When their cries for help went seemingly unanswered, some business owners appealed to a higher power – former Gov. Mike Huckabee.
"I doubt I did much, but I'd rather think that people in government are starting to realize that a project like this CAN be done lickety-split when government decides that people and their livelihoods are the highest priority — far above protecting the process of slow-walked paperwork," he told The Sun by email.
Marie's owner Hanie Nasri has become friendly with the former presidential hopeful and bemoaned to him what the road closure and detour was doing to his business and income for him and his employees.
"We used to have a lot of business coming over from Grayton for lunch. Now they tell us they will wait until the road is fixed," said Nasri. "This has been very devastating to us. We have lost a tremendous amount of business. We struggled through Labor Day. We are down 80 percent for lunch and 85 percent for dinner.”
Nasri says Huckabee stepped up to the plate. This week, dump trucks were seen at the site and repairs are underway. Nasri said the washout has been filled in and is just awaiting a coat of asphalt.
“We didn't want to give up,” Nasri said. “We will work harder, but we needed help. I thank God for his help."
The county spokesman said he was not aware of Huckabee’s role in getting the road fixed, but Huckabee acknowledged to The Sun that he did indeed offer to make contacts that would be helpful after talking with some local people on 30A about how devastating this is for their businesses.
Nasri said he believes Huckabee bypassed the county and made calls to Gov. Rick Scott and Rep. Steve Southerland to get the road repaired sooner rather than later.
"If this had happened at Seaside or WaterColor it would not have taken but a couple of days to figure something out," said Nasri. "We didn't want to waste time. We needed the road fixed in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
"I doubt I did much, but I'd rather think that people in government are starting to realize that a project like this CAN be done lickety-split when government decides that people and their livelihoods are the highest priority — far above protecting the process of slow-walked paperwork," he told The Sun by email.
Marie's owner Hanie Nasri has become friendly with the former presidential hopeful and bemoaned to him what the road closure and detour was doing to his business and income for him and his employees.
"We used to have a lot of business coming over from Grayton for lunch. Now they tell us they will wait until the road is fixed," said Nasri. "This has been very devastating to us. We have lost a tremendous amount of business. We struggled through Labor Day. We are down 80 percent for lunch and 85 percent for dinner.”
Nasri says Huckabee stepped up to the plate. This week, dump trucks were seen at the site and repairs are underway. Nasri said the washout has been filled in and is just awaiting a coat of asphalt.
“We didn't want to give up,” Nasri said. “We will work harder, but we needed help. I thank God for his help."
The county spokesman said he was not aware of Huckabee’s role in getting the road fixed, but Huckabee acknowledged to The Sun that he did indeed offer to make contacts that would be helpful after talking with some local people on 30A about how devastating this is for their businesses.
Nasri said he believes Huckabee bypassed the county and made calls to Gov. Rick Scott and Rep. Steve Southerland to get the road repaired sooner rather than later.
"If this had happened at Seaside or WaterColor it would not have taken but a couple of days to figure something out," said Nasri. "We didn't want to waste time. We needed the road fixed in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
