DEDICATION

Blue Star Marker in Destin

The Destin Garden Club will dedicate a Blue Star Marker on Tuesday, October 11th at 3:00 p.m. at the Destin Library, located at 150 Sibert Avenue.

Present at the dedication will be Mayor Gary Jarvis, and Representative Patt Maney, as well as dignitaries with the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, according to the City of Destin.

In 1944, the Blue Star Marker program was created by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. This was done by planting 8,000 dogwood plants as a memorial to the veterans of World War II. The National Garden Club revamped this plan in 1945 to place Blue Star Markers along the highway system in the United States, which includes Hawaii and Alaska.

The name of the Blue Star Marker program commemorates the Blue Star in the center of the red and white service flags used during World War I. Currently, there are roughly 160 Blue Star Markers in Florida and recognizes the importance of the military, veterans, and their sacrifice.

FISHING

The 2022 Okaloosa Gas Navarre Fishing Rodeo

The 2022 Okaloosa Gas Navarre Fishing Rodeo will be held on Saturday, October 1 through Sunday, October 2.

• This is the 10^th anniversary of the Navarre Fishing Rodeo.

Be part of one of the coolest fishing event around as anglers will fish from the shore, boat or kayak, or from the pier. Weigh-ins will take place at Juana’s Pagodas on Navarre Beach.

• Scales open at 1 p.m. and close promptly at 4 p.m. both days.

There are a total of three chances to win!

• First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in Open, Kayak and Junior divisions. 
• Thee is also a Lionfish division this year.

It’s been a record-breaking year leading up to the start of the Rodeo on Saturday. Event coordinators announced that over 300 anglers have signed up for the event and registration tickets are no longer available.

You can still participate in the event as a spectator and head out to Juana’s Pagodas this weekend 🙂

VETERANS

200+ Veterans March to Prevent suicide

On October 22, 2022, veterans and military service members will take to the streets of Fort Walton Beach for the annual Irreverent Warriors Silkies Hike.

Veteran and military participants will hike anywhere from 8-14 miles, some carrying heavy packs, some in wheelchairs, but all in a spirit of support and camaraderie with a singular mission – to eliminate veteran suicide. 

• Veterans normally hike wearing only their combat boots and “Silkies”, traditional military physical training shorts full of nostalgia that help promote an environment of humor and camaraderie.

Irreverent Warriors, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to bring veterans together using humor and camaraderie to improve mental health and prevent veteran suicide. 

According to Irreverent Warriors, at least 22 veterans and military service members commit suicide daily.  Although this statistic has become very well-known, it is often considered a gross underestimation of the reality, according to the non-profit. 

“Irreverent Warriors has stood up to fit an unmet demand by introducing its members and participants to a life-saving network of support through their events and community,” they wrote in a press release. “Everyone fights their battles and heals from trauma differently, but one thing is consistent; no one should have to do it alone”.

The organization is inviting ALL of our area Veterans and Military Service Members to hike in this event!  They also ask family members, friends, and the community to join them at their various stops.

• “Please cheer and/or honk if you pass our hikers on the route as they deeply appreciate your support,” they said.

The event kicks off with registration at 8:30am and start time of 9:30am at The Island Resort on Okaloosa Island.

Hikers will be stopping at multiple locations throughout the hike for food, drinks and camaraderie including G.I. Jade’s Tiki Bar, Chester Pruitt Park, and KC’s Sandbar and Grill.

Click here to learn more.

FOOD+DRINK

Parson’s Son BBQ closing in Fort Walton Beach

On Thursday, September 29, 2022, Parson’s BBQ in Fort Walton Beach announced that they would be closing their doors on Saturday, October 8th.

“All good things must come to an end, and so it is with Parson’s Son BBQ,” wrote owner Tom Harwell in a Facebook post.

Harwell says that the economic climate has been difficult on his business and Parson’s has suffered both a significant increase in operating costs as well as a major drop in customer traffic this year.

“Due to these factors (and my age!) I have made the difficult to decision to permanently close the restaurant and pursue other career options,” he said. “We have been very blessed to have an amazing client base over the years and I am grateful for each and every one of you. I have made a lot of lasting friendships and I want everyone to know that I never took your patronage for granted and always strived to provide a quality product. And sometimes we actually did!”

• Get to Parson’s one last time before the close for good. (6 Walter Martin Road, Fort Walton Beach, FL)

THINGS TO DO

‘Halloween Haunt’ returns to Destin Commons

Halloween Haunt is returning to Destin Commons on October 28, 2022, from 6 to 8 p.m. 

• Local families can kick off the Halloween weekend with fun festivities that include a costume contest, trick-or-treating, face painting, and crafts by Build-a-Bear. 

The evening will begin with a costume contest, where those who show up dressed to impress will be competing for prizes. Volunteer judges will determine the winners of three different age categories:

• 0-4 years old
• 5-8 years old
• 9-12 years old

The final category will include the furry family members as dogs compete for “best costume.” 

Winners within each category will receive a gift card to their store of choice at Destin Commons. Gift card dollar amount will be determined by the winning place. 

• First place winners will receive $50
• Second place winners will receive $25
• Third place winners will receive $10
• Best-dressed dog will receive $25

The night will continue with the trick-or-treating portion of the event.

“Parents can expect safe and friendly environment at Destin Commons as they walk their kids from one store to the next, allowing them to get an early start to stocking up on their favorite Halloween treats,” wrote Destin Commons in a press release. 

Participating stores will have a designated sign on their door and will be available to hand out candy to the festively dressed trick-or-treaters until 8 p.m.

This annual event is open and free to the community.

POLITICS

FWB Council denies Props Brewery’s new location at The Landing Park

This article has been shortened for the newsletter. There is more info in the full-article on our website. Click here.

On Tuesday night, the Fort Walton Beach City Council heard a proposal from Props Brewery about leasing the property where the old Venture Hive building once stood in order to build a new taproom and brewery.

• The City of Fort Walton Beach currently owns the property located at 139 Brooks Street SE. The property is currently vacant with a concrete slab remaining and serves as a parking area for golf carts in the Downtown area.

As part of FDOT’s Brooks Bridge Replacement project, numerous parcels, businesses and buildings were acquired by FDOT as part of the right-of-way acquisition phase of the bridge project.

Props Brewery has been affected by the upcoming Brooks Bridge project due to their location within the Paradise Pointe shopping center and proximity to the bridge. FDOT’s demolition contractor recently removed a front portion of the unit occupied by Props.

According to Nate Vannatter, owner of Props Brewery, they will be required to relocate in the next 12-14 months. Vannatter says that while they still have 14 months left on their current lease, their landlord is needing the brewery to find a new location. 

“Our landlord has tried to move us,” said Vannatter to the council. “He must put another entrance into that shopping center somewhere. Publix is going to require it. We’re going to have to leave sooner or later.”

Props has been in that location for 11 years now and Vannatter says he has no desire to leave downtown Fort Walton Beach. He says that while they have looked downtown and made other offers, nothing has panned out. Kicking around ideas, that’s how Props landed on the idea of possibly buying (or leasing) the old Venture Hive location at The Landing. 

The owners of Props Brewery approached the City and Realty House (city’s real estate broker) and negotiated a Ground Lease Proposal for the existing 6,000 square feet concrete slab area with the following lease terms:

• Lease Term = 40 Years
• Lease Rate = $1,750.00 per month plus Florida State Sales Tax (To commence six (6) months after lease execution)
• Lease Rate Increases = 12% Increase Every Five (5) Years
• Proposed Use = Construction of an approximately 6,000 SF tap room / restaurant

According to city documents, Realty House did obtain an appraisal on the property to determine the market rate for the proposed ground lease.

• The appraised value of the property is $150,000.
• The proposed lease rate values the property at approximately $350,000, as Realty House did not agree with the appraised value.

During this time. Props had an architect begin some design concepts on what the new taproom would look like at the park. The concept included a modern hangar-looking building that is two-stories. It would be all white with a skybar looking towards the water and stage area. 

Vannatter walked through the design plans and said that the brewery would be installed near Brooks Street with large, open windows so pedestrians could look in and see their operations. On the backside, the space would open up into the park.

Concerns, both from council and the public, centered around a few main topics:

• Parking
• Infrastructure
• Real Estate appraisal
• The ground lease
• Lack of other proposals
• Keeping the park commercial-free

Vannatter says the new location could hold upwards of 200 people on a good night, and because Props would not have dedicated parking for their employees and patrons, there were concerns over the brewery taking up majority of the existing parking lot next to the property. 

• It’s important to note that public parking is shared in the downtown area among all businesses. 

“In all honesty, parking is an issue downtown. It always has been and will continue to be,” added Vannatter. “For this agenda item, it isn’t going to take away any parking. There’s no current parking there. Now, if we don’t go there and you turn it into parking, it’s going to be 12 parking spaces. We need to solve the parking issue in the City of Fort Walton Beach separate to this.”

Keep Reading: While the council ended up in a tie vote with the Mayor casting the final no, there was much discussion from the public and council-members.

Click here to see more renderings of the project and the various reasons from both sides.