After first year on the school board…
Editor, The Sun:
Good Afternoon Bill:
As my first year on the Wakulla County School Board has come to an end, I want to take the time to give appreciation for all of the support that I have received.
- I want to thank my fellow board members (Melisa Taylor, Cale Langston, Josh Brown, Laura Lawhon) for their patience and guidance.
- I want to show my appreciation to the Administrators in the county for always fielding my calls and helping resolve issues, no matter how big or small.
- Thank you to all of our AMAZING teachers, bus drivers, support staff, and volunteers as you are shaping the future of our county, state, and country.
- A special thank you to all of our wonderful parents who have entrusted me to make decisions that will help shape their children(s) future.
- I realize that I have not always been the most popular board member; however, I believe that I have made the best decisions for our students, parents, teachers, and staff.. I will continue to make the best “informed” decisions that I can for the betterment of our District.
- I want to thank the community for their unwavering support. Many of you have been there to pick me up when I was down, give me encouraging words, and just kept reminding me to keep doing what is right.
- Lastly, I want show my appreciation for my family, especially, my wife (Tayna) and kids (Gage, Joe, Easton, and Taylyn) for their support and understanding when I am pulled away for different reasons.
Now, on to Year #2!
May God Bless You. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Warmest Regards,
Edward “Eddie” Hand, BSHA
School Board Member – District 1
Marj Law’s column is service to community
Editor, The Sun:
Dear Mr. Snowden,
As a regular reader of the Wakulla Sun, I have found myself looking forward to the writings of Marj Law. I met her some months ago at the sheriff’s gun range. Her writing is clear and feels like she is sitting across from the reader at a dining room table. She is dedicated to the safe use of firearms for recreation and self-defense. There is an emphasis on women and others who are new to Firearms.
Women are usually smaller and have smaller hands and less and arm strength. Women find many firearms too heavy, difficult to chamber a cartridge and the firearms have an uncomfortable rough recoil. People need a proper firearm that fits their hand and arm strength. They will then practice and develop the skills necessary to use it safely.
When shooting a firearm, it must always fire when needed and never fire accidentally. Fumbling with an unfamiliar safety or an empty chamber is a formula for disaster when you need it most. Practice and developing skills are necessary for safe ownership and use of a firearm. Annie Oakley taught 15,000 women how to shoot and wished to teach many more. She and Marj believe that self defense should be done safely, effectively and very well.
Perhaps Marj Law’s efforts and insight should be shared with other community papers similar to the Wakulla Sun. You and Marj should continue to keep up the good work and service to the community. She is a real asset to Wakulla county.
Respectfully,
Gregory Rawling
Delray Beach
Rather have bears than development
Editor, The Sun:
“Please, please drive carefully! About 6:30 this evening, Jack and I were on Hwy 319 in Crawfordville on the way to Publix, and an oncoming car turned left just a few yards in front of me and stopped, completely blocking my lane. I braked hard and barely avoided hitting it. A little further up the road, a bear ran up a steep bank on the right shoulder, entering the road and crossing directly in front of me. I hit the brakes a second before I hit the bear. He kept running, and I don’t know how badly he was hurt. My car is damaged but drivable and we are okay. There was no way to avoid him. With a lot more traffic on the roads, and more and more animals displaced by uncontrolled development, it’s very dangerous driving, day or night. Please, please be careful!!!”
Those are the words that Jane Brand posted on her Facebook page on December 12th.
The unfortunate bear that we smashed into came bolting out of one of the remaining strips of forested land in the midst of the Crawfordville’s cluttered carscape. It’s only a matter of time before the woods are scraped away. The property is adorned with Wakulla County’s Planning and Zoning change signs, so the bear will have no place to hide. Some people reading Jane’s post that will immediately cry that there are too many bears: I say there are too many developers, contractors, speculators and realtors that are tearing our county to shreds. Bear in mind that bears mind their own business. Omnivorous they are, but mostly they go about their lives eating berries, fruits, sedges, insects, leaves and grass. So what’s a bear to do when their natural foods and cover are bulldozed away to make way for new subdivisions?
Likely they return to their familiar habitats, but instead of finding their normal food, they raid the garbage cans filled with delectables and make a mess. But their mess is nothing compared to unbearable disarray that our four county commissioners have made by granting endless comp plan revisions for subdivisions.
Without planning or traffic studies, and wiping their feet on the comprehensive plan, they have created a nightmare of car crashes and death. Not a day goes by that you don’t hear the wail of sirens and see the flashing blue and red lights headed for wrecks. Look around as you drive by, the roadsides are littered with road kill death: deer, possums, raccoons, otters, birds, smashed turtles, crushed snakes and alligators.
Some people say there are too many bears and demand that FWC should open hunting season on them again. I say NO! I much prefer the big furry creatures that are happy eating a fish or honeycomb or two, over avaricious land speculators and realtors. They will never be satisfied and will always want more and more and more. County Commissioners Quincee Messersmith, Ralph Thomas, Fred Nichols and Mike Kemp, with your insatiable greed and rising taxes that impact your neighbors, you have become unbearable! Come election time, you have to go and take your developer county manager and attorney with you. Only the beleaguered Chuck Hess who consistently votes against all your misdeeds should remain.
Jack Rudloe
President
Gulf Specimen Marine Lab
Thanks to staff at Walmart
Editor, The Sun:
The Coastal Community Association of Gulf County Elves wanted to give a shout out to the wonderful hospitality and helpfulness of the staff at the Crawfordville Walmart during our shopping spree for the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office Toy Drive. The elves traveled two hours from Port St. Joe to buy presents for over 100 children in Gulf County to ensure that there would be presents under their trees.
For the past 5 years the elves have made the trek to Crawfordville because of the great staff at Walmart. They have always welcomed our crew of 10 ladies blocking up the aisles, asking “Where is the slime,” and taking over two hours to check out with the cashiers. This year we filled 16 buggies.
We wanted to thank Delores, a manager, and the cashiers, Alyson, and Stephanie, who never lost their sense of humor and their efficiency as they checked out our mass of toys, clothes, and shoes. The on-floor stocking staff was great too, answering our questions and pointing us in the right direction. We even got customers involved with our searches.
This year the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office will be supplying over 325 deserving children in Gulf County with gifts under their trees. We are so blessed to be a part of this endeavor and so appreciate the Walmart staff for joining us in this project….
Gulf County Elves
