter Burns Robert Dokken Alex Echols Peggy Guice Jerrilynn Hadley, Esq. Steve Jackson Kat Kan Stan Kirkland Jayson Kretzer Carole Lapensohn Belinda Legg Chan Lipscomb Bettina Mead Diane Mercado Linda Mix Robert Register Patti Smith Rob Woodrum

Photographers Tim Allen Sean Dooley Gilmore Pictures Beck Graben Peggy Guice Jerrilynn Hadley Lorri Ann Long Diane Mercado Linda Mix Jennifer Reale John Russo Patti Smith

Design and Layout Sean Dooley

Account Executives Sandra Day

Proof Reader Peggy Guice

Members of the

Photo: Beck Graben Model: Brittany Williams Boat and Captain: Rob Carroll, owner of Freedom Boat Club

Panama City Living Magazine Post Office Box 1909 • Lynn Haven, FL 32444

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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Table of Contents Panama City Baseball Players ................................. 6 Thank a Veteran ........................................................8 Freedom Boat Club Weighs Anchor........................ 10 Retooled Captain Launches Business...................... 14 Creative Con............................................................. 16 Daisies for Lunch..................................................... 18 ”You May Call Me Captain”.....................................20 Letter from a Subscriber.......................................... 23 Soul Surfing..............................................................24 Bay County’s Top 11 Beaches .................................. 27 Lori Ann Long, Humanitarian................................28 New to Panama City................................................ 31 Craig Conner, Pastor of the House of Hope............ 32 Bay County Real Estate...........................................36 The Zen of Beachcombing........................................40 Black Bears are Closer than You Think..................44 A Taxing Situation...................................................46 Repairing the Flag...................................................48 Just My Opinion.......................................................50 Calendar of Events................................................... 52 10 Minutes with Mayor Greg Brudnicki................. 56 Chez Amavida...........................................................58 Tyndall turns 71.......................................................62

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Five PC Players Join Together On Diamond At College Ranks B

ay County is a hotbed of high school baseball. Taking advantage of that talent in spades is Marion Military Institute, a two-year college in a rural Alabama area west of Montgomery about a four hour drive north of Panama City. Five players--former high school teammates or rivals on the diamond here---are now joined together on the Marion Institute baseball team.

ship Education Program with an athletic scholarship in August 2012.

Even though his freshman season was cut short due to shoulder surgery he competed this Spring as a hitter.

Marion Head Coach Jake Rowell stated, “We expect big things from Brady coming back from his shoulder surgery. He was a premier prospect (Pre-Season All-American & Panhandle All-Star) in high school, and after his summer program we expect him to compete for a rotation spot.” Adding to the excitement for Colburn’s sophomore season is the fact that three of his Rutherford Rams teammates, Zach Davis, Andrew Mask, Cody Roby, and another Florida Panhandle player, GregoryGladden, catcher for the Mosely Dolphins, will also be playing baseball for the MMI Tigers.

Brady Colburn’s grandfather, John Colburn, lives in the small town of Marion near Selma where he also attended Marion Military Institute---the nation’s oldest military junior college. When Brady, a former Rutherford High School baseball player, was considering competing at the collegiate level, he returned to his family roots in Marion to continue his athletic career, choosing Marion Military Institute as his place for further education.

Recruited as a pitcher, Colburn enrolled in the junior college’s civilian Leader-

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

The Florida Panhandle has proven to be a great recruiting ground for MMI.

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According to Coach Rowell each athlete will bring a different dimension to the table for the MMI baseball program.

Davis is a strong hitter who could see time in the middle of the lineup for the Tigers. Mask and Roby each bring a unique repertoire to the mound for the Tigers and both will see substantial time either in the rotation or in the bullpen.

Gladden is a three-year letterman, having won the Hitter’s Award, Defensive Award, and Coaches Award while playing for Mosley. He caught every game of the

brothers, but glad that I will go off to Marion with local friends,” says Gladden.

season this year, including Mosley’s battle for the State finals where they took 2nd in the 6A division. Don’t let his size fool you, he is as tough as they come behind the plate, and played his entire senior year allowing only on one passed ball.

This young man will add strength to the mix behind the plate for Marion.

“I am looking forward to attending Marion Military Institute with two of my teammates,” says Roby, who pitched for the Rams for four years.

“I think that it is pretty incredible that I get to go to college and continue playing baseball with them.” All three of the Rutherford teammates contacted Colburn to inquire about attending school in Marion, and he assured them that they would like it and do well.

Reflecting on his own

The camaraderie between these young players, all of them longtime friends, teammates and opponents, should translate well on the field as they begin their junior college careers. “I am going to miss my Mosley

From Left to Right: Zach Davis, Cody Roby, Brady Colburn, Andrew Mask, and Gregory Gladden

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freshman year, Colburn notes that playing in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I has exposed him to a faster game and competing against elite athletes.

Regarding the transition to cadet life itself, Colburn adds: “MMI has matured me and made me do a lot of things on my own. It has also laid the foundation for success for me both on the field and in the classroom.”

Keep an eye on this group from PC as they continue their baseball careers at Marion.

Photo by Jennifer Reale

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Thank a Veteran

By Patti Smith

I

was standing in line with my daughter at the store while she paid for her purchases: A pint of ice cream, a couple of candy bars, and a can of bean and bacon soup— her favorite.

An elderly gentleman wearing a WWII veteran’s cap stood behind us in line. I would not have noticed him at all if the man standing in line behind him hadn’t spoken.

“WWII?” he asked.

“Yup,” the elderly gentleman said with a smile.

“Well, God bless you.

There aren’t many of you left,” the man said as he reached for the older man’s hand. “Thank you for your service. It kept us free.”

Suddenly I was swallowing hard, trying not to get emotional. I didn’t want to embarrass my 15-year-old daughter, or that sweet old man. I could tell it meant a lot to him to hear that the sacrifices he made more than 70 years ago still are appreciated. The man beside him went on to say that his own grandpa served in the Army in WWII. “Yup, I served in the Infantry, just behind the Third. I was in Italy, France and Germany,” the

veteran told his admirer.

I turned to see his bluegray eyes sparkle below his bushy salt and pepper eyebrows. Overgrown white hair and sideburns stuck out from under his black cap that was adorned with bright yellow stitching, declaring his WWII veteran status.

and I stepped off the train just two years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we weren’t greeted by the normal sight of homeless people seeking shelter in the station, hoping for some coins from passersby. Instead, Grand Central Station was speckled with soldiers, armed with semi-automatic weapons.

More soldiers were highly visible as we walked the streets of the city. And as we rode the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and back to Battery Park, the U.S. Coast Guard motored alongside our crowded vessel.

According to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the Great War more than 50 million soldiers lost their lives.

About 16 million U.S. soldiers came home. In the United States today, only about one million WWII veterans (now in their 80’s and 90’s) are still alive.

Living in Panama City where both Air Force and Navy veterans are present, it is almost impossible to go anywhere without seeing folks in camouflage. Except for me and my husband, everyone in our church small group is connected with the military. We are surrounded by service men and women.

Occasionally I can thank a veteran for his or her service without getting emotional, but most of the time I feel the tears stinging my eyes as I get closer to the person. I end up passing by with a simple wave or nod of my head instead.

I never will forget traveling to New York City by train in 2003, with my husband and daughters.

As a teenager, I’d ride the train with my sisters from our hometown in Connecticut to Grand Central Station in NYC. The most dangerous things we encountered were the cab drivers. When my family

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

My oldest daughter has friends from high school who are in basic training for the U.S. Marine Corps.

These are boys I have known since they were in elementary and middle school. Seeing them make the biggest decision of their lives makes me proud and at the same

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time somewhat afraid for their futures and the dangers they may face.

I want all veterans in our community to know that I appreciate their service to our country and to the American people more than I ever will be able to speak. Should I meet you in person, if I pass by with a nod of my head or a simple wave, it is only because I don’t want to embarrass you with my blubbering.

Because of you, as a substitute teacher I can stand with students in classrooms throughout Bay District schools and recite with them the Pledge of Allegiance. I could make a move from Indiana to Florida without having to gain permission from the government. Perhaps most importantly, I can believe in and worship God, and talk about what He has done in my life, without fear of persecution, imprisonment or execution.

And I can stand in line at the store while my daughter uses her babysitting money to buy ice cream, a couple of candy bars, and a can of bean and bacon soup—her favorite.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Freedom Boat Club

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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Weighs Anchor

By Steve Bornhoft

T

he Freedom Boat Club is committed to providing a hasslefree, highly affordable alternative to boat ownership for people who love to spend time on the water.

Club locations range from Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota to Miami and now include Panama City. Ron Carroll of Tallahassee owns the Freedom Boat Club franchises that operate from the City Marina, and The Moorings in Carrabelle.

Capt. Carroll speaks from experience when he says, “If you own your own boat, you take the family out, everybody has a good time, then everybody splits and leaves you to clean it up. We take all that away. And we get you on the water more often more quickly. It is hassle-free boating.”

The Freedom Boat Club em-

ploys a membership model a lot like that of a country club. Members pay an initiation fee and then pay low monthly dues. A Panama City membership entitles people to unlimited use of deck boats, pontoon boats and fishing boats and up to four times a year the use of boats at 65-plus clubs around the country.

There is a real sense, then, in which Freedom Boat Club members, versus owning just one boat and paying all of the expenses associated with it, instead have access to a nationwide fleet of boats. All of that for a monthly fee that equates to the cost of dinner for four.

People need not be experienced boaters to join the club. Carroll’s staff includes captains who will afford beginners as much training as they need to get comfort-

Ron Carroll waving at his family as he is taking his niece Brittany Williams out for a spin in one of the FREEDOM BOAT CLUB boats.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

able at the helm. He adds that the Panama City club will also be offering guided adventures including fishing trips, picnics on Shell Island, dinner cruises and other activities.

“Part of what we’re selling,” Carroll says, “is the opportunity to learn boating.”

Carroll’s operation is a family affair. His son, Josh, serves as dockmaster and his wife, Melinda, may be the club’s chief promoter along with marketing/ sales director Kevin Eichhorn.

“Our family has always enjoyed boating and we were in the process of buying a boat when my husband

found out about the Freedom Boat Clubs,” Melinda recounts.

“We immediately saw the advantages of not having to deal with time-consuming and expensive maintenance and all the other costs involved with boats: insurance, storage, slip rental, trailering, loan payments, registration.

The lists goes on and on.”

“Ron is a visionary,” his wife says. “He knows that convenience combined with good customer service will be a winning formula. The club is open 360 days a year and we will do all we can to accommodate special requests. If a member wants to take a boat out

at night for a romantic evening, we’ll make that happen.”

In approaching boating, men and women tend to have different interests.

Women are often looking for ways to entertain the entire family.

Men are likely to focus on engine size and other specifications and frequently have questions about onboard electronics or fishing reports.

All may be concerned about whether the club can deliver a particular type of boat on a given day.

Melinda readily answers that concern.

“We have a very effective, state-of-the-

art online reservation system and we will be adding boats as we add more members,” she points out. “If a number of members agree on a particular type of boat they may want, even a sailboat, we will add it to the fleet.”

Year-round and seasonal memberships are available. All insurance costs are included in the membership fee, including liability, hull/ machinery and towing coverage. Plus, Freedom Boat Club members may attend a variety of club-sponsored social events and get to know other members with similar interests.

Your boat is waiting.

Why are you?

The Freedom Boat Club Team From Left to Right: Kevin Eichhorn, Marketing Director / Josh Carroll, Dock Master / Rob Carroll, Owner

Photo by John Russo

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Retooled Captain launches business at City Marina

By Steve Bornhoft

R

on Carroll has a favorite passage from the Bible involving four lepers who debated options while standing at the gate to Samaria.

They recognized that death would soon overtake them if they were to do nothing. They might choose to enter the city, but it was ravaged by famine and they surely would die there, too.

The remaining option was to set out for the hostile Aramaean camp. The enemy was likely to kill them, but there was a chance they might be spared.

When the lepers reached the camp, they found that it had been abandoned.

The Aramaeans had fled, believing that a great army was descending upon them. Left behind was food aplenty and precious booty including silver and gold. The lepers’ resolve to do something had been magnificently rewarded.

In 2008, the North Florida real estate market was a lot like Samaria. Ron Carroll and his wife, Melinda, both real estate brokers, were taking on water.

They had, he says, been “hemorrhaging money” since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina ransacked the Gulf Coast and discombobulated the insurance industry.

“I turned to my wife and said, ‘I’ve got to do something.’ Like of lot of people right then, I was about to lose everything. ” In the late 1970s and early ’80s, Carroll had worked as a tugboat captain.

Now, more than 20 years later, maritime papers had lapsed, but Carroll resolved to regain those credentials. To do so, he left home and trained for seven months in port cities across the country. And, eventually, he would land a full-time job as the captain of a 210-foot oil recovery vessel that operates from Louisiana.

“In America, you can lose your shirt and still you have an opportunity to retool and bounce back, even at age 53,” Carroll says. “I’m all for government assistance and if I ever need it, I’ll be in

Ron Carroll, his wife Melinda and granddaughter Natalie

line to get it. But first, I’m going to be out there beating the bushes and trying to make a living. I’m about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

These days, Carroll works offshore for three weeks at a stretch and then is home for three weeks. In addition, he owns two Freedom Boat Club franchises, one in Carrabelle in Franklin County and the other at the City Marina in downtown Panama City.”

“Offshore work is my profession; it pays the bills,” Carroll points out. “The boat clubs are an investment, yes, but they are also something I do for fun and to get my family involved.”

Carroll says that when he reflects on raising his family, he can think of just three or four unforgettable trips and wishes there were more. The target audience for the boat clubs, first and foremost, is families and Carroll finds that he is in the business of creating

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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memories for people.

“We make it easier for people to enjoy the water and establish boating as a family tradition,” Carroll says. “I can remember my dad taking me water skiing. Melinda’s father used to take her mackerel fishing.”

The Carrolls grew up in Carrabelle and attended school together there. He was in the process of buying the Bay County Freedom Boat Club franchise when he learned that the Carrabelle club was available. Buying it, he said, “was a natural.”

In Panama City, Carroll enjoys being a member of a closely knit group of small businesses.

“We live in Tallahassee, but we’ve invested in real estate over here and I favor the area,” Carroll notes. “I’ll do anything I can for fellow small business owners. I know how hard it is to own a business. You wear many hats and sometimes you make money, sometimes you don’t. We deal with boat club members from out of town and I recommend to them the motels and restaurants and other businesses we know and like.”

The entrepreneurial Carroll is proud to serve Panama City as a bit of an economic stimulus.

“The marina loves the boat club,” Carroll says. “The four boats in our fleet are constantly going out. We have a lot of members per boat and they buy a lot of fuel, ice and bait. And I enjoy the opportunity to employ people. My son is the dockmaster for the Panama City club and I’ve added a marketing director, salespeople, an office manager and boat captains. And I hired two young men from the Panama City Marine Institute for part-time work.

“We’re part of the community and we’re here to stay.”

Ron’s Granddaughter Natalie learning the ropes.

All photos by Beck Graben

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS OF By: Kat Kan, Jayson Kretzer and Bettina Mead

How It Began – “Not with a bang, but with a whimper.”

As co-founder Jayson Kretzer recalls, Creative Con was the product of a lunch conversation with Panama City comic writer, Chris Arrant. They both wanted to bring a show to Panama City that highlighted an exciting method of storytelling called sequential art in order to educate the community about the many positive attributes of the medium. Sequential art is a method of telling stories through a series of artistic images. Examples include comic strips and graphic novels. Sequential art unites compelling stories with engaging illustrations. Kretzer knew that he wanted the show to be more than just a convention where people could collect sketches and have books signed.

He wanted it to actually

inform and educate the community about this serious art form.

Kretzer and Arrant approached Bettina Mead, Outreach Coordinator at the Bay County Public Library and asked if she’d be interested in hosting the event. That first year Arrant contacted Kat Kan (librarian, writer, and comics advocate) and asked her to participate on one of the panel discussions about comics, along with other local supporters of the art form, Lynn Wallace of Gulf Coast State College, and James Finlayson of Arena Comics & Gaming.

Library programming funds contributed to bringing in professional guests to Creative Con. Since we wanted to focus on education and on the use of comics in schools, in 2012 comic creator Chris Schweizer, former

Chris Arrant talking to 2012 con visitors

professor at the Savannah School of Art and Design’s Atlanta campus, and Dr. Katie Monnin, author and Literacy Professor at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, were invited as the special guest presenters.

Creative Con has grown each year, in both people attending (300 in 2012) and in the number of professional guests. On Saturday, Aug. 24, it will return to Bay County Public Library for its fourth straight year, with guests: -Sergio Cariello, an artist for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse and other publishers. Sergio was also the top selling artist at the March 2013 Christian Book Expo with his Action Bible and Action Bible Devotional), -Frank Cummings, a cartoonist for “Blondie.”

-Gary Brookins , an il-

Brian and Kat show off some books available.

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lustrator for “The Pluggers” and “Shoe”.

Reuben Award nominee Jeff Parker (“Dustin”), Teresa Roberts Logan (“Laughing Redhead Studio”), Amanda Rachels (comic artist), John Read (“Stay Tooned!”), Kevin LaPorte (comic writer), Brian Russell (“The Underfold”), and Steve Stone (Immortal Samurai Comics) will have tables and be participating in informative panel discussions on the sequential art medium. Many other local guest artists and cosplayers (costumed players) will also be on hand.

Creative Con 2013 promises to be fun for the entire family with activities for children and adults alike, a costume contest with prizes, face painting, artists sketching live and much more!

A special feature for 2013 is the cartoon art exhibi-

tion, One Fine Sunday in the Funny Pages, which features over 130 different comic strips and panels all published in newspapers on the same Sunday.

(Kat Kan has been promoting comics in libraries since 1983, is the librarian at St. John Catholic School in Panama City. Jayson Kretzer is a comic & trading card artist, fiction writer and creator of Wannabe Heroes comic. Bettina Mead is the Outreach Coordinator for the Bay County Public Library.)

In hosting Creative Con the Bay County Public’s Library recognizes the growing popularity of the graphic novel format- and the fact that lots of kids started reading because of comics. Many adults are still under the impression that a comic - format automatically means juvenile content,

but the average age of the comic reader is 30.

Libraries are the first and best place for diversity.

We play an important role in introducing the public to new formats.

Not only are comics valid literature, expressing not only the written word but also art. They are also valuable educational tools for children- especially those who are struggling to read According to Bettina Mead, the library’s Creative Outreach Coordinator, “I believe in partnering with Creative Con we are creating a new cadre of library supporters.... you know, libraries are for everyone--- young and old.”

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Daisies for Lunch By: Linda Mix

Want something new, exciting, colorful, flavorful and even healthy for your meal? While picking those veggies, pick some flowers too! For ages cooks have used flowers in cooking, mostly as a garnish or decoration. In recent years, more folks are discovering the appeal of the colors and flavors of flowers, and are using them as ingredients.

Benefits Many flowers have nutritional value. For example chives, signet marigolds, nasturtiums, portulacas, purslanes and roses are rich in Vitamin C; dandelion flowers provide Vitamins A and C and the greens are high in calcium, iron and phosphorous. Don’t throw away those broccoli and cauliflower blooms that you let go too long in the garden! They have many of the same cruciferous benefits as the vegetables.

Many blossoms have medicinal benefits as well. Only a few are listed here. Calendulas and elderberry blooms aid digestion, reduce fevers and stimulate the immune system. California poppies, chamomile and lavender help ease stress and work as gentle sleep aids. Goldenrod helps relieve allergies and urinary tract infections, and aids digestion.

Hibiscus contains antioxidants that help pre-

vent cholesterol deposits and aids liver disorders.

Honeysuckle and hyssop flowers help relieve respiratory problems and soothe the stomach and colon. Mullein flowers can help respiratory ailments, pain and headaches and induce sleep. Nasturtiums contain natural antibiotic properties. Red clover blooms, are an excellent blood purifier and make a wonderful tasting tea.

Violas and violets have anti-inflammatory properties and are good for respiratory ailments.

Yarrow helps relax blood vessels and reduce fevers and colds. Many of the common herb flowers, such as basil, borage, rosemary, dill, oregano and thyme have the same flavor and medicinal value as the

This colorful salad is made with Bachelor Buttons, Pansies, Violas, Red Clover, Thyme and Daisies.

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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leaves, just not as intense.

The numerous varieties of mint, such as apple, orange and chocolate, add a wide array of zest and flavor, besides calming the stomach and aiding digestion.

Uses Pick flowers first thing in the morning after the dew has dried and just as they are beginning to open for peak flavor.

Flowers may be used in salads, sandwiches, soups, punch, vinegars, butters, oils, pancakes, biscuits, muffins and pasta.

Squash, zucchini, hibiscus and daylily blooms may be battered and fried, or stuffed and used as “cups” to hold tuna or

Other “posy-bilities”

egg salad. Roses used to line a cake pan impart a wonderful flavor to cakes!

Nasturtium buds may be picked as a substitute for capers and the blooms can be stuffed with herbed cream cheese for excellent hors d’oeuvres.

Try freezing some flowers in ice cubes to flavor your beverages. Pansies, violets and dianthus are beautiful when candied and used to decorate cakes.

Use your imagination – the sky is the limit!

Some flowers with a floral flavor include apple, pea, lilac, honeysuckle, and scented geranium.

Lemon, orange and tuberous begonias have a citrus or tangy flavor.

For a bean-like flavor, try redbud, tulip and running green bean blooms.

Arugula, broccoli, mustard and radish flowers have a spicy flavor. If you

don’t mind a little bitter tang, try chicory, chrysanthemum, English daisy and sunflower. Other edible flowers include apple blossoms, carnations, cornflowers (also called blue bachelor buttons), freesias, forget-me-nots, gladiolas, marguerite daisies, pansies, evening primrose, and snapdragons.

Precautions As with most things, however, a few precautions are in order. Be sure to avoid flowers grown by roadsides, where vehicle exhaust and residues collect on the flowers, or those sprayed with pesticides.

While some flowers are toxic, such as foxglove, potato and sweet pea, others simply don’t taste good. Also, you should

first try a small amount to check for any allergic reactions or digestive problems. As a rule, the most fragrant flowers are the best tasting; but also the more fragrant a flower is, the stronger its flavor.

Usually only the colorful parts of the flower petals are used, as other plant parts don’t taste as good, particularly the white base of petals.

To contact Linda Mix: www.MedicinalHerbsForLife.com or Linda@MedicinalHerbsForLife.com SOURCES: Brandies, Monica Moran. Herbs and Spices for Florida Gardens. B.B. Mackey Books, Wayne, PA, 1996.

McVicar, Jekka. Herbs for the Home. Viking Studio Books, Harmondsworth, Middlesex England, 1994.

Mix, Linda. Herbs For Life! Understand, Use and Grow Your Own Medicinal Herbs, 2011.

Ody, Penelope. Home Herbal. Dorling Kindersley, New York, NY, 1995.

Reynolds, Biz. “Tulips for Lunch?” Grit Magazine, May/June, 2012, p. 60-63.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

“You May Call Me Captain” Lessons Learned at

By Peggy Guice

Sea School

When people think of recreation in Panama City, those thoughts almost always involves the sugar white sandy beaches and the emerald green waters.

Those wanting “on the water” experiences have a multitude of choices. Maybe fishing is the focus. Anglers can board a deep sea fishing boat, or maybe they’d rather take a guided fishing tour via kayak. If the focus is on beach fun, there are parasail and banana boat rides. If a more nature-based experience is desired, there are dolphin-watching tours. Those wanting to see underneath the beautiful Panama City waters might opt for a snorkeling or scuba diving tour. There are sunset cruises and overnight liveaboard experiences. The opportunities are as endless and varied as the people who love the area.

All of these water-based activities have one thing in common: the people operating the boats are U. S. Coast Guard licensed captains, and many of them got their start at Sea School.

Housed in a small grey building at 2015 W. 15th Street, Sea School has been in existence in Panama City since 1978 and provides classes leading to professional mariner licenses.

The Panama City\school teaches classes leading to the U. S. Coast Guard OUPV (6-pack) and Master licenses, and also offers sailing endorsement, towing endorsement, and CPR classes.

The OUPV (operator of uninspected passenger vessel) license is more commonly known as the “six pack.” It allows the captain to carry up to six paying passengers. The OUPV license comes in three versions: Inland, Great Lakes, and Near Coastal.

“Inland waters” indicate the bays, rivers, sounds, etc. of the United States.

“Near coastal” allows travel up to one hundred miles offshore (which opens the door to the Bahamas).

Those wanting to carry more passengers and/or go further afield must hold a masters license. These licenses vary according to qualifications and go from 25 to 100 tons.

Many students are surprised to learn that they can qualify for the 100 ton license, even though they’ve never operated a “big boat.” That is because the size of the boat used to qualify is not based on the boat’s weight. Instead it is based on the boat’s length and internal volume.

So what is the first step to take if you are interested in earning your captain’s license? Call CC.

Captain Dana Grubbs answers a question from student Laura Ellis

All Photos by Peggy Guice 21

Cecilia Molnar (better known as CC)

is the first point of contact for people walking in the door at Sea School in Panama City. With 17 years of experience with the company, she is a valuable asset and holds a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the Coast Guard’s rules and regulations relating to licensing requirements.

Captain Dana Grubbs is the instructor who brings the textbook material to life. With Sea School since 2009, he is well-known throughout Panama City and has led hundreds of people through the certification process. In addition to teaching at the Panama City location, Captain Dana also travels to Apalachicola, Crawfordville, and Destin.

Rounding out the group is CPR instructor Peggy Guice. Also a local photographer and boat captain, she has been teaching CPR and first aid classes for Sea School since 2009.

So why do people decide to go to Sea School? Because holding a captain’s license can lead the way to a wide variety of money-making avenues. Many captains choose to use their licenses to work for established operations, but

many elect to start their own unique businesses.

Captain Burton Beitz is one of those entrepreneurs. A retired airline pilot and 2012 Sea School graduate, he relocated to Panama City and has now started his own charter business. Emerald Coast Yacht Charters offers customers a high-end intimate experience aboard the 60-foot Hartman Palmer “Miss Triss”. While dolphin tours and day cruises are available, Captain Beitz wanted his company to be different from others in the area. His “Pop The Question” voyages are a unique way for couples to celebrate their engagement in style. Since Captain Beitz is a Notary Public (and qualified to perform marriage ceremonies), couples can celebrate all of their special moments aboard the luxury yacht. Another of Captain Beitz’s unusual offerings is the Life Celebration / Ash Scattering charter, to help honor a loved one’s final wishes. To contact Captain Beitz, call 850-625-1488 or visit www.emeraldcoastcharters.com.

New Captain Frankie Brown is an-

CC manages the office

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

other example. A lifelong resident of Panama City, she took her first parasail ride when she was just 18 months old.

Her father owned the business and bought her an infant harness so that she could “fly” with her mother. Now in her 20’s and working with Aquatic Adventures, she is still involved with parasailing. This summer you’ll find her on the beach behind the Dunes of Panama on Thomas Drive. She currently sells parasail tours, but she hopes to be operating the boat in the very near future.

In addition, she plans to be involved with her family’s dolphin tour business.

Her plans don’t stop there though. As a recent graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, her longrange plans include using her marine biology degree and her captain’s license to work on research vessels.

For more information on how you can become one of Panama City’s newest boat captains, drop by Sea School, call CC at 850-785-3575, or visit the website (www.seaschool.com). She and Captain Dana will do their best to help you succeed so that you can say “You May Call Me Captain.”

Captain Burton Beitz

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A Letter from a

Subscriber

Panama City Living was excited to hear from one of its subscribers a few weeks ago. William Stevenson wrote to us from Kandahar, Afghanistan, inquiring about the status of his digital subscription. We promptly sent the last three print magazines to his APO address to make up for the missed digital issues, and urged him to tell us more about himself. It took a few emails and some convincing, but he finally agreed to share a bit about himself.

Mr. Stevenson wrote, “Thank you for the issues of Panama City Living. They arrived yesterday evening. I am extremely flattered by your request to interview me, but I am not sure about being the subject of an article when I think of so many other wonderful friends from Panama City who have served and are still serving.”

We had to insist again on more details.

Thankfully our persistence was finally rewarded.

William Stevenson and his Afghan counterpart CPT Mumtaz

Mr. Stevenson says, “I can be a bit long-winded, but I will try to be brief. I was born and raised in the St. Andrews area of Panama City, about five blocks from the bay. I joined the U.S. Army in June of 1987, twelve days after graduating from Bay High School. I retired

from the U.S. Army in November of 2010 and that same month began working as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan, teaching the Afghan National Army Commandos supply and logistics.”

“I did three combat tours to Iraq. I was there for the 2003 invasion with the 2nd ACR (Armored Cavalry Regiment).

I was also there from September 2005 to September 2006, and from September 2007 to November 2008, with the 101st Airborne Division. I have done more than some, and less than others.”

“I am making plans to return to Panama City in the very near future. I have always tried to keep up with the happenings there. Panama City is my home. I LOVE the beach - the sand, the wind, the waves, and yes, even the annoying seagulls. For me, the beach is my place of peace and comfort. I have been blessed to be able to travel to some wonderful places while in the Army, but no matter where I was serving, I always longed for the beaches of Panama City.”

The entire Panama City Living team sends regards to Bill Stevenson, and to the many brave men and women who are serving (or have served) our country, protecting our freedom and independence.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

1. Devil Dont Surf 2. Rob Woodrum

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photo provided by Gilmore Pictures

3. Frumptious Pirate 4. Suck It Up 5. Cannon 6. What Else Is Out There 7. P-115 8. Bar Outreach

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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4

Soul Surfing

in Panama City Beach

Rob Woodrum is the pastor of Eastgate Christian Fellowship in Panama City Beach. He and his wife Robbie have four children, all grown, and a cat who makes him sneeze.

How long have you lived in Panama City Beach?

my house – but over the years we have had more and more people gathering with us until we are who we are now.

We call ourselves a small island of misfit toys. We’re not all that interested in conforming to any religious expectations, we simply want to experience the love of Christ, and let that shape us into loving people who make a difference in this world. We’re not very good at it, but we’re learning.

I’ve lived in Panama City and Panama City Beach for 21 years as a permanent resident. I grew up in the Midwest, but our family always came to this area while I was growing up.

My parents moved down to the Defuniak Springs area back in the late 70’s, and I moved down to be close to them in 1992 as they were getting on in age.

In 1981-82 I lived on the beach and airbrushed T-Shirts at the old Surf Hut on Front Beach Rd. That was back when Surf Hut had a sand floor and was the prime spot for vacationers to come and get their souvenir shirts. I bought my first surfboard in ‘82 – a beat up 7’4” Lightning Bolt that had a Gerry Lopez signature on it. I lived in a travel trailer at what was then the “new” Raccoon River Campground – and when surf was up I’d carry my board to the beach, surf by the County Pier, then walk across the street to airbrush T-Shirts for the rest of the day.

I have very fond memories of those days.

Tell a little about your work as an illustrator and cartoonist.

I moved to this area working as an artist under contract with a company in Chicago. I did paintings that were printed on canvas and sold in the home décor market. I also worked as a freelance cartoonist, doing greeting cards for Oatmeal Studios and a comic strip for the youth pastor’s magazine called Group. I still do the odd freelance job, from spot cartoons to T-Shirt designs for screen print. Presently I’m working on a graphic novella for a ministry called Voice of the Martyrs, highlighting the plight of Christians living in countries that don’t tolerate freedom of religion.

I do all sorts of artwork – from paintings on canvas to all digital work for print. I have a webcomic that I completed a few years ago called Rabbi Encounters (rabbiencounters.com), where I’ve put the ancient stories we may know from the gospels in a different context.

What are some of the things you enjoy about this area?

As most people, I can’t help but love our beach. I always get a season pass to St. Andrews State Park and go there as often as I’m able. I still surf (though please note that I am a *kook – and since my knee surgery several years back, you could really say an “uber-kook” – but I still love paddling out and enjoying our beautiful waters).

My wife and I really enjoy riding our bikes around St. Andrews State Park – looking at the wildlife and stopping to walk on the beach.

We truly live in paradise. The way our town has kept its homey, simple feel even in the midst of the growth we’ve experienced is really impressive to me.

How do your two passions in life work together?

I believe that God wants to communicate with us – and not always with words. I’m someone who wants to use all the talents I’ve been given to do something good – whether that’s making someone laugh with a cartoon, or ponder an image on a painting – I believe God can speak to our hearts through a wide variety of means.

When did you become a pastor and how did that develop for you?

My church website is www.eastgatefellowship.net My personal art blog is www.robwoodrum.com My webcomic is found at www.rabbiencounters.com

I became a pastor by accident. My father was an evangelist with the Methodist church for most of his life and I certainly had no intention of following in his steps. However, as I got past my early twenties, I felt such a sense of dissatisfaction with what I’d experienced in the church as I’d known it that when we moved here in ’92, I set out to see if there was something different we could do. I had only planned on having a small Bible study in

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Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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Bay County’s Top 11 Beaches

By Robert Register

#11 City Pier Beach – This spot might have made Number 11 on our list but this beach is definitely Number 1 when it comes to memories for the Baby Boomers. This was the location of the old Wayside Park and the site of countless summer picnics and winter walks on the beach for families in the 1950s and 60s.

#10 S. Rick Seltzer Park Beach on Thomas Drive – A walk in either

#9 County Pier Beach – A two-mile

#8 Bid-A-Wee Beach- The locked iron gates on the walkways are an ugly nuisance but the 1600 feet of unoccupied beaches and dunes have delighted the entire public since the beginning of time and have been dedicated “for Park Purposes” since 1938.

#7 Laguna Beach- West of the Panama City Beach City Limits, this 7/10 mile of dunes and beach is the first on our list that takes us completely away from the tourist mayhem and traffic gridlock so choose this beach or one of the next six when you are a little cantankerous and having problems “staying Zen.”

#6 Sunnyside/Santa Monica Beach- Put ten toes in the sand and

#5 Mexico Beach- The seventeen miles of beaches between Pinnacle Port and Moonspinner on the west side of the Bay County seem like they’re light years away when you park your car next to this roadside slice of paradise located next to the Gulf County line and with the lack of commercial development, you’ll feel like you just stepped back into the “Old Florida.”

direction introduces you to the Grand Lagoon Peninsula and will lead one to excellent venues where you can take a break from your travels, relax at a bar overlooking the beach and enjoy the eye candy.

#4 St. Andrews State Park Beach- Gorgeous beaches, the jetties

and the gateway to Shell Island but it does have one little disadvantage: an admission charge and the place doesn’t open until 8 o’clock in the morning and closes at dusk. Annual entrance passes can be purchased each year for $60 but they are only good for you and your car.

Your passengers will be charged two bucks a head.

hike east of here will take you along an urban beach under the shadows of towering condominiums. This stretch was once the center of all activity on PCB. Today there are few memories of the “Good Old Days” still standing but Goofy Golf located across from the pier has stood the test of time for almost 60 years. Its theme could also stand for Bay County’s beaches: “This is the Magic World, where the ages of time abide in a garden of serenity, with perpetual peace and harmony.”

head in either direction. The cares of the world are waiting to left behind.

#3 Phillips Inlet Beach- You may walk to this beach through Camp Helen State Park and the entrance fee is a little lower than the one at St. Andrews. An alternative is to drive down Highway 98 a bit and park at the Inlet Beach Access parking spaces just across the Walton County line at the end of Orange Street. The beach is only a hundred yards away and the walk from there to Phillips Inlet is one of the most beautiful in all of North America.

#2 East Crooked Island Beach-

This is a U.S. Air Force property but with no gates and no need for paperwork. Be prepared to show an ID and if you walk over three miles west down this pristine, unoccupied beach, you might get turned back when they launch one of those drones out into the Gulf.

#1 Shell Island- Bay County’s sparkling jewel shimmering in its tranquil,

watery seclusion. This subtropical paradise is home to the northern limit of the wild sabal palm tree and even though it can now be accessed by land via Tyndall, it is still functionally an island. Tyndall’s portion is called Tyndall Beach and you can visit it if you have the right kind of paperwork with the Air Force. Leave only footprints, only trash litters.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Lori Ann Long, Optometrist Volunteer Serves Humanity

by Carole Lapensohn Lori Ann Long, O.D. says she got involved in mission work when she was at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. As an optometry student she spent 2,000 hours cleaning donated used eyeglasses to go to the hills of Mexico as a volunteer. After she graduated, Dr. Long supervised students in the same volunteer program on another mission trip.

Following a residency at the Lebanon Veterans Administration Medical Center in Pennsylvania, she practiced in Pennsylvania and later in Bradenton, Florida practicing optometry for a multi-specialty ophthalmology practice there. She married Steve Bradley, a real estate developer and they moved to Rosemary Beach three weeks before the birth of their daughter, Risdon.

After a year at home with her daughter, Dr. Long returned to eye care and is now working at Advanced Eye Care in Panama City.

Today she has a 10-yearold daughter, a husband who apparently understands her desire to serve, and a manageable practice. Of her mission work, Dr. Long claims “I always wanted to go back,” but working 60- to 70-hour weeks in Southwest Florida didn’t allow for mission work. Now, she can go back.

In fact, she left Nov. 2, 2012, for a trip to Chinandega, Nicaragua with three other doctors and “tens of thousands of pairs of

glasses”. Their mission was to serve 1500 of the neediest people who now live in tent cities as refugees from the mudslides caused by Hurricane Mitch. As part of the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH), each doctor was to see 75 patients a day in what is known as ‘the hottest city in Central America’. When one of the doctors could no longer do the work, she and the other two eye care professionals saw 120 patients a day for six days.

Dr. Long says that the refugees that the volunteers saw were 80 percent adults and 20 percent children, all of whom had never had eye care. She came home with an almost empty suitcase, having given her clothes to those who needed them.

VOSH volunteers were allowed only one suitcase and paid for their own airfare, hotel, and food to participate in the mission.

They also had to bring their own toilet paper. Every

day on the way to the clinic they would buy water and Gatorade to share with the people they served.

Despite coming home ill from her trip, Dr. Lori Ann Long says “I will go back”.

And she means it. She’s a dedicated professional who believes in volunteering and in VOSH’s mission to help provide and sustain vision care for people worldwide who can’t otherwise afford or obtain that care.

With no air conditioning and lines of people holding tickets to be seen, as well as those with no tickets who also needed attention, Dr. Long and her associates worked long, hot days. But they saw people who had waited all day in the same sweltering heat to see them.

They also saw the smiles they brought to people of all ages who could truly see better for the first time.

According to Dr. Long, the experience was truly joyful. She describes the people there as extremely religious. When she placed glasses on an older woman who hadn’t been able to read her Bible in years, “tears streamed down her face.”

Equally joyful was seeing the children’s faces “light up like a Christmas tree with amazement and joy at being able to see for the first time”. The people they served were “nothing but appreciative and grateful,” she says.

Photos by Lori Ann Long

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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With no air conditioning and lines of people holding tickets to be seen, as well as those with no tickets who also needed attention.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

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New to Panama City

By Patti Smith

N

ewlyweds Sam and Ashley Suarez were serving in two different countries when they received the news they finally would be stationed in the same place – Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City.

Sam, an F-22 stealth fighter crew chief, was serving in Southwest Asia. Ashley, a pediatrics and women’s health nurse, was stationed in Japan.

“We were both very excited, and it seemed very, very surreal,” said Ashley, who married Sam on Feb. 10, 2012. “We couldn’t wait to be back in the United States together...and live a somewhat normal life.”

The couple met during basic training in San Antonio, Texas, in 2010. Sam, from Minnesota, and Ashley, from Indiana, started dating a short time later. She was attracted to his humble, soft spirit. He was impressed by her professionalism and sense of direction for her life.

Sam and Ashley have spent more of their relationship apart than they have together.

After graduating from basic training and tech school, Sam was sent to a post in New Mexico, and Ashley was sent to Japan.

“It was hard, but we had the mindset that (the military) was our goal. We didn’t have a lot of expectations,” Ashley said of the relationship. Sam said they decided to go with the flow and see what happened. “Both of us being military helped because we both understood the demands of the job,” Ashley said.

Technology kept them close. They talked by cell

phone each day and Skyped as often as they could.

Ashley’s deployment ended first, and by late September, she arrived at Tyndall with two suitcases—out of which she lived for more than four weeks while waiting for her personal belongings to arrive from Japan.

Both headed home to the states for leave in May of 2011. Sam bought a ring for Ashley and after a visit with his family in Minnesota, he drove down to Zionsville, Ind., to meet Ashley’s family.

Sam and Ashley had minimal conversations to coordinate a necessary vehicle purchase and to settle on a place to rent. Ashley moved in Oct. 1, 2012. Sam could not join her for another month as he was waiting for his deployment to end.

“Ashley and I would always talk about each other’s family, so it felt like I knew them already. When I got there I was welcomed with open arms and felt like family right away,” Sam said.

During the two weeks they spent together on leave, they traveled to see friends, spent time with family and stole quiet moments away for just the two of them. All the while, Sam had Ashley’s ring in his pocket. He recalled several romantic moments where he could have gotten down on one knee, but none felt exactly right.

“The biggest hassle for us was switching our addresses,” Ashley said. “We had mail going all over the world for a couple of months after moving to Florida.”

Now with the stress and chaos of making a major move behind them, the Suarezes are at home in Panama City. They enjoy quiet evenings reclining in their living room talking and watching television. They chose not to live on base because of the long waiting list for housing and for the fact that they wanted to be out in the community.

“It wasn’t until the last day when I pretty much ran out of time. But the moment was perfect,” Sam said. “I knew that at the end of our time, we were either going to be engaged or go our separate ways.”

“We love it! We actually feel like we leave work,” Ashley said. “We are forced to get out there. It’s easy to get caught up in the conveniences on base.”

Faith is very important to the Suarezes, so finding a church home was a priority.

The couple has been attending Northstar Church for several months.

“We always feel welcomed, and we are still excited to learn and grow closer to Christ every day,” Ashley said.

The couple enjoys riding to the beach on Sam’s Harley. They also ride out to the marinas to watch the sun set.

They already have favorite places to eat out: Peppers, Hong Kong China Buffet and Whataburger. They are looking forward to exploring more places and things to do.

“I love the wide variety of cultures here,” said Sam, who is a mix of Latino, Spanish and Mexican. “I love that I can go to Daytona, and Thunder Beach, and the car shows. There is a lot to do here. It just kind of grabs you.”

Ashley was shocked, but the thought of spending her life with Sam just seemed right. So, she said yes and then said good-bye as he headed back to his post. They spent the next nine months planning their wedding, which took place where they met back in San Antonio.

After just five days together, they parted ways again for another nine months.

In June 2012—four months after they wed—Sam and Ashley received their orders for Panama City.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

“Even though this church has over two thousand members, it has a downhome feel.�

Photos by Tim Allen Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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Craig Conner, Pastor of the “House of Hope”

By Belinda Legg

First Baptist Church, Panama City, FL

W

hen Panama City Living magazine asked if one of its writers could do a story on the pastor of that big Baptist church downtown, I said “Let me do it.

He is my pastor and I already know most of his testimony!”

Being a member there for over five years, I will try my best to remain objective. What is so very special about this man who pastors the largest Baptist church for miles around? Some would say it is because he wins “Best Pastor” in the “Best of Bay” contest year after year.

Others would say it is because he has a television ministry that reaches thousands (and he reaches even more through the internet). But these results are due to much hard work and many hours of prayer that Pastor Conner has put in over the last fifteen years at the First Baptist Church in Panama City. He doesn’t like to be patted on the back though, instead wanting any glory to be given to his heavenly Father. Keeping that in mind, I will try to answer this question to the best of my ability.

Pastor Conner does nothing without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. His education is impressive. He holds a Bachelor of Theology degree from The Baptist College of Florida, a Masters of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the non-denominational Trinity Theological Seminary. He has written several books and is the founder of “Touch of Grace Ministries, Inc.”.

Over the years, the church on Harrison Avenue grew, so much so that three separate Sunday morning services were needed to accommodate all of those coming to worship. To solve the “problem”, a new 2000-seat sanctuary was built. Now, with the new sanctuary, everyone can worship together in the same Sunday morning service.

Pastor Conner is quick to point out that the success of the church is due to a team effort. The team includes the parishio-

ners, and the rest of the church staff. The newest and most visible addition to the staff is Minister of Music Ken Brookins.

Pastor Conner says, “We are so glad and blessed to have Ken. He is a jewel of a Christian man. I never have to worry about a worship experience with him.

He truly prepares our hearts on Sunday mornings.”

Even though the church has over two thousand members, it has a downhome feel. Many believe this is due to Pastor Conner’s down-to-earth delivery. A country boy at heart, he has never forgotten his roots from a farm in Hilliard, Florida. A child of divorce, Pastor Conner was raised by his grandparents. But it wasn’t until he married his wife Karen (a pastor’s daughter) that he dedicated his life to the Lord.

After serving in the military, the Lord led him to Panama City. When asked about his congregation he says, “Some of the finest people in the world attend the First Baptist Church. They are so much more than just church members – they are family. We are not a perfect church, but our members have a passionate desire to be all that God would have them to be. It makes me proud when I see them reach out and help others.”

When asked about the kind of people who make up the membership of such a large church, Pastor Conner answers, “We have members from every walk of life.

Our church is not about a program or person. Our church is about Jesus Christ.

He is the one who is worshipped and glorified here.”

Pastor Conner is not “all church, all the time” though. He and Karen have three grown children, and they are also grandparents. Sunday afternoons often find all of them together. He also enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Karen often climbs on the back of the bike and enjoys the hobby with him.

One of Pastor Conner’s favorite local outreach ministries is the “Wounded Warrior Beach Retreat.” The yearly spring

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“Salute” event is exclusive to Panama City, and it has served returning soldiers in a way that encourages healing. The pastor believes that this event is one of the best utilizations of the church building, second only to preaching the Gospel. Pastor Conner states, “It is, without a doubt, one of the most worthy events that we host here. It is a way to honor those that have sacrificed so much for us. We would like the community to come together each year and pack out the church building, to show support for the wounded warriors.

The event is always free to the public. If you have never attended one of these events, I encourage you to do so. The blessing you will receive is priceless. The blessing they receive is healing.”

When asked what he would like the “non-church going” community to know he replied, “That there is a God who loves them, and He has a plan for their lives. I know that these are difficult days. Every day I meet with people who are struggling at every level. I believe only Jesus Christ can give us answers to our questions, and give us hope. That is why we are called The House of Hope. We offer many other programs for the community as well, including divorce and grief care, the Most Excellent Way program (for drug and alcohol abuse), M.O.P.S (mothers of preschoolers), and a whole catalog of teaching classes that take place on Wednesday evenings. There is something here for everyone. This church reaches out to people, not just here locally, but all over the world. Missions will always be a part of this church’s ministry, and one of the church’s “five core beliefs” is that the reason for our existence is to glorify God by sharing the love of His Gospel to our community and beyond.” When asked about his hopes for the future of the church, Pastor Conner says, “I would like to see First Baptist Church continue to make a significant spiritual impact on Bay County and beyond. When I retire I want to look back and say, “You know what?

We did make a difference.”

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

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tidal Guarding Against Identity Theft Doral Bank Florida “Platinum Club” checking account customers attended a seminar on identity theft presented by Det. Tony Phinney of the Panama City Police Department at the Bonefish Grill in Panama City recently. Free seminars on topical financial issues are among the value-added extras associated with the account, which is reserved for people who are 50 or older. Phinney noted that Florida is the number one ranked state in the nation for identity theft complaints per capita.

He described the various ways in which identity theft occurs and steps that people can take to minimize the risk of identity theft. He encouraged people to: refrain from freely giving out sensitive personal information, closely monitor their credit, never leave their wallets or purses unattended and contact police immediately if their identity is compromised.

Scott’s Vetos GCSC Stem Building Gulf Coast State College took a big hit from Gov. Scott’s veto pen, losing $14 million for a new building. However, Gov. Scott spared from the state budget $500,000 for improvements to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The funds for GCSC had been proposed for a state-of-the art STEM facility at the Panama City campus to replace an outmoded, 54 year-old science building. STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math---areas of importance and emphasis for GCSC and its service area in Bay County.

Jim Kerley, the college president,

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expressed disappointment at losing the funding but indicated the college will continue to seek funding for the building from the state next year. Other Bay County victims of the governor’s veto include $610,000 for the BayCare program operated by the Bay County Health Department to assist in the health care of low-income residents. The governor did approve the half million for the crosswind runway project at the new airport opened in 2010 near West Bay.

Arnold Librarian Receives “Always There Award” In a statewide competition recognizing unsung heros, Helen DeSantis is a winner for the annual Russell Athletic and All Pro Dad’s Always There Award.

DeSantis is a librarian at Arnold High School and an educator in area schools for 20 years. The honor was presented to DeSantis at Lee Roy Selmon’s restaurant in Tampa where she met with Tony Dungy, the former NFL coach who represents All Pro Dads, a non-profit which encourages parents to be good role models in their children’s lives.

DeSantis’ designation includes a $1,500 grant for a school of DeSantis’ choice as well as a plaque and a Russell athletic bag.

DeSantis is also the winner of Arnold’s Support Employee of the Year award for 2012-13. She supports Arnold athletic programs, theater productions, and band productions among others.

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Bay County Real Estate Bay County Real Estate Market Continues to Improve But Foreclosures Remain a Problem

By Chan Lipscomb

For the past few weeks the news has been full of rosy information about the national real estate market. Atlanta is up 20%.

Las Vegas is up 30%.

Miami and Denver are soaring. While there are elements of truth in those reports, the information I get from my friends who invest in those markets tells a different story. Yes, certain pockets of those markets are doing well, but most other pockets are flat. And a lot of the increase in those markets is due to hedge funds flooding the cities with money looking for a better return.

So what about Bay County? Real estate, like politics, is a local game. There are a lot of factors that influence a local market. In order to get a good grasp on what is happening with the single family house market in our corner of the world, it pays to look at past trends, as

well as current numbers and events, to try and forecast the future.

The good news is that housing is selling. In June, more than 200 single family houses sold in Bay County.

We haven’t seen that kind of volume since 2006! The sales volume is bringing down the inventory, so that we now have less than a six-month-supply of homes for sale, which is the typical indicator of a “healthy” market.

Our “months of supply” number hasn’t been that low since September of 2005, so from that standpoint, the market has made a dramatic improvement.

The flip side of the coin is that prices have not risen much. Our “median sales price” bottomed in March 2012 at $133,000, and rose to $155,500 last month. That is certainly an improvement, but consider that $155,500 is the same median

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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price level that we saw in 2003. During the boom, the “median sales price” peaked at $249,000. Summary: Houses today cost about the same as they did a decade ago.

Great news for buyers, but not so much for sellers.

There are additional indicators that our housing market will continue to improve.

Here are several: RISING POPULATION, FALLING UNEMPLOYMENT: The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that Bay County’s population increased 1.2 percent to just over 171,000 last year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics show a consistent drop in our unemployment rates, dropping from 11.7% in January 2011 to 6.6% in March of 2013. The combination of more people living in Bay County, and more of those people working, means more demand for housing and therefore a rising market. The rental market is also tightening. It’s hard to get good statistics on rentals, but I recently filled three vacancies very quickly, with multiple applicants for each property. My “seat of the pants” feeling is

the opening of the new Harley-Davidson dealership, which is doing a booming business.

that good rentals are hard to come by, meaning that rents should start rising.

I only see one looming factor that could continue to depress the local market for a while: the number of defaulted mortgages in the county that have yet to go through the foreclosure process.

There are thousands of foreclosures currently in process at the Bay County courthouse.

This is also a statewide problem, and there is pending legislation in Tallahassee to fasttrack this backlog of foreclosures. Whether that legislation passes or not, all of those defaulted mortgages are going to have to work through the system sooner or later, which means more distressed inventory on the local market - which will keep real estate prices down.

NEW INDUSTRY: One of my new rental customers is a young software engineer moving to Bay County from Columbus, Ohio.

He’s taken a job with a tech company that is moving its operations to the downtown area, and will be employing over one hundred people, some with six-figure salaries. The company’s website has a page touting Panama City as “… one of the best-kept secrets in the United States.”

NEW DEVELOPMENT: The Sweet Bay development of the old airport property holds great promise for the county. The developer plans to build about seventy houses per year, with a potential total of over 3,000 homes. Along with the new residential construction, Sweet Bay plans include 700,000 square feet of commercial space, a school, and the long-awaited widening of Highway 390 to six lanes. Other promising signs are the development of Pier Park North and

Once that foreclo-

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sure backlog is cleared, however, I predict smooth sailing and a strong housing market for Bay County for many years to come.

Bay County is a great place to live, with wonderful beaches, a mild climate, low cost of living, and friendly people. And Baby Boomers are going to continue to retire in record numbers. The tech company I mentioned earlier has it right … Panama City is one of the best kept secrets in the nation.

As that secret leaks out, people and businesses will want to move here, creating strong demand for housing. If you’re on the fence about the local market, it’s time to get off. It is a great time to buy, whether you are buying for a personal residence or an investment. Today’s low prices and low interest rates can’t last much longer.

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | May - June 2013 2013 www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August

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The Zen of Beachcombing

By Robert Register

“Mother, Mother Ocean, I’ve heard you call. Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall.

You’ve seen it all. You’ve seen it all.

Watch the men who rode you Switch from sail to steam In your belly you hold the treasures Few have ever seen.

Most of ‘em dream, most of ‘em dream” - Jimmy Buffett Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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S

ometimes in our hectic lives even the most ambitious among us desire to turn our backs on the daily pursuit of power and success, to leave the suburban sprawl behind and to embrace the enchanting but unprofitable art of beachcombing. Like our prehistoric hunter-gatherer ancestors who started some of the mounds around St. Andrews Bay, we may choose to begin our intertidal zone scavenger hunt for shells, driftwood or some other part of Poseidon’s treasure on one of Bay County’s many isolated Gulf front beaches. But even if we don’t get a kick out of having the chance to enjoy Neptune’s blessing by getting something for nothing, a nice stroll on a peaceful beach is a great opportunity to decompress in the salt air, to calm our soul , to “give our head some space” and in the current cultural vernacular, “to stay Zen.” The word “beachcomber” made its first appearance in print in Herman Melville’s 1847 book Omoo. Melville used the term to describe unemployed sailors who foraged along the beaches of Pacific islands for the remains of shipwrecks. Over the course of the next 166 years, the term has been associated with deserters, free-loaders, bums, drifters and in some cases, the criminal class of wreckers who were known to set up false beacon lights to lure ships onto shoals. Wrecking became such a tradition in the Shetland Islands that Christian preachers there once included this appeal to the Almighty in their prayers, ”Lord, if it be thy holy will to send shipwrecks, do not forget our island.”

Well, times have changed

has this ability to suddenly bring us deep contentment.

In the midst of the stress of work, smart phones and deadlines, we often find ourselves daydreaming about our beachcomber life and find ourselves revisiting our excursions in our imagination.

and these days it’s not your Mama’s beachcombing.

Not only do we have “Dr. Beach”, “Dr. Beachcomb” and pricey expeditions that promise “full immersion” within “the beachcombing experience”, we have the annual International Beachcombing Conference, beachcombing autobiographies and self-help beachcombing books that “explore self-being” while bringing a “simplified perspective to beachcombing.”

In other words, BEACHCOMBING, INC. (made up of a variety of shamans, neuroconservationists and born-again eco-environmentalists who desperately need copy for their next book or mixed media presentation) is now selling a mixed bag of beachcombing gear and amazing adventures in unadulterated nature.

On just about any beach on Earth, beachcombing takes you through some really cool nature but Bay County beachcombing has an added bonus that makes it unique to all of North America. These Gulf front beaches are absolutely, astonishingly beautiful.

When clear water comes in with the tide, it doesn’t take a trained eye to see the spectacular display of color produced by sunlight upon the exceeding whiteness of the sandy bottom.

Any painter of landscapes who can concoct the right combination of pigment and is able to get just some of that beauty down on canvas, deserves to charge a good price for their work.

Beachcombing is really not a tough sell for the corporate beachcomber because it’s hard to argue with the joy beachcombing brings us. A simple walk surrounded by the beautiful backdrop of shifting sand and shimmering surf, accompanied by the sounds of rolling waves and shrieking shorebirds, somehow has the magical ability to transform us, to bring us deep contentment and to return us to memories of our childhood and our families. In fact, there’s a great deal of scientific curiosity concerning exactly why the sea

From the intersection of

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Highway 98 and Florida Road 386 in Mexico Beach on the east to the Walton County line in Inlet Beach on the west, Bay County is blessed with over 40 miles of cherished Gulf-front beaches. Even though Bay County is only 100 years old, accurate maps of the area have been available for almost 250 years. During this time the sea has pounded and flattened this strand of sand many times and over the years, geographical terms like St. Andrews Island (1766), Crooked Island (1827), Sand Island (1827), Hummock Island (1827) and Hurricane Island (1855) have come and gone. This is not the place for a discussion about wave erosion and marine geology but, suffice it to say, the form and extent of the sandy barrier between the bay and the Gulf have changed over the years; in fact, there are no true barrier islands in Bay County anymore, only peninsulas. Even with all this geographical alteration, high rise condominium construction and urban beach, much

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

of Bay County’s shoreline remains in the same natural state it was when the Spanish found it: a quartz white sandy beach with a few scrubby weeds in the dunes.

It’s hard to believe that beachcombing would become a potentially criminal activity but that’s exactly what we have in our present day. Everyone knows there’s always been rules and regulations at the beach like “no dogs”, “no glass containers” or “walking on sand dunes or sea oats prohibited”, but now we have the threat of “no shell collecting allowed” or barriers that keep people from walking on the beach such as closing walkways that go through the dunes to the beach. The recent events pertaining to the locked beach walkways at Bid-A-Wee are not the first time this conflict between the private and public has occurred on our beaches.

Bay County has seen the horrific results that can occur when private property owners become a barrier between the public and the beach. In the summer of 1930, the owner of Long Beach Resort decided a great way to limit access to this treasured and limited

public resource was to pistol whip a man the owner claimed was trespassing “on property of the beach “ when the man decided to relax in the sand just west of the resort. While his entire family stood by in shock, the “trespasser” not only was struck against the head repeatedly with a pistol by the Long Beach owner but was also kicked repeatedly in the groin. This assault resulted in permanent brain damage and impotence in the “perpetrator” and he ended up having to be institutionalized in Chattahoochee but not before May 23, 1931, when someone walked up to the owner of Long Beach Resort as he was getting out of his car on Highway 98 near St. Andrews and sent him to an early grave with a load of buckshot in the face.

tion that “denies the removal of any natural artifacts from the public beaches of Hawaii.” Could this type of regulation be in some Bay County beach’s future? For beachcombers, the hunt for shells, driftwood and artifacts is as ingrained within us as our own DNA so we bristle when we are permitted to pick up unoccupied shells but not allowed to take driftwood or sea glass.

The marine resource enforcement bureaucrats who come up with all this “look but don’t touch” mumbo jumbo, are afraid we might remove an important clue from some ancient shipwreck blown to shore. So next time you find a gold coin on the beach fronting Spanish Shanty Cove, feel free to photograph it but make sure you leave it in the sand the same way as you found it. Always remember that touching anything on the beach could cause terrible erosion or destroy the natural oceanfront camouflage so important to insects and shorebirds.

The bad arrests on Shell Island during the summer of 2006 were amicably resolved but they exposed the erosion of legal principles as old as the common law itself but you know something’s happening to our right to walk on the beach in the United States when an agency like the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources issues a standing prohibi-

Falling in love again with taking a stroll down a lonely beach may be the perfect way for each of us to take control of our cluttered

lives. In May of 2013, Cruzan Rum took the “beachcomber lifestyle” as the state of mind and the way of life they want to brand onto their rum. In their television commercial, the viewer finds himself adrift within the towering waves of a stormy sea and hears the announcer say, “You are drowning. You are literally drowning in a figurative sea of busyness. When…wait!

Is that?” The viewer suddenly sees an island on the screen and hears a greeting from a voice with a strange accent, ”Welcome! Welcome to the Island of Don’t Hurry where life never moves too fast and Cruzan Rum flows freely. For two hundred and fifty years our pastime has been ‘passing time.’ Join us.

Come leave your hurried life behind.”

After introducing you to the National Bird, a rapping parrot who “can fly but chooses not to” and showing a domesticated tortoise hauling a cart of rum on the beach, the announcer gives you a preview of the national sports of “Zero K Runs” and “Sleep Yoga” along with advertisements for “Monkey Massages”. Then the announcer ends the ad with the words, “Slow down and enjoy the Don’t Hurry lifestyle wherever you may find it. When you hurry through life, you just get to the end faster.”

There’s is a tendency to underestimate our experiences walking the beach.

How much is “pretty” worth to you? The value to the elderly or infirm of their entire life’s catalogue of beach scene memories has not been accurately calculated but a nice testable hypothesis would be whether pleasant memories at the beach are a great predictor of late-late-late life satisfaction.

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Black Bears are closer than you think

by Stan Kirkland, FWC When most people think of Florida, a number of positive images come to mind – great place to work and live, raise a family, pleasant climate most of the year, good economy, friendly people and on and on.

The land of Mickey and Minnie and orange juice is also becoming known, at least to some residents, for something else. And that’s black bears and their search for anything edible.

In 2012, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the agency who manages black bears and a host of other wildlife and fish in the state, recorded almost 6,200 calls from citizens about bears.

The number of calls and workload on FWC staff, for that matter, was up significantly from the previous record in 2010, when the agency logged 4,100 calls.

FWC bear management staff last estimated Florida’s bear population in 2002 to be at least 3,000 animals.

While all evidence indicates that bear numbers have likely increased, how many more bears live in Florida a decade later is unknown.

Regardless of what the current bear population is, 3,000 bears is quite a jump from when the population was around 300 in the 1970’s.

are opportunistic feeders, possess an extraordinary sense of smell and they are not afraid to visit homes and developments in their search for food, such as garbage, bird seed, pet food and barbeque grills..

Household garbage cans and plastic lidded dumpsters are convenient targets.

Sometimes a bear’s inquisitive side is even more evident.

Joann Miller and her family live in Springfield on East 39th Street. On two occasions since January a bear has visited Miller’s house, the first time dining on the contents of her garbage can, the last, tearing a long plastic pool bag and moving another one. The pool bags are filled with water, and anchor the pool cover during the winter months.

Bay County is typical of other counties in the state experiencing an upward trend in the number of calls that are coming into FWC about bears. In 2002, FWC received just 11 bear-related calls from Bay County, but in 2012 that number rose to 210.

The number of calls in Bay County, and elsewhere for that matter, are rooted in one thing – bears are following their stomachs. They

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

“It’s interesting to know

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we have bears around but we have grandchildren who visit and I certainly don’t want one of them to get hurt,” Miller said.

Miller’s concern about a bear hurting someone is sometimes shared by others, but black bear predatory attacks on humans in the Southern United States are extremely rare.

Miller said her family has solved the issue of the bear getting into their garbage by moving their garbage can inside their pump shed.

On the morning of garbage pick-up, the can is taken to the street. By keeping the garbage secure until the morning of pick up, the bear has a much smaller period of time to get to the garbage before it is picked up by the waste service company.

While the calls to FWC about bear issues often vary, the primary advice given to most residents is

to deny bears an easy meal by securing garbage cans in out-buildings or using hardware to secure the lid of an existing garbage can, or better yet, obtaining a bear-resistant can. Currently, bear-resistant cans are available for large scale distribution only in Franklin, Wakulla, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties and in the city of Midway in Gadsden County.

Jerry Brown, a news anchor at WMBB-TV in Panama City, has seen his share of bears at his Avondale Estates home in Springfield. Brown said he

FWC.com/bear"MyFWC. com/bear. Materials can cost $100 to $250.

lived in Tennessee over 20 years and never saw a bear.

Last fall he said more than a dozen times bears made visits to his yard and that of his neighbors, usually getting into their garbage.

FWC bear management program coordinator Dave Telesco recently trained officers with the Springfield Police Department how to respond to calls they are receiving about bears. “Local police officers are typically the first on-scene, and so we want to provide them with the best approach in how to respond to those situations,” Telesco said. The training involved classroom presentation discussing bear behavior and how to respond to conflicts, as well as field exercise with less-thanlethal ammunition that can be used to scare bears away from an area. “We train law enforcement and other partner agencies to give them the tools they need to be able to act when an opportunity presents itself to remind bears to be afraid of people.” Telesco warns, however, than scaring bears away is only part of the solution, keeping garbage and other items secure is key.

“FWC told us how to secure our cans or to put them somewhere the bears can’t get to them,” Brown said.

The advice FWC offers to residents experiencing bears getting into garbage may involve the construction of a bear caddy, or small shed to house the cans. Instructions on building a caddy are available at "http://My-

Derek Fussell, an FWC wildlife biologist, responds to bear complaints in Bay County and says the majority of calls are from residents who live east of U.S. 231, most in the Springfield

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area. Bears are routinely spotted and sometimes photographed elsewhere in the county, including Panama City Beach, Panama City, the Steelfield area, Southport, Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (outside the fence), Fountain and one bear even visited the center of Lynn Haven last summer.

Everyone agrees the increasing number of human-bear conflicts is due to availability of attractants, primarily household garbage. However, identifying the problem and solving it are two different things.

“If half the residents in a subdivision use bear-resistant garbage cans and the others don’t, bears are still going to come through the neighborhood to get at the unsecured garbage. That’s the dilemma,” Fussell said.

While it’s too simplistic to think there’s one solution to the problem, it will be a huge step in the right direction if more waste service companies and community leaders push for the availability of bear-resistant cans and residents are willing to use them.

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

By Robert Dokken Chartered Finacial Consultant

H

ere are some amusing tax facts gleaned from an article recently appearing on the efile website. You can read the entire piece by going to www. efile.com. The article is entitled Strange & Unusual Taxes throughout History from Around the World. According to efile.com: •Ancient Egypt taxed cooking oil, while Ancient Rome placed a tax on urine.

•European governments placed a tax on soap in the Middle Ages, but probably didn’t raise much money since few people bathed back then.

•Until 1960, England had a tax on playing cards.

•In 1712, England imposed a tax on printed wallpaper. Builders avoided the tax by hanging plain wallpaper and then painting patterns on the walls.

•In the 1700’s, England placed a tax on bricks. Builders soon realized that they could use bigger bricks (and thus fewer bricks) to pay less tax. Soon after, the government caught on and placed a larger tax on bigger bricks.

• Russia’s Peter the Great placed a tax on beards in order to promote the clean-shaven

sales, and many states tax marijuana sales, even though those sales are illegal.

• Chicagoans pay more tax on candy if it contains no flour.

• Texas imposes a special tax on strip clubs, affectionately known as a “pole tax.”

However, taxes fail to be funny when they target a group of people unfairly, such as the tax Canada levied on Chinese immigrants. In that same vein, many folks feel the current tax system in the United States is unfair as it shifts the tax burden to the “rich.” Of course, rich people don’t like that trend; unfortunately, you don’t have to make very much money before you find yourself counted as rich.

look that was common in Western Europe.

• Several European countries still have an annual tax on televisions... black and white TV tax is less than the tax on color TVs. Interestingly, if an Englishman is blind and owns a TV in his or her home, he or she still has to pay the tax, but only half of it, and England’s tax enforcers employ specially equipped vans that roam the streets with electronic gear designed to detect TVs in use.

• England used to have a tax on fireplaces and not found in the article... Germans still pay a tax on the rain that falls on their roofs.

• New York City has a cut bagel tax.

• Maine places a special tax on blueberries.

• California has its own special tax on fruit purchased in a vending machine.

• In Oregon, double amputees receive a $50 tax credit • People in Pennsylvania pay more tax if they carve, rather than eat their pumpkins.

• Tennessee requires drug dealers to anonymously pay tax on income from illegal drug

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

If your household income is more than $40,000 per year, you are in the 40% that pays almost all of our country’s income taxes.

If your household income is $100,000 per year or more, your group pays in excess of 90% of income taxes raised in the U.S. It hardly seems fair that 20% of the people pay 94% of the tax.

Some historians believe that the French tax on salt helped lead to the French Revolution. Let’s hope we see more equality in our tax system before our “rich” middle class revolts.

(Be sure to watch The Dokken Report In Depth on ABC TV, WMBB News 13 Saturdays 5:00 - 5:30 pm.

Robert is available for consultation.)

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(Be sure to watch The Dokken Report - In Depth on ABC TV, WMBB News 13 Saturdays 5:00 - 5:30 pm.

Robert is available for consultation.)

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Repairing the Red, White and Blue, and saving some green By: Airman 1st Class Alex Echols

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- “The American flag represents all of us and all the values we hold sacred,” said Adrian Cronauer, radio personality and former Air Force sergeant.

Walking into Hanger 5, there is a lot of noise around: people repairing equipment, industrial sewing machines running, and work going on in the parachute shop. Distractions aside, stepping into the center of the shop, it is impossible to overlook Old Glory.

A certain chill accompanies seeing an eight foot, 11.375 inch by 17 foot stars and stripes up close and spread out across a table, so

large it could cover a fully grown elephant. An Airman gathers it up onto a cart and wheels it over to one of the sewing machines.

That was Airman Mitchell’s first time repairing a flag by himself, but it will not be the last.

“We will repair any Air Force asset that we are able to repair until the needs for the base cease to exist,” Airman Mitchell said.

The airman is Airman 1st Class Tomas Mitchell, 325th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician. He and his colleagues are tasked with the important mission of repairing the flags on base in an effort to keep Tyndall’s flags in good shape and save the funds a replacement flag would cost.

According to Tech. Sgt. John Schmidt, 325th OSS aircrew flight equipment main shop NCO in charge, the base flags fly for three to four months on average.

During that time, they are subjected to the Florida weather.

“We repair and modify everything from Anti-G suits, parachutes, life rafts to life preservers for the pilots here,” Airman Mitchell said.

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

“The main causes of damage are the wind and rain,” said Sergeant Schmidt.

“The sun beats on it and

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degrades the material which causes it to rip. The wind also pulls on it, and the constant flapping tears the edges.”

“Each flag costs about $235. We are able to save that entire amount by fixing the flags and avoiding a replacement,” Sergeant Schmidt said.

The repair process typically can be completed in under an hour, but depending on the damage, can last up to two hours.

“We remove the damaged area if it is small enough,” said Sergeant Schmidt. “Basically, we make the flag a few inches shorter to get rid of the bad

parts. Then we fold over the edges again and sew it in the same manner it was originally sewn. On the flags, where the stripes are separating, typically we just refold the stripes together and sew it back together like it originally was.”

Group resource advisor, and he sees that they are properly retired with all the dignity and respect befitting our nation’s flag.

These same techniques can also be performed on personal flags to keep them flying longer.

“The seams and tattered edges can be resewn to add some extra life to them,” said Sergeant Schmidt.

“Small damaged areas can be removed or resewn depending on the extent of the damage. For smaller light weight flags, a small home sewing machine should suffice.”

“I order the flags as needed and keep them in my office,” Mr. Lopez said.

“When I am made aware of a flag becoming worn, I go out and do a visual. If they need replacing, I talk with security forces members who then sends a unit out to replace the flag. The worn flag is then bought to my office where I then store it until I have enough to turn over to the Boys Scouts or a veterans organization.”

On some flags the damage is so extensive repair is impossible. Those flags are handled by Mr. Alfredo Lopez, 325th Mission Support

These organizations hold traditional ceremonies in which a flag slated for “retirement” is methodically cut into smaller pieces

and incinerated. Afterwards, the ashes are collected and buried officially laying the flag to rest.

“Here on Tyndall, we as Airmen take the United States flag very serious,” said Sergeant Schmidt. “As aircrew flight equipment technicians we don’t just see it as some fabric sewn together that we are tasked to fix. It is very important, as it represents not only our country, but our installation, as well as our fellow servicemembers who served before us and the men and women who serve with us now who have ensured our freedom.

We always show respect to the flag.”

Mr. Lopez has been taking care of the base flags since 2008 and the entire process starts and ends with him.

“The flags were repaired

by Tech. Sgt Jamie Smith, [43rd Fighter Squadron previous parachute shop NCO in charge], Airman 1st Class Brian Sitarz, [325th OSS aircrew flight equipment

technician], and Airman 1st Class Tomas Mitchell,” said Sergeant Schmidt.

“They understood the importance of these flags and felt honored for the flags they repaired to be able to fly over Tyndall again.”

The pride in the work is exhibited by the tone in the Airmen’s voices.

“Knowing that I am actually repairing something that is going to be seen around the base, may not have my name embroidered on it or anything like that, but knowing that I actually had a hand in helping with something like that... Yeah, I do have a certain pride about that,” said Airman Mitchell. “It gives me a good feeling.”

Opposite Page Staff Sgt. Joshua Nelson, 325 Operations Support Squadron Aircrew Fighter Equipment, Tech Sgt. Jamie Smith, 43rd Fighter Squadron the previous parachute shop NCO in charge, and Airman 1st Class Tomas Mitchell, 325 OSS aircrew flight equipment technician, hold up an American flag on March 21 in Hanger 5 on Tyndall Air Force Base. They, along with their colleagues, repair the flags on base

Airman 1st Class Tomas Mitchell, 325 Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, repairs a base flag on March 21 in Hanger 5 on Tyndall Air Force Base. He and his colleagues are tasked with the repair of the flags on base

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

“If your community does not have a skatepark, your community is a skatepark” J. Leonard

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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Just My Opinion

By Jerrilynn Hadley, Esq. Lucky for us we have a Skate Board Park in Bay County.

What? You didn’t know that? Well it is a pretty well-kept secret.

It is a small park out on the beach. And just about worn out.

The County has done a great job keeping it open and maintained on a shoestring. But we need more!

the boards? Many are serious works of art, and all as individual as the kids themselves.

There are somewhere around 2,000 skateboard parks in this country and about 170 in the State of Florida, but only one small, heavily used park in our county. So where do sport enthusiasts go with their boards? Vacant lots, sidewalks, abandoned pools. Anyplace smooth that they can ride. And we are all aware of the problems this can cause. Building local parks has been proven to have some great benefits to the community.

Surveys have shown that crime rates drop significantly in areas where new parks open. Many parks attract local and national attention with their competitions. Major TV networks now televise these competitions and draw millions of spectators.

Skating athletes are now being favored by major sponsors, they are members of national and international organizations, and travel the world demonstrating their skills. Imagine holding those sort of events here on our beaches. Think of the new people that would be exposed to our beaches. Or just think of the new possibilities for (skate) tourism related businesses. If your kids, like mine, get a vote in where the family vacations, they might just pick a place with a skate park. In fact, my own little nonscientific survey indicates that many families spend a night in Tallahassee or Milton on their way to and from our beautiful beaches so their kids can hit the skate parks there.

The last U.S. Census documented 20 million skateboarders in America. That is about 6.8 percent of the population. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. More popular among children from age 6 to 16 than baseball. Surprised?

I’m not. It is fun. Kids are skating everywhere. Adults too. It is not just a sport, it is transportation, art work, a workout, a social event and more. The average skater is a young teenager but surprisingly most continue into their adult years and even share the sport with their children. And one more note: The number of girls on skateboards is on the rise. Somewhere around 20% of the skaters are girls. There are even clothing designers and board manufacturers that now focus on what girl-skaters want.

Our community needs multiple, safe, clean places for us to skate. The sport promotes self-esteem and long term healthy attitudes in our kids. How can that be anything but a win for our neighborhoods? Skate boarding attracts kids that don’t fit in with traditional team sports. Kids that want to express themselves as individuals in an athletic way. The kids I know that love the sport are as different and individual as your own kids are. Many of them are involved in other sports, like karate and running. Skate boarding, like other sports, requires a healthy mind and body. So the kids that are involved in the sport tend to shun drugs as they need to be focused on the tricks at hand.

Lots of these kids are artists. Have you ever stopped to look at

In my opinion, we need more and better skate board parks in our community. If you agree, let your local elected officials know. Stop by a local skate shop and get involved. Let me know what you think.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

CALENDAR of Events for Summer Kids Flicks

JULY

Beach Bash and Light Up The Gulf

July 2, 2013 - July 3, 2013 10:00am Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked The Grand Theatre

July 5, 2013 - July 6, 2013 Celebrate our independence day with a Fireworks Show and Sunset Cinema Movie.

Boardwalk Beach Resort

Watercolor Exhibit: Rebecca Broussard July 2, 2013 Bay County Public Library

Live Music with Randy Watson July 5, 2013 4:00pm-8:00pm Lime’s Bar & Grill

Summer Reading Program, Anna Banana Magic Show July 3, 2013 2:00pm Panama City Beach Library

Beach Paint Party

July 5, 2013 6:00pm Paint your own art treasure.

Palms Conference Center

Salute to Freedom

July 4, 2013 A festival celebrating America’s Independence The Panama City Marina

Grand Lagoon Waterfront Farmers’ Market July 6, 2013 8:00am-1:00pm Support your local Makers, Bakers and Growers Pirate’s Cove Marina

Beach Paint Party

July 4, 2013 6:00pm Paint your own art treasure.

Palms Conference Center

St. Andrews Waterfront Farmers’ Market July 6, 2013 8:00am-1:00pm Support your local Makers, Bakers and Growers St.Andrews Marina

Groovin’ On The Green July 4, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Showcasing the Rowdies Carillon Beach

Acrylic Painting: Seascapes/Tropical

Fourth Of July Fireworks Sail

July 6, 2013 9:00am-12:00pm With J. Bonaventura Gulf Coast State College

July 4, 2013 7:00pm Sail the bay and watch the fireworks Depart from Pirates Cove Marina inside Runaway Bay Rest. Gift Shop

Surf & Beach Activity Camp

July 6, 2013 9:30am-12:30pm Surfing, skimming, paddle boarding & kayaks - an all inclusive camp involving all these activities with lessons Rick Selter Public Park (Thomas Drive)

Summer Concert Series

July 4, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Star Spangled Spectacular, The Panama City POPS Orchestra and Fireworks display Aaron Bessant Park

Live Music with Brian Cairns July 6, 2013 4:00pm-8:00pm Lime’s Bar & Grill

Events are Subject to change

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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Live Music with Brian Cairns

Backstage Pass, Dread Clampitt

July 8, 2013 4:00pm-8:00pm Lime’s Bar & Grill

July 20, 2013 6:30pm Marina Civic Center

Groovin’ On The Green

Mixed Media Workshop

July 8, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Showcasing Sin Wagon Carillon Beach

July 21, 2013 9:00am-1:00pm With J. Bonaventura Gulf Coast State College

Summer Kids Flicks

July 9, 2013 - July 10, 2013 10:00am Hotel Transylvania The Grand Theatre

Groovin’ On The Green July 22, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Showcasing Beach Mice Carillon Beach

Summer Reading Program July 10, 2013 2:00pm Panama City Beach Library

Summer Kids Flicks

July 23, 2013 - July 24 , 2013 10:00am Zookeeper The Grand Theatre

Camp Broadway’s Krazy Kamp July 11, 2013 - July12, 2013 7:00pm Martin Theater

Summer Reading Program July 24, 2013 2:00pm Panama City Beach Library

The Little Mermaid

July 13, 2013 - July14, 2013 Presented by Mosley HS Drama Camp

David Mann “Mr. Brown” Panama City Artists’ Workshop July14, 2013 9:00am-12:00pm City Arts, 318 Luverne Panama City

July 27, 2013 7:00pm Comedy show Marina Civic Center

Groovin’ On The Green

Backstage Pass, Tidewater

July 15, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Showcasing Barbwire Carillon Beach

July 27, 2013 6:30pm Marina Civic Center

Glen Campbell Farewell Tour Concert

Groovin’ On The Green

July15, 2013 7:00pm Marina Civic Center

July 29, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Showcasing Ebb Tye’d Carillon Beach

Summer Kids Flicks

July 16, 2013 - July 17, 2013 10:00am Rio The Grand Theatre

Summer Kids Flicks

July 30, 2013 - July 31 , 2013 10:00am Ice Age: Continental Drift The Grand Theatre

Summer Reading Program July 17, 2013 2:00pm Panama City Beach Library

Summer Reading Program July 31, 2013 2:00pm Panama City Beach Library

Baybreeze Concert Series July 18, 2013 6:30pm-9:00pm Location: Panama City Marina

Events are Subject to change

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

CALENDAR of Events for

AUGUST

Beach Paint Party

St. Andrews Waterfront Farmers’ Market

August 1, 2013 6:00pm Paint your own art treasure.

Palms Conference Center

August 3, 2013 8:00am-1:00pm Support your local Makers, Bakers and Growers St.Andrews Marina

Summer Concert Series August 1, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm The Black Lillies Aaron Bessant Park

Live Music with Brian Cairns August 4, 2013 4:00pm-8:00pm Lime’s Bar & Grill

Backstage Pass, Jam Therapy

Groovin’ On The Green

August 2, 2013 6:30pm Marina Civic Center

August 5 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Showcasing Tony Vegas Carillon Beach

Live Music with Randy Watson

Summer Kids Flicks

August 2, 2013 4:00pm-8:00pm Lime’s Bar & Grill

August 6, 2013 - August 7, 2013 10:00am Pirates! Band of Misfits The Grand Theatre

Beach Paint Party

Summer Concert Series

August 2, 2013 6:00pm Paint your own art treasure.

Palms Conference Center

August 8, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Coastal Collective Aaron Bessant Park

Grand Lagoon Waterfront Farmers’ Market August 3, 2013 8:00am-1:00pm Support your local Makers, Bakers and Growers Pirate’s Cove Marina

Panama City Artists’ Workshop August 11, 2013 9:00am-12:00pm City Arts Panama City

Surf & Beach Activity Camp

August 3, 2013 9:30am-12:30pm Surfing, skimming, paddle boarding & kayaks - an all inclusive camp involving all these activities with lessons Rick Selter Public Park (Thomas Drive)

Summer Kids Flicks

August 13, 2013 - August 14, 2013 10:00am We Bought a Zoo The Grand Theatre

Live Music with Brian Cairns

Auditions: The Love List

August 3rd, 2013 4:00pm-8:00pm Lime’s Bar & Grill

August 13, 2013 - August 14, 2013 7:00pm Kaleidoscope Theatre, Lynn Haven

Events are Subject to change

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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T

Book Babies

Creative Con

August 14, 2013 9:30am Bay County Public Library

August 25, 2013 10:00am-2:00pm Bay County Public Library

Terrific Tots Story Time

Fall Bridal Fair

August 14, 2013 10:30am Bay County Public Library

August 25, 2013 Marina Civic Center

Book Babies

Summer Concert Series

August 28, 2013 9:30am Bay County Public Library

August 15, 2013 7:00pm-9:00pm Jesse Dee Aaron Bessant Park

Terrific Tots Story Time

USSSA Military World Tournament

August 28, 2013 10:30am Bay County Public Library

August 15, 2013- August 18, 2013 Frank Brown Park

Backstage Pass, Hulon

Baybreeze Concert Series

August 30, 2013 6:30 Marina Civic Center

August 15, 2013 6:30pm-9:00pm Panama City Marina

Extreme Volleyball Professionals SE Championships Tournament

Go Big or Go Home Band

August 31, 2013 Boardwalk Beach Resort

August 16, 2013 6:30pm-9:00pm Panama City based band playing all the greatest hits from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today.

Marina Civic Center

Backstage Pass, Sharon Carroll August 17, 2013 6:30pm Marina Civic Center

All the King’s Women

August 17, 2013 - August 18, 2013 7:30pm Kaleidoscope Theatre, Lynn Haven

Book Babies

August 21, 2013 9:30am Bay County Public Library

Terrific Tots Story Time August 21, 2013 10:30am Bay County Public Library

Backstage Pass, Heritage August 23, 2013 6:30pm Marina Civic Center

St. Andrews Waterfront Farmers’ Market

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

10 Minutes with

Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki

By Diane Mercado

More than a year has passed since Panama City Living Magazine visited with Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki. Since then he was inaugurated into his second term of office, having been unopposed. Though his service has not been without controversy, he takes it all in stride.

“I’ve always believed in speaking my mind and it really doesn’t matter who the audience is, what you see is what you get. Since I have served as mayor I don’t pull any punches. It’s better to be like that than not to be. I want to continue doing a good job for Panama City and make people proud of their city.

I want to continue building goodwill with all the cities and work toward the betterment of this whole area.”

Q. Why did you decide to run for the office of mayor?

A. “No one else seemed to want the job, but Panama City faces several issues,” Brudnicki replied. “I thought I could make a difference and I was tired of seeing Lynn Haven and Panama City Beach prospering and growing while we remained stagnant. Driving through town I saw so many areas that looked depressed and I knew there were things that needed to be done to improve the area that were just not getting done.”

$13 million loan City commissioners have procured, to finance a Marina Redevelopment Project. A large portion of the money will be used to replace the sea wall bulkheads that were built in the 1950’s. The bulkheads have gone way past their useful life. Though there have been band-aids put in place over the years, it is time to rebuild them.”

Brudnicki continued, “Once the infrastructure is made solid, the city will move forward in developing the land on and around the marina. Development plans include construction of a lighthouse, a surrounding park with a visitor center, a splash pad for children, an amphitheater on the lawn, a stage and a pavilion. A nearby plaza, where the Air Force jet used to be, will host a memorial walkway. The whole project is slated for completion by April 2016.”

The mayor had thought Panama City could build an aquarium, but once

he started doing research into other cities that have them he backed off.

“We’d have to spend too much money up front and it just wouldn’t be cost effective,” Brudnicki said. The mayor also indicated that he’d like to see City Hall relocated to one of the city’s other vacant buildings, so that the current building can be utilized or rented, generating revenues. When and if that happens he’d like to see the building and the old library next door re-purposed into retail space.

Q. What other areas of the city do you see needing improvement?

A. Brudnicki points to the thriving St. Andrews community as a prime example of how things can improve with determination and cooperation, something he’d like to see spread to other long-neglected areas.

“I’d like to see more of a focus on Millville,” he said. “We just got word

Brudnicki points to his experience as a seasoned CPA and proprietor of a successful funeral business. He has also worked as a treasurer and financial officer for other politicians and served on the boards of several major businesses, including Bay Medical Center.

Q. What are some of the things you have accomplished as mayor?

A. “A lot has happened in the past two years, moving the city into a better position to offer jobs and develop multiple uses for the downtown area, including the addition of residential units. Positive change continues with a Photo by Diane Mercado Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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this month (May) from the State of Florida that they plan to clean up the old transfer station near Joe Moody Harris Park. It has been a terrible eyesore for years.”

Brudnicki added, “A new pier, constructed last year on Watson Bayou in Millville, is part of a development plan that includes construction of a city park. This is an indication that progress is in motion. It just takes time.”

Q. What famous person would you like to have lunch with, and why?

A. “Walter E. Williams, a distinguished economics professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

He has authored hundreds of publications in scholarly journals, in addition to ten books. He is also a syndicated columnist.” Brudnicki said he befriended Williams several years ago, when Williams came to Panama City for a speaking engagement. The airport lost Williams’ luggage, and since the two men were of similar stature Brudnicki

ended up sharing a pair of boat shoes and clothing with Williams, so that he could be properly outfitted for a fishing trip.

“He is someone I communicate with regularly, but I don’t get to see as often as I’d like to. I admire his demeanor, his political views and how he conducts himself.”

Q. Tell us something that most people would not know about you.

A. “I’m a very spiritual person with deep-seated views of life. I am also a follower of Saint Thomas Aquinas. According to Wikipedia, Aquinas was an Italian philosopher and theologian who lived circa 1223. Aquinas combined theological principles with philosophical principles of reason, which ranked him among the most influential thinkers of medieval scholasticism. Aquinas said where reason leaves off, faith takes over, and I really believe that,” Brudnicki said.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Killer Food for the Conscious Gourmet

Chez Amavida

Article by Walter Burns Photos: Sean Dooley Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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in Historic St. Andrews

Historic St. Andrews is now home to another eclectic culinary destination. “Chez Amavida” is not just another café, it is a hotspot for the health and taste conscious gourmet. Guests are greeted by the delicious scent of freshly brewed coffee and tea, the cheerful sounds of music that will make one hum along, and the warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Having recently moved our headquarters to Historic St. Andrews, Panama City Living’s staff had been scouting around for a refuge from office chores and found Chez Amavida to be the perfect match. We quickly became frequent visitors and

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enthusiastic fans of the madefrom-scratch dishes at this stylish urban hangout, so we had to find out about the masterminds behind the scenes.

A few inquiries later we were sitting across from Chef Brandi Cook, and Owner Phill Mercer.

The two met while working in the service industry and shared a dream of owning a café and restaurant which would match their personalities and their own high demands in quality food and sustainable sourcing of ingredients.

Both set out on a quest for quality, which led them to yet another like-minded individual.

Dan Bailey is the founder and

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July |- July August 2013 2013 www.PanamaCityLiving.com - August

owner of Amavida who, since 2004, built trade contacts with small worker-owned farming cooperatives in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.

Amavida is now an importer, roaster, and purveyor of organic and fair trade specialty coffees. He also organizes frequent fundraisers for Amavida’s “Love Life” Interfaith Program. Phill and Brandi immediately identified with the concept of fair trade, and with the idea of conducting a business with a strong ethical foundation and a sense of fairness.

Amavida, with its strong ethics and business concepts, supplied the foundation that would help to create Chez Amavida and ex-

tend it far beyond just a coffee shop. We were thoroughly impressed when Phill launched into a detailed explanation of the intricate techniques and art of coffee making, how the temperature and quality of the water make a huge difference, and how different origins lend different flavor notes to the finished cup. Phill explains, “With proper technique, a great cup of coffee would ideally be 18 to 22 percent extraction of the bean. However, when it comes to flavored coffee drinks, it boils down to personal preference.”

his ventures to mean something, to be personal, and to help the community. He wants to spread the word and promote the lifestyle.

Brandi describes her dedication to fresh locally sourced food as a lifestyle. “Cooking has always been my passion and I will never get tired of trying new recipes.” She invested four months of meticulous research, tastings, cooking and negotiating to put together a hearty menu of soups, fresh salads, burst-of-flavor entrees, and savory and sweet waffles. Through her creations, Chez Amavida has become the unique place it is - a place beyond comparison for miles around. Every one of her dishes, except for

Phill shows a genuine interest when he talks about teas, coffees, sustainable living and fair trade. He wants

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made with caramelized bananas and housemade caramel, and her “Sunshine Blueberry Muffin” (made with lemon zest and fresh blueberries that are being freshly picked just north of Bay County, at their landlord Dr. Schwartz’s farm). Phill adds that one of his favorites is the above mentioned Beef Burgundy.

the Beef Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy), a Julia Child recipe, is her very own succulent and savory creation. She takes immense pride in her cooking skills, and points out that her attention to using the freshest and best local ingredients are part of the success. She found a great local supplier right in St Andrews.

The Farmish Market supplies her with all of the freshest locally grown ingredients local farmers have to offer.

And while the dishes on her menu will probably rarely change, she will vary the fresh ingredients by what is available in the season.

Whenever possible, the pair works handin-hand to help other businesses succeed because they wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for other local businesses helping them along.

To satisfy the sweet tooth, Southern Craft Creamery in Marianna is the supplier of handcrafted ice cream (made

She identifies two items that guests absolutely have to try: the “Chez Bananas Foster,”

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using milk from their own dairy cows). “They make a coffee and turmeric ginger ice cream that was inspired by Amavida, using Amavida’s coffee and Rishi’s turmeric ginger tea.

KaraBoo Bakery out of Destin creates our pastries (from scratch), and makes daily deliveries, just in time to accompany the perfect morning coffee.”

With their supple and tasteful menu, Chez Amavida delivers everything but your average cup of coffee in Historic St. Andrews. The name alone is a statement to a lifestyle – it combines two Spanish words “amar” (to love) and “vida” (life) and symbolizes the core beliefs of its creators.

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July |- July August 2013 2013 www.PanamaCityLiving.com - August

Tyndall Turns 71 Years Old By: Ashley M. Wright TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Dec. 7, 1941 lives in infamy for a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Earlier that day, the Florida panhandle celebrated as the gates to Tyndall opened.

Two thousand students arrived that day, according to the base history pamphlet. The base located 12 miles southeast of Panama City, Fla. was chosen as a site for a gunnery school a year earlier.

Tyndall was named in honor of Lt. Francis B. Tyndall, a Sewall Point, Fla. native, according to the 2013 annual economic analysis. The lieutenant shot down four German aircraft in World War I behind enemy lines, but was killed in a 1930 plane crash in North Carolina.

In 1939, congress saw the possibility of war and allotted $6 million for training sites in Maryland and Florida, said Mr. Ted Roberts, 325th Fighter Wing historian.

“Saw the possibility,” is something still in the minds of Team Tyndall Airmen today.

“Since April 15, 1953, no American ground troop has been fired upon from the air by an enemy aircraft. This legacy and incredible heritage is a testament to the men and women that have devoted their time and energy to air superiority,” said Lt. Col. Lance Wilkins, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron commander, at the QF-16 arrival ceremony.

The QF-16 is undergoing testing by Boeing at Tyndall to replace the QF-4 drones currently used as aerial targets for pilots. The 82nd ATRS is part of the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, located here, which provides the personnel and infrastructure to test and evaluate weapons utilized by the combat air forces of the United States and its allies. The group operates the only full-scale aerial drones in the Defense Department.

In order to continue ensuring the protection of ground troops for the next 59 years, someone must see the possibility of new, emerging threats.

Training on the first 5th generation aircraft, the F-22 Raptor, is the heart of Team Tyndall today. The 325th Fighter Wing mission is to train and project unrivaled combat power and is just one of the ways Team Tyndall works to counter those “possibilities” every day.

In the time passed from 1941, more than 65 different aircraft have called Tyndall home, according

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to the history pamphlet. The gunnery school stayed active during the war. In 1943 alone, the students expanded 56 million rounds of .30-caliber ammunition and 12 million rounds of .50-caliber ammunition. At the same time, the 325th Fighter Group was practicing their motto of “Locare et Liquidare,” or Locate and Liquidate, on enemy aircraft.

“On Sept. 26, 2003 the 325th Fighter Wing became the ‘Home of Air Dominance Training’ with the arrival of its first F-22 Raptor,” according to the wing fact sheet. “The 325th Fighter Wing [was] the first unit to receive and employ the F-22 in an operational training capacity.”

The 325th FW consists of more than 4,000 personnel who train F-22 pilots, intelligence officers, maintainers and other specialties today.

In addition to the training of air dominance pilots, the base will welcome an operational F-22 squadron. Tyndall transferred from Air Education and Training Command to Air Combat Command Oct. 1 allowing the Air Force to consolidate F-22s.

The reassignment was the first step in bringing a combat-coded F-22 squadron, T-38 Talon detachment and just over 1,000 additional Airmen to Tyndall.

While none of the 325th FW personnel of today are as famous as movie star, Clark Gable, who trained in the gunnery school at Tyndall nearly seven decades earlier each maintainer, security forces, support personnel are all a part of that combat power mission.

Another unit watching for threats is First Air Force, headquartered on Tyndall.

“Since Sept. 11, 2001, Air Forces Northern has been the lead agency for Operation Noble Eagle in the Continental United States,” according to the unit fact sheet. “Its continuing mission is to protect the United States from terrorist air attack from inside or outside the contiguous United States. First Air Force accomplishes this task by providing surveillance and command and control for air defense forces 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

The unit’s deep history traces its roots to 1941, as one of the four original numbered air forces.

In 1942, the group conducted shore-based, antisubmarine operations flying Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortresses” from Langley Field, Va., the fact sheet reads. Today, the sole responsibility of ensuring the

air sovereignty and air defense of the continental United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico falls with the First Air Force.

Tyndall also trains the eyes in skies for America’s battlespaces.

The 337th Air Control Squadron at Tyndall trains air battle managers through a nine-month course that includes preparing them for duty aboard the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and the E-8 Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (J-STAR) aircraft.

The squadron’s primary responsibility includes training all U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve officers in command and control mission execution as air battle managers in a variety of weapons systems in support of air expeditionary forces worldwide.

Air battle managers’ primary responsibilities include providing command

and control in the battlespace and ensuring combat aircraft find, identify and destroy their targets.

The base hosts numerous additional tenant units, and the 325th FW supports 23,000 airmen, civilians, contractors and their families. Additionally, the base adds more than $570 million in local economic impact to the surrounding communities.

The base includes more than 29,000 acres, according to the annual economic impact analysis.

Today, while walking along the Tyndall beaches, one can still find .50-caliber shells used in the gunnery school, said Mr. Roberts.

If one times it right, you might hear the sounds of freedom from the F-22s while picking up a 71-year-old piece of Air Force history

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Col. David E. Graff, Wing Commander 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB

www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Don’t you love it when someone makes life easy?

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Historic St. And

Johanna Hoskins with Millville Treasures

Gwen Morrison in front of her son’s restaurant “The Shrimp Boat”

Dennis Boggs selling the Best Wigglers in Town, his crafted fishing lures

Fresh Shrimp

Oaks By The Bay Park - perfect spot for events

Hunt’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Resturant

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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drews Village

Patricia, one of the two owners of The White Elephant Thrift Cottage

Getting ready for the next dive trip

Eddie Roy and Eddie O - shucking oysters at Hunt’s Oyster Bar

Vendors at St. Andrews Water Front Farmers Market

Cassidy Carow (far right) giving Baby Boot Camp instructions at the park

Wide selection of vintage and antique furniture at “Design Salvage”

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

A Walk Around Historic St. Andrews’ Businesses

Panama City Living Magazine | July - August 2013

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

Commercial fishermen working offshore aboard the Longliner “Longshot� in the Gulf of Mexico, south west of Panama City and Photos of the Longshot docked at St. Andrews Marina.

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

BOYD FPO

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Advertiser’s Index Barry’s Battery Warehouse . ................................. 57 Bay Landscape & Palm Service, LLC................... 17 Bay Walk-In Clinic...................................... 38,39,76 Biz Bro Business Brokers...................................... 45 Boardwalk Beach Resort....................................... 47 Boyd Brothers Printing......................................... 72 Captain’s Table Restaurant................................... 17 Completely Pampered Spa...................................... 4 Covenant Hospice................................................. 13 The Dokken Report.............................................. 46 Doral Bank............................................................ 30 Dr. David Huston OD PA...................................... 65 EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP, INC............ 2 ENCO Electronic Systems.................................... 26 Eurasian Garages, Inc........................................... 37 FREEDOM BOAT CLUB..................................... 65 Goldsmith Jewelry................................................. 30 Gravestone Cleaning Service................................ 13 Gulf Coast Medical Center................................... 57 Hadley Law P.A...................................................... 30 St. Andrew’s Waterfront Farmer’s Market........... 65 Magic Broadcasting II........................................... 74 Medical Cosmetic Center/Dr. Ivers....................... 13 Newby’s Trading Company.................................... 75 Payroll Services, Inc.............................................. 30 Panama City Plastic Surgery................................ 23 Trustmark Bank.................................................... 64

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www.PanamaCityLiving.com | July - August 2013

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