PC International Airport breaking ground - 11/1/07

Yeah...no band, no balloons and no snacks!!! Pete Rummell asked me to pretend to be a member of the Press and ask questions. Charlie & I split a bag of Krystal Chiks I bought. I got bit by a raccoon. It was not the fun time I had been promised in my e-mail invitation.




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You must expect coon bites in the middle 'o nowhere.

Yeah...no band, no balloons and no snacks!!! Pete Rummell asked me to pretend to be a member of the Press and ask questions. Charlie & I split a bag of Krystal Chiks I bought. I got bit by a raccoon. It was not the fun time I had been promised in my e-mail invitation.




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I had the lunch provided by St. Joe. The Governor was in DC fighting the water wars. You must not have gone.

now it's in the middle of nowhere like Scottsdale AZ was the middle of nowhere.

Who is the kid on the front of the plane?

I had the lunch provided by St. Joe. The Governor was in DC fighting the water wars. You must not have gone.

I thought the Gov was on a swing through Florida pimping his property tax amendment.

What was on the lunch menu? (Did they have balloons and a Mariachi Band?)

blush: I fibbed about going to the groundbreaking....I had a pressing previous engagement, hosing out my gutters. That's when I got bit by the raccoon.)


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I'd just like to point out to all the nay-sayers out there:

Only one protester!

I thought the Gov was on a swing through Florida pimping his property tax amendment.

What was on the lunch menu? (Did they have balloons and a Mariachi Band?)

blush: I fibbed about going to the groundbreaking....I had a pressing previous engagement, hosing out my gutters. That's when I got bit by the raccoon.)


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You should have been there to know. No fibbing allowed. ;-)

You should have been there to know. No fibbing allowed. ;-)

Ditto.

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Step right up! Let the sideshow begin!

Regional name for airport sought

What?s in a name? Just when it appeared the Panama City-Bay County International Airport was on course for construction at its new location north of County 388, another challenge unexpectedly appeared last week: What to call it.

Following Thursday morning?s groundbreaking ceremony, prominent Bay County businessman Charles Hilton said he and a number of other area business leaders want the Airport Authority to rename the new $330 million airport to reflect its projected regional impact.

?Panama City and Bay County (officials) need to understand that the only thing that will help us succeed is for everyone in the region to help pull the wagon,? Hilton said. He added that he has been a strong supporter of the new airport but would like to see a name that symbolizes the entire Panhandle service area.

Other officials involved in the decade-long campaign to move the airport from Panama City to its new 4,000-acre site north of West Bay have cited the economic benefit it will have, not only on Bay County, but on other localities such as Holmes, Washington, Jackson and Walton counties. Gulf Power District Manager Ted Spangenberg said Thursday the new, larger airport will create new jobs and growth throughout the five-county area, not just in Bay County.

Hilton did not suggest a new name for the airport but encouraged the Airport Authority and other officials to consider the notion.

Asked about the issue, Airport Director Randy Curtis said he was aware of Hilton?s interest in a name change but said nothing formal had been put on the authority?s agenda............http://www.newsherald.com/headlines/article.display.php?a=4248

(Check out the readers' comments at the end of the article)



I suggest....DOODLE INTERNATIONAL





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I love the comment section w/ suggested names! :funn:

"caving to st joe paper company fiasco airport"

"Swampland Pork"

"Pipe dream"

Emerald Coast International Airport (ECI). Let's face it, folks come here for our beaches. Last thing we need is name that reminds folks they just landed at Red Neck International (RNI).

Dogfly International! Or, White Elephant air patch. 330 million dollars, yeah right as with all government fiascos we tax payers are looking at over 400 million when its all done.

well of course by starting now in touting the magnificent benefits to all the surrounding counties, you lay the ground work for the new regional muticounty transportation "charge" to supplement the heretofore unforseen hidden cost of developing in a swamp and be prepared to add to that "charge" a series of special assessments and synergystic partnership fees for the empowerment of the leading edge, strategic, result driven economy...my choice for the new name is AERO PUERTO de la PECKERWOODS

Just like the $12.50 in various "taxes and recovery fees" on my $30 phone bill :angry:.

Paradise Plane Station

How bout:

If you complained about it and didn't want it, don't ever step foot in or utilize it international airport.

How bout:

If you complained about it and didn't want it, don't ever step foot in or utilize it international airport.

It has potential but may be a bit too brief. Can you flesh it out some?

Who is the kid on the front of the plane?

he looks like a neighbor of mine

I love the comment section w/ suggested names! :funn:

"caving to st joe paper company fiasco airport"

"Swampland Pork"

"Pipe dream"

Emerald Coast International Airport (ECI). Let's face it, folks come here for our beaches. Last thing we need is name that reminds folks they just landed at Red Neck International (RNI).

Dogfly International! Or, White Elephant air patch. 330 million dollars, yeah right as with all government fiascos we tax payers are looking at over 400 million when its all done.

that's less than 2 days military spending in Iraq doing God's work.

that's less than 2 days military spending in Iraq doing God's work.

Your right stop the airport, spread democracy!

It has potential but may be a bit too brief. Can you flesh it out some?

They'd have to start on the next wing if I flesh it out anymore.

From WZEP news:

"Vernon To Get a Four Lane Highway

The FDOT wants to four lane State Road 79 from U.S. 98 to I-10. The project is divided into sections in the three counties it will cross. For most of the rout the plans call for a four lane rural highway. For some sections, particularity through the town of Vernon, the project calls for four lanes with sidewalks, curbs and guttering. Usually a new road through town is something communities seek, for some in Vernon the roadway will mean drastic changes and the loss of several businesses.

Holmes Creek at Vernon is listed with both design and rights-of-way in process. For much of the rest of the project the design is underway, but rights-of-way and construction are not yet funded. The plans call for the small two lane narrow bridge over Holmes Creek to be replaced with twin two-lane bridges. The project will also make the road where Steel Field Road connects a four lane road and will add another bridge at West Bay. In its project description, the FDOT notes there will be significant utilities in Vernon.

While its neighbor to the west, Walton County, is still begging every government official who will listen to give them a single north south four lane road, the state is planning on creating another north south four lane highway to evacuate Bay County. The estimated cost is $620 million.

In doing so the state is planning to remove most of the buildings on the west side of the highway. Half of main street Vernon will be gone. For some, the widened highway will mean their homes, which are a block or two west of the current highway, will be more valuable as they become property with highway frontage. For many others it will mean a loss of the small restaurants, service stations, church, grocery store and other businesses, which make up most of Vernon.

The St. Petersburg Times notes Vernon?s past and how, in a reflection of past events Vernon, is being dismembered.http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/02/Life/Dismembered_again.shtml. The small town has roots as Washington County?s Seat and as a steamboat port.

Some residents do not like the idea of their town being half torn apart and are asking why a by-pass is not being planned. Mayor Ward is quoted at saying it is avoidable, the state could have routed the new highway through the woods to the west, thus leaving Vernon unscathed. He says business owners probably wouldn't lose money if the highway shifted because most of their money comes from local residents, not tourists.

Tommie Speights with the FDOT explains the decision to run the highway through Vernon is based on the city fathers, the county and the general public coming to a consensus that if they bypassed it, it would really kill the city. The Times says every Vernon resident they interviewed about the issue said exactly the opposite, the widening, not the bypassing, would result in the city's death.

Will Vernon be lost as a town or will it become an active stop on an important rout to the beaches and a new airport?"

that's less than 2 days military spending in Iraq doing God's work.

I know, don't get me started................:angry:

79 is becoming a massive corridor and will likely become the busiest north-south road between I-110 in Pensacola and I-75 at Lake City. The old Vernon will go bye bye, replaced by massive golf communities and strip malls.

Thanks for posting the SPT article that is fascinating reading.

79 is becoming a massive corridor and will likely become the busiest north-south road between I-110 in Pensacola and I-75 at Lake City. The old Vernon will go bye bye, replaced by massive golf communities and strip malls.

What, no more boondocks?

Thanks for posting the SPT article that is fascinating reading.

Thanks for reading it when I posted it before Kurt. :roll:

Thanks NotDeadYet for the entire article. That was interesting! I've seen so much happening my last two drives on 79. We have started taking hwy 20 to Tallahassee, which soon might be the only way to avoid all this congestion.

I love the comment section w/ suggested names! :funn:

"caving to st joe paper company fiasco airport"

"Swampland Pork"

"Pipe dream"

Emerald Coast International Airport (ECI). Let's face it, folks come here for our beaches. Last thing we need is name that reminds folks they just landed at Red Neck International (RNI).

Dogfly International! Or, White Elephant air patch. 330 million dollars, yeah right as with all government fiascos we tax payers are looking at over 400 million when its all done.

What about "Take-off, eh" in defrence to all the Canucks we hope to lure down here?

Take-off A International

Bob and Doug fans anyone?

Hey, what about "Mikey's International"......
I have a hunch that Disney is planning a huge, new development
in West Bay....(the perfect new location).....
Consider:
a new International Airport...
Huge, unspoiled wilderness...(cheap)....
Intercoastal access...
Beautiful beaches....
Hotel rooms galore.....
New upscale residential projects....
and a good neighbor named Jo.....

Hey, what about "Mikey's International"......
I have a hunch that Disney is planning a huge, new development
in West Bay....(the perfect new location).....
Consider:
a new International Airport...
Huge, unspoiled wilderness...(cheap)....
Intercoastal access...
Beautiful beaches....
Hotel rooms galore.....
New upscale residential projects....
and a good neighbor named Jo.....

There has long been a rumor of a Disney Cruise out of Port Panama City.

Disney has two new massive cruise ships under construction which should be online by 2012. There have been a number of news articles on them shopping around for other ports but no mention of Panama City that I have seen.

http://www.mickeynews.com/News/DisplayPressRelease.asp_Q_id_E_7257Port