New big blue signs in SoWal

[Hurricane]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

Years ago, there was another columnist and, unlike Del, this dude had a daily column we had to suffer through. Can't think of his name right now, and it was hard to miss this guy's ramblings since he was on the front page of the Local/State section. I think he was former military, but he was NOT the one who had a part in The Truman Show. The main things I remember was that he had recently quit smoking, and about three times a week he would either make reference to his new, healthy lifestyle or take the opportunity to bash smokers. However, many of his other columns referenced his many evenings at the Emerald Coast's infamous watering holes. He thought himself quite the social butterfly. I met him once, and found that he was a drunken, self-important pompous @ss.

The final straw for me was when, in a column mentioning something that was being held at Seaside, he gushed about "that place just makes me WIGGLY!" Thank God they finally ran him off.

Of course, my favorite guy at the Daily News is Tom McLaughlin. He'd have a ball in the Politics forum.

Was it Bill Campbell's column that you're thinking of?

 

[ShallowsNole]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

Was it Bill Campbell's column that you're thinking of?

That's it. I've already been pm'd by a couple of folks that used to enjoy him. To each his own, I guess.

 

[beachmouse]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

I'm really thinking about writing a letter to the editor about this. The column bothered me because what you guys did proved that any community can change something it doesn't like. If he was busy organizing people to get the treatment plant under control instead of this rant, maybe he could get something bothersome in his area changed as well.

The sewer relocation plan involved moving it to Eglin land, and that, I kid thee not, involves going one step short of an act of Congress in order to get a lease approved. There were at least 3-4 times I can remember where Eglin told the county that the lease was going to get approved by someone in DC Real Soon Now and it kept getting pushed back and pushed back by the Pentagon. They're nothing like dealing with state/county officials.

As for Daily News columnists, the last one I read regularly was Julie Nichols. Just don't find the rest of them very interesting.

 

[Alicia Leonard]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

The sewer relocation plan involved moving it to Eglin land, and that, I kid thee not, involves going one step short of an act of Congress in order to get a lease approved. There were at least 3-4 times I can remember where Eglin told the county that the lease was going to get approved by someone in DC Real Soon Now and it kept getting pushed back and pushed back by the Pentagon. They're nothing like dealing with state/county officials.

As for Daily News columnists, the last one I read regularly was Julie Nichols. Just don't find the rest of them very interesting.

Thank you. I knew I had heard of it but wasn't sure what its status was. You seem to be more informed than Mr. Stone according to his column.

 

[tofu]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

I usually do as well SN. I think it was a small scent of hypocrisy in this article that bothered me. He says in one breath that the people against the signs were somehow trivial for organizing and stopping a government entity from running roughshod over a neighborhood and then in another breath complained about something in his, he has to drive by and smell, but is willing to do nothing about. Why complain or minimize someone who is willing to take a stand, when you are not?


But then again, maybe, I need more coffee and I will be less irritable this morning

I can kind of see where you are coming from on this comment, but are you sure that the part in the second half is serious? I don't think he's seriously complaining. He mentioned the bad smell but said "authorities are wondering what to do," rather than something like "authorities still haven't done anything." In fact to me the second part seemed a lot like the first part, making a satirical statement that there are bigger issues to worry about. But maybe I'm reading it wrong.

 

[Matt J]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

Yeah, that news story killed my old relationship pretty quick.

 

[Hop]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

I was thinking about this thread a little while i exercised on our beautiful 30-A..not so much the article itself because i enjoy satire and irony as much as the next guy, but it seemed to me like kind of a red herring...and I can't help but feel like if he really thinks that, then he doesn't know us very well. The guy obviously resents the area...and i must agree that there is some gross excess...but on the whole..SoWal (which he is writing directly about IMHO) is so much deeper than that. If that's how he sees it fine, but the real SoWal, and why it is so unique is that we are truly, for the most part, a big melting pot middle class from all over the place. We are average folks who happen to share a common love for this area. He may be surprised to find that most of us aren't super wealthy or extravagant. We have a grayt middle of the road population here from servers to restaurateurs, artists, teachers, incredible musicians, modest business folks. We tend to share an esthetic for beauty (which is why the signs were not a fit) Anyway...i never really enjoy negative cynicism...maybe i'll just press my ignore button when I see his name on a column...;-)

 

[Hurricane]

Re: Del Stone on the Big Blue Signs

I was thinking about this thread a little while i exercised on our beautiful 30-A..not so much the article itself because i enjoy satire and irony as much as the next guy, but it seemed to me like kind of a red herring...and I can't help but feel like if he really thinks that, then he doesn't know us very well. The guy obviously resents the area...and i must agree that there is some gross excess...but on the whole..SoWal (which he is writing directly about IMHO) is so much deeper than that. If that's how he sees it fine, but the real SoWal, and why it is so unique is that we are truly, for the most part, a big melting pot middle class from all over the place. We are average folks who happen to share a common love for this area. He may be surprised to find that most of us aren't super wealthy or extravagant. We have a grayt middle of the road population here from servers to restaurateurs, artists, teachers, incredible musicians, modest business folks. We tend to share an esthetic for beauty (which is why the signs were not a fit) Anyway...i never really enjoy negative cynicism...maybe i'll just press my ignore button when I see his name on a column...;-)

I couldn't agree more!

BTW, I drive a minivan.

 

[TreeFrog]

Call me clueless...


I didn't know about the TDC decision until I belatedly picked up this weekend's Walton Sun today.

Wow! Talk about the power of community action.

Sincere thanks to all who worked to organize and present the case, and to those at the TDC board with the wisdom to accept it in the constructive spirit with which I know it was presented.

I really regret not having the opportunity to join in on this issue, due to an oppressive work and travel schedule. Next time!

Wouldn't it be great if organizing and tackling the sign issue shows us the way to work on other pressing SoWal issues like public/private beach, dune lake preservation, and high rises on the north side of the bay?

Again, sincere thanks to all.

 

[swantree]

Call me clueless...


I didn't know about the TDC decision until I belatedly picked up this weekend's Walton Sun today.

Wow! Talk about the power of community action.

Sincere thanks to all who worked to organize and present the case, and to those at the TDC board with the wisdom to accept it in the constructive spirit with which I know it was presented.

I really regret not having the opportunity to join in on this issue, due to an oppressive work and travel schedule. Next time!

Wouldn't it be great if organizing and tackling the sign issue shows us the way to work on other pressing SoWal issues like public/private beach, dune lake preservation, and high rises on the north side of the bay?

Again, sincere thanks to all.

i agree here with TF...if we SoWal are the major tax base wouldn't it seem that we should be in the fight for that side of the bay to keep the height limitation to the standard set on 30a? I know this is off on a tangent but..a point of interest!:scratch: as a person whom looks north from our home....i wouldn't want to be looking at some big ol' condo's. "unless they had blue signs on the top of them"