New big blue signs in SoWal

Re: Blue Signs in the Paper Today

Thanks for posting, Yippie. I believe Andy needs to check his head count; it was SRO, and the library holds 100 people; there were about 30 people outside. It was a great night!

Re: Big Day Today!!

Like the video. That is some quick editing work.

Makes you really wish you had been there!!!!
Of course the visitors could see the signs, you can't miss them :shock:, but why are they so UGLY?? They truly are an abomination and are a slap to the integrity of the area!

Re: Big Day Today!!

Hey...where were you tonight?! I thought I was getting a birthday present of right wing economic theory propaganda!

I'm so sad.

I got there late. Was in the back. I am still trying to find the book I want to send you. PM me your address so when I do I can drop it in the mail.

Re: Blue Signs in the Paper Today

Please make note that the above quote was not made by me. It was part of the article written in the paper. Thanks.

True...sorry I did not mean to make it appear as though the quote was yours! It was directly for the article and was a quote of Theo Farnsworth. I'll edit!
Thanks for posting the article

Re: Blue Signs in the Paper Today

Not everyone is upset with the signs, but voices of approval were few. Theo Farnsworth of Point Washington said after the meeting that the signs help visitors.
?Traffic flows so much better (on CR 30A) because they (visitors) know where they are going,? he said.

Wow, so the county has already done a traffic study and released the results? I missed that.

Re: Blue Signs in the Paper Today

My only comment would be that from where I was sitting, the it wasn't the crowd that seemed grumpy. Tracy Louthain spent more time admonishing the crowd to not clap than was wasted by sporadic clapping. And then, after reading the workshop rules that asked breakout groups to generate ideas for working with what we have, she invited those that insisted they wanted the signs removed and felt that should be an option on the table to leave if they couldn't abide by the rules.

I was very proud of the community for insisting upon having the right to speak freely.

Re: Blue Signs in the Paper Today

My only comment would be that from where I was sitting, the it wasn't the crowd that seemed grumpy. Tracy Louthain spent more time admonishing the crowd to not clap than was wasted by sporadic clapping. And then, after reading the workshop rules that asked breakout groups to generate ideas for working with what we have, she invited those that insisted they wanted the signs removed and felt that should be an option on the table to leave if they couldn't abide by the rules.

I was very proud of the community for insisting upon having the right to speak freely.

I have conducted and participated in hundreds of workshops over the years--both governmental entitites and corporate--I have never before been in a workshop where the Facilitator set down the Ground Rules without "buy in" from the audience! Where does this attitude come from? And to whom do we complain? TDC staff needs to understand they are govenmental employees...they work for the citizens!

Re: Blue Signs in the Paper Today

The above quote was from Theo Farnsworth and taken from the article.

Don't they get the point that any signs would help visitors find their way around 30-A??? Why do the signs have to be so tacky? We are not against having signs, they should just be more in keeping with the "feel" of the area! Not so dang "touristy" like Disney or Myrtle Beach
To me, those signs are an affront to the integrity of the beautiful area they are supposed to represent.

I guess you have to know Theo.

One note for the record, News Channel 13 (ABC) out of Panama City, incorrectly reported last night, that only $160,000 was spent on the signs. $260,000 was the actual number.

A big thanks to PJ's for bringing the coffee to the meeting last night.

I stood at the back of the room for most of the session specifically to count heads as there is always controversy about how many people were there after this type of event. Each half of the room held roughly 60 people who were seated. There were probably 15 standing against the back wall, 5 to 10 sitting on the floor in the middle aisle and a good number crowded into the lobby that I didn't count. I also heard that folks were being barred from entrance due to the crowd. Therefore, it is a conservative estimate that about 150 to 175 people were there.

That is an important number when one considers that the TDC hired a company to poll visitors the first week of March regarding their opinion of the new signs. If I remember correctly, 150 people were contacted via telephone over the course of 10 days, and in general the poll respondants voiced a favorable impression of the signage. This poll is no doubt ammo that will be used in the future to 'prove' that the family of signs is a successful marketing tool. Of course, 150 people is a pathetically small sample, especially when it is biased;as I understand it, the names and numbers were people (snowbirds) who stopped in to the TDC office to get direction(free stuff;-)).

After most people departed I sat up front. As we were about to adjourn I attempted, fruitlessly, to get the gentleman who I think is the director to go on the record and estimate the percentage of those in attendence that wanted the signs removed versus those who proposed alteration with paint, ivy, palms etc. Of course, he wouldn't do this...I think two people in attendance (Theo, named above) and another lady wanted the signs to remain and be worked on. The other 100+ wanted them gone, demonstrating that greater than 90% of those in attendance wanted removal.

I promise everyone that at April's TDC meeting the paint/palm ideas will be given equal consideration as total removal, which is of course absurd. We need to remind the TDC that the majority (or supermajority as somebody put it last night) of citizens who cared enough to attend want the signs gone, not palmed-up or painted. That is just putting lipstick on the pig.

I forgot to say-TDC lurkers...

We need to remind the TDC that the majority (or supermajority as somebody put it last night) of citizens who cared enough to attend want the signs gone, not palmed-up or painted. That is just putting lipstick on the pig.

It might be time to have that demonstration that Mr. Walborsky spoke of back at the February TDC meeting. I'll cook the lipsticked-pig.

Hey, maybe the TDC will be hiring (how much did that cost?) Opinion and Research to conduct another poll on the signs using the names and contact info for those who showed up? Isn't that just as valid a sample as snowbirds who stop at the TDC building? I will be waiting by the phone...

To be fair, they may have been Spring Breakers, given the small time period of the last two weeks in which the reactionary, defensive study was conducted. That said, the study is absolutely worthless when they don't consider whether or not this was their first visit to SoWal. If in the past, those people were used to Panama City Beach, Ft Walton, Disney World, etc, the signs wouldn't stand out at all. Also, Spring Breakers care about very few things -- being away from work or school, sitting in the sun on the beach, eating, drinking, and maybe if it's raining, they also care about shopping. Most could care less about a sign. They obviously don't read the signs anyway, judging by the great numbers of people who attempt to drive two-wheel-drive cars on the beach, and the number of people who drown from rip-currents, in the water in front of the big blue signs on the beach, demonstrating how to swim out of rip currents and the beach flag legends.

That Study was nothing but another waste of tax payer money in a purely defensive mode, and it shows that they TDC doesn't care about their third sentence in their Mission Statement, which should actually be first on their list of three.

Hey, maybe the TDC will be hiring (how much did that cost?) Opinion and Research to conduct another poll on the signs using the names and contact info for those who showed up? Isn't that just as valid a sample as snowbirds who stop at the TDC building? I will be waiting by the phone...

To be fair, they may have been Spring Breakers, given the small time period of the last two weeks in which the reactionary, defensive study was conducted. That said, the study is absolutely worthless when they don't consider whether or not this was their first visit to SoWal. If in the past, those people were used to Panama City Beach, Ft Walton, Disney World, etc, the signs wouldn't stand out at all. Also, Spring Breakers care about very few things -- being away from work or school, sitting in the sun on the beach, eating, drinking, and maybe if it's raining, they also care about shopping. Most could care less about a sign. They obviously don't read the signs anyway, judging by the great numbers of people who attempt to drive two-wheel-drive cars on the beach, and the number of people who drown from rip-currents, in the water in front of the big blue signs on the beach, demonstrating how to swim out of rip currents and the beach flag legends.

That Study was nothing but another waste of tax payer money in a purely defensive mode, and it shows that they TDC doesn't care about their third sentence in their Mission Statement, which should actually be first on their list of three.

One more thing -- These signs are only the beginning of a huge sign campaign being put on by the TDC (Beaches of South Walton) which will be County Wide. My question is, why should an organization geared to South Walton, be in charge of erecting signs in the other parts of the County? They have already shown that when they get close to the Bay, they don't know what the ef they are doing. ex- erecting a sign at the south side of the bridge, welcoming everyone to Walton County, like they haven't already been in Walton County for miles, and miles and miles.

While I'm on a roll, I was giving the interim Director of the TDC the benefit of the doubt until I heard his presentation last night.

Regarding the Board of the TDC, I was glad to see the Chairman and three other Board Members show up and listen to the show. Shame on the other members who were not present.

While I'm on a roll, I was giving the interim Director of the TDC the benefit of the doubt until I heard his presentation last night.

Regarding the Board of the TDC, I was glad to see the Chairman and three other Board Members show up and listen to the show. Shame on the other members who were not present.

Did you really think Mr. Brannon would be there?

To be honest, I wasn't expecting any Board members to show up.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting any Board members to show up.

Which board members did not show up????? I think their names need to be on this thread.

You don't show your name.

Did you really think Mr. Brannon would be there?

In Scott's defense (ducking for cover), I believe that they were all in Tallahassee yesterday. He did have his administrative assistant present taking notes.

I'm sure they don't want to be listed. If they did, you might actually be able to find their names on a site like www.beachesofsouthwalton.com. I think finding Smiling JOe might be easier. However, since the TDC hasn't even updated their own directors on the website, I wouldn't expect them to actually update the list of Board of Directors. They still have Brad Pickel and Kris Titus featured as employees. I like this part of the header of Kris Titus' page, "Beaches of South Walton appreciates media coverage. We do our best to offer the most current and accurate images, story ideas, fast facts, backgrounders, or b-roll footage." I'm beginning to wonder if Mr Pickel took the password to the TDC webpage when he departed. (just kidding), but someone needs to get the TDC on its feet.


Yes, Scott's Admin Assistant was present.

That said, the study is absolutely worthless when they don't consider whether or not this was their first visit to SoWal.

Unfortunately, I was not at the meeting, but I am missing something here. I watched the video and what I saw was the survey asking people only if they saw the signs, not what their opinion about the, just if they saw them. Again, I was not at the meeting and only watched the short video clip.

But, really, what difference does it make whether people saw them? They simply don't fit in with the message that 30-A send out. Quaint, laid back and ... frankly paradise.

That video didn't cover the entire story -- just some snip-its. It was well-done, but but I doubt it was meant to convey the entire story. The Study covered more info, such as, did the 150 tourists, whom were polled, people like the signs.