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2011: Chronicling the ups and downs (LINKS, PHOTOS and VIDEO)
•CLICK HERE to see Log Photographer Kathy Harrison's photos of the year.
•2011 through the eyes of Log editorial cartoonist Dill Beaty (EDITORIAL CARTOONS)
As we look back on the year that was, 2011 in Destin saw its fair share of ups and downs as well as quite a bit of moving and shaking. With 2012 on the horizon, The Log looks back at some of the year’s most noteworthy events and headlines.
JANUARY
• Radomir “Rad” Krulis dies after 40-foot fall from catwalk at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar on New Year’s Eve.
• Snowbirds again flock to Destin, with more than 1,100 registered by Jan. 4.
• City of Destin faces decision about what to do with $1.4 million YMCA loan as cash-strapped facility debates scaling back service.
• Mayor Sam Seevers and mayors of Fort Walton Beach and Panama City Beach make TV spots to fight the negative reports about beaches covered in oil.
• Volunteers spend hundreds of hours preparing the derelict tugboat Monica Lee to become the area’s newest artificial reef. She is sunk 15 miles south of East Pass.
• Destin’s first strip club progressing ‘slowly but surely,’ owners say. But almost a year later, an adult club has still not appeared in Destin city limits.
• Vision Airlines announces its plans to use Northwest Florida Regional Airport as its base for 20 commercial flights. Gov. Rick Scott visits Destin as part of the fanfare.
• Gulf Coast Claims Facility czar Ken Feinberg speaks to area residents and business owners, telling them that the claims system is “far from perfect” but they are working to make it better.
• Destin pastor Paul Kummer announces his resignation after 21 years at Grace Lutheran Church to work in the mission field.
• The city council votes to lower cost of trash collection by tying pickup fees to property tax bills.
• With the possibility of an indoor shooting range in Destin’s future, the Local Planning Agency votes unanimously to add to the city’s code that outdoor shooting ranges would be prohibited in Destin. But in March, the city is told its hands are tied as the state is in charge of such matters.
• Nine months after the oil spill, Scott Robson, president of the Destin Charter Boat Association, says beaches and waters are beautiful and fishing is good.
FEBRUARY
• The curtain rises on the new IMAX Theater at Rave Motion Pictures in Destin Commons.
• City leaders travel to Tallahassee to meet with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to discuss alternative plans for stabilizing and restoring Norriego Point.
• Amber Queen, 17, becomes the first ever Miss Destin Teen USA.
• Four months after a fire at Barefoots Bar & Grill, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is undergoing a $6.5 million renovation project to rebuild the restaurant and make other improvements.
• Larry Hines has decided that he will eventually step down from the city council, and once again throw his hat in the race for the District Five seat of the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners.
• City Council agrees to enter into a new franchise agreement with Waste Management that would lock them into service with the company for the next five years.
• With the city's softball season set to kick off, crews replace the overhead lights and work on the scoreboards at Morgan's Sports Center after numerous complaints are made about the ballfield conditions.
• Without the funding from a third $25 million grant from BP, Mark Bellinger says the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council must scrap plans to bring in political comedians Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert.
• One year after the fishermen’s United We Fish march in Washington, D.C., fishermen say nothing has changed.
• City leaders once again tackle problems associated with door-to-door solicitors in Destin and vote unanimously to tighten up a home solicitation ordinance.
• Mayor Sam Seevers tells the crowd at her first State of the City Address that despite 2010 being marred by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the city of Destin was able to accomplish many things, including road improvements and being labeled “financially sound” by auditors.
MARCH
• Developer Peter Bos says a mistake made years ago is the reason that control of Regatta Bay is now being transferred from developers to homeowners.
• Months after Holiday Isle restoration, debate over sand quality continues with claims there is an excessive amount of shells in the sand.
• Callie Peterman is named Miss Marlin in the third annual Miss Marlin Pageant hosted by Destin Middle School.
• Community Redevelopment Agency board members move forward with a plan to have construction of the unified harbor boardwalk begin by September from Lucky Snapper to Electric Cowboy. Getting landowners on board would ultimately delay the project until early 2012.
• Destin Professional Firefighters Union, Local 3158, files grievance to get firefighters back on beach as lifeguards.
• A spring breaker from Augusta, Ga., is found dead after party night before. An autopsy released four months later reveals that Philip Christian had oxycodone, cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of his death, according to the report.
• Two spring break students are arrested after they are caught trying to steal alligators from Fudpucker’s Restaurant.
• According to the 2010 National Citizens Survey, Destin respondents rate area as an “excellent or good” place to live while complaining about traffic problems.
• As city ponders red light cameras, DOT says camera like the one at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Danny Wuerffel Way are used to monitor traffic, not as law enforcement tools or red light cameras.
• After 43 days on the road autographing copies of his newest book, Walton County resident and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee makes his last stop in Destin.
• Destin dog park proponents raise $1,100 at first meeting. The land was donated by the city and is estimated at about $1.2 million.
•After about 8,000 images at the Destin History and Fishing Museum were inspected, 120 images are said to be the inventory of Tony Mennillo’s father’s photo collection. Mennillo, who has been locked in a fight with the city for more than a year, isn’t satisfied by the effort. Months later, he tells the City to settle the photo fight or it will be settled in court.
• With the weight of the average person increasing, the Coast Guard is setting new occupancy limits for all types of vessels.
APRIL
• After a Mississippi analyst says Florida is “a sleeping giant” when it comes to gaming, Mayor Sam Seevers says bringing casinos to Destin might be “worth discussing.”
• According to the latest census, Destin grew by 10 percent since 2000 but is still behind the state average — an astonishing growth rate of 17.5 percent.
• It’s announced that this year’s free Seafood Festival in September will have an open feel, stretching from HarborWalk Village to the Boat House, without any gates. And it will be free!
• A year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with only scattered impacts locally by the time the well was capped, the fish are piling up on the docks and hotels are being booked for the summer season.
• Building a high school in Destin is discussed yet again during the 2011 Visioning Session. City leaders also look for ways to improve transportation in Destin and promote a more walkable lifestyle.
• Building and expansion are under way in Destin for a future Rooms To Go; Lowe’s; Big Lots; Little Caesar’s; Miller’s Ale House in the old O’Charley’s; and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in the old Landry’s. All were open by the time the year ended.
• Gas prices not expected to affect tourism unless prices soar above $5 per gallon, according to Shane Moody, president and CEO of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Gov. Rick Scott visits Destin to send the message that the beaches are clear and fishing is good.
• Reddin “Capt. Salty” Brunson, Destin’s walking history book and a touchstone to the city’s heritage, passes away at the age of 97.
MAY
• Peyton LoCicero is crowned Miss Destin 2011 and also named Miss Photogenic. Callie Kaltz is first runnerup, and Martina Berrios wins the Miss Congeniality award during the pageant at the Community Center.
• Destin City Manager Greg Kisela resigns to become the new county administrator for Walton County.
• Gov. Rick Scott visits Destin and fishes with Capt. Don Dineen of the Sure Lure.
• Councilman Larry Hines would like to see a farmer’s market take root next to the proposed dog park in Destin.
• Destin’s Boathouse Oyster Bar celebrates 25 years with a VIP party.
• First and only drowning of the year occurs when visitors are snorkeling at East Pass. William John Potrykus of Wisconsin was apparently pulled out by a strong current.
• Carp Capital (Waddington, N.Y.) and Trout Town (Roscoe, N.Y) duke it out, while sleepy fishing village of Destin gets caught napping during the Ultimate Fishing Town contest put on by the World Fishing Network. While Destin was the top vote getter in Florida, it couldn’t compete with the New Yorkers.
• Road noise and loud cars get under the skin of former City Councilman Cyron Marler, who says the city should do something to keep things quiet during funerals at the Destin cemetery.
• What originally started out as a few in-house repairs at City Hall quickly turns into a much more expensive, time-consuming project when it is discovered that leaking windows at City Hall had caused extensive damage to the stucco building — and termites had made their way into the walls.
• Boating magazine names Destin among the Top 10 Best Places to Live and Boat, with notable landmarks including Crab Island, Choctawhatchee Bay, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and plentiful vacation rentals.
• With an eight-hour visioning session and a two-plus-hour workshop already on the books, city leaders still trying to figure out the age old question — should Destin be a sleepy fishing village or a tourist Mecca.
JUNE
• The city of Destin receives the 2011 Community of Excellence Award from the Northwest Florida League of Cities, which recognizes Destin’s efforts to work with the community during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill crisis by establishing the Destin Oil Spill Information Center for residents and businesses.
• A record 141 vessels line up to receive a blessing during the 54th Annual Blessing of the Fleet.
• Councilman Jim Bagby agrees to meet with Feline Friends of Destin President Anne Herriot. He had made calls for transparency during an April city council meeting in an effort to get the all-volunteer group, which strives to help control the city’s feral cat population, to provide a list of feeding stations.
• The Primrose, built in 1924 by a Greek shipbuilder, now sits on Stahlman Avenue, across from the Destin History and Fishing Museum, and is in need of repairs after rot and termite damage.
• While the tone was lighthearted, pointed comments flew during City Council meeting when Sheriff Larry Ashley presented his proposed FY2012 budget, including a 28 percent rate increase.
• After the name “Oasis” became synonymous with nude dancing in Destin, The Original Oasis is clothed and open again with a tweaked name and new management. By the end of the year it was closed again for renovations.
• Business owners along Main Street say they are dying a slow death due to the city’s ordinances and zoning restrictions, and city leaders need to make changes to let different types of businesses in. Within months, the city acted and an antique “emporium” and other stores opened on Main Street.
• Duckweed causes problems for homeowners and residents at Coleman/Kell-Aire Lake.
• City leaders vote 5-2 to move forward with the motion that officially binds residents’ trash collection bills to their Okaloosa County property taxes. Residents vow to start a petition drive to block the move.
• City Councilman Jim Bagby is one of four men who have filed an application to succeed Chris Hughes as Okaloosa County’s next tax collector. The governor instead picks real estate broker Ben Anderson.
JULY
• Destin will not have the option to contract law enforcement services with the Fort Walton Beach Police Department or the Walton County Sheriff’s Office because of jurisdictional issues. It was seeking alternatives after the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced a 28 percent rate increase.
• The financially struggling Destin YMCA says it will close its doors July 31, less than three years after they celebrated the grand opening of the Commons Drive aquatic facility. Behind-the-scenes discussions keep Y open for swimming teams.
• Public Services Director Steve Schmidt says the city needs to address the congestion issues at the tip of Norriego Point, as boats, paddle boarders, jet skis and swimmers make the area hazardous. Destin, meanwhile, continues to look for viable solutions to protect and stabilize Norriego Point from continual erosion.
• City Hall sees almost 10 inches of rain over weekend of July 15-17.
• Thousands of utility marking flags adorn the rights-of-way in Destin as survey and flagging crews have been locating underground utilities from Airport Road to the Walton County line as part of a proposed six-lane widening project.
AUGUST
• Destin Middle School has a new assistant principal, Jason McClelland.
• The sleepy little fishing village and the surrounding area, including Fort Walton Beach and Crestview, are ranked No. 20 on Forbes’ list of America’s Geekiest Cities.
• Good Morning America names Destin among its “10 Most Beautiful Places in America.” The online contest winner ends up being Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan.
• World’s Largest Fishing Lure, a 10-foot, 10-inch, 355.2-pound Flatliner lure, is unveiled at The SS Spitfire Mercantile at Baytowne Marina in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.
• Destin Fire Control District continues to push forward with its preliminary 2011-2012 budget discussions, and cuts continue to be made to offset a roughly $424,000 deficit.
• A Destin deckhand is charged with arson, burglary, and possessing and throwing a destructive device after he admits to torching The Southern Belle, docked in the Destin Harbor behind Marbella Condominiums.
• City council suggests “Crown Jewel” of the Emerald Coast be added to Destin’s moniker of “Luckiest Fishing Village.”
• With a 6-1 vote, city leaders consider spending $200,000 to purchase eight vehicles that would be converted to run on natural gas for the public services department. A natural gas fill-station could be built at the public works building on Commons Drive.
• The ordinance passed in May to collect residents’ garbage bills on their property taxes was suspended and unenforceable as of Aug. 18 when the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections verified that there were at least 970 signatures on a petition to suspend the ordinance.
• City leaders hold off on a Norriego Point stabilization plan by a blue ribbon panel and asks for more testing/data.
SEPTEMBER
• During a recent Florida League of Cities conference, the six-term councilman Dewey Destin is honored for his 20 years of service to the city of Destin. Destin, who helped write the city’s charter, was elected to his first term in 1985, just a year after the city had voted to incorporate.
• Tropical Storm Lee chokes the navigation channel, remakes Norriego Point and takes a bite out of the beach over Labor Day weekend. More than 3,000 of 4,000 homes without power in Okaloosa County are in Destin.
• The City Council unanimously agrees to match up to $38,927.85, minus about $16,000 that was previously donated, for construction of the city’s first dog park, to be located at the intersection of Indian Bayou Trail and Commons Drive. The dog park volunteers raised $55,272.85, 184.2 percent more than the group’s initial goal of $30,000.
• City leaders vote 5-2 to repeal a measure that would have combined homeowners' trash fees with their property tax bills, and end what has become one of the most contentious debates in Destin in years.
• A summer-long string of burglaries at HarborWalk Marina has boat captains and marina employees frustrated and on the lookout for anyone suspicious — as well as thousands of dollars of equipment, a wooden snapper and some human hamster balls.
• Jim Bagby wants the city to embrace technology and become as “paperless as possible” by replacing long-held standards of copying hundreds of documents and maps with a more environmentally friendly way of information sharing: iPads, other tablet devices or laptops.
• County and city officials say that boats parking along Norriego Point pose a safety concern, so parking restrictions will be in place as the city works on stabilizing and dredging projects at the point.
OCTOBER
• In two rulings, a federal judge in Pensacola dismisses the Crystal Dunes litigation regarding beachgoers trespassing on private beach while the secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a final order approving the county’s permit to restore the critically eroded beaches in Destin.
• It was a Seafood Festival for the record books, with more than 51,000 reported in attendance at the first harborwide event.
• The OCSO says there has been a jump in Destin crimes committed by transients, including burglary and trespassing.
• Candidates scramble as state sets municipal elections for Jan. 31.
• Crews from Arrow Training and Rental Inc. clear out the navigational channel at Norriego Point, moving the sand to a staging area at the base of the point on a city-owned right-of-way. After a storm days later, complaints pour in that the dreding was ineffective.
• Mother Goose, a resident of the Kelly Duck Pond for more than 20 years, has to be euthanized from injuries to her foot and abdomen.
NOVEMBER
• Southern Star owner Capt. Steve Wilson says he hopes his new Buccaneer Pirate Ship will draw 100,000 visitors to the docks next year.
• For the past few months, The Destin Fire Control District has been in discussions with the TDC and Okaloosa County about the disparity in lifeguard funding, wanting two-thirds of the funds since two-thirds of bed tax dollars are generated in Destin.
• Snowbirds’ opening day at the Roost gets an upgrade with a computer used for the first time to register the winter visitors.
• Destinites stand in long lines for bargains on Black Friday at Bass Pro Shops, Best Buy and Silver Sands Factory Stores.
• Destin resident Kyle Saleeby was selected as the Sunshine State Scholar for Okaloosa County.
• A portion of Kelly Street is in need of a facelift, and city leaders agree to approve a reconstruction project that would cost the city a total of $683,029.
DECEMBER
• Councilmembers Sandy Trammell, Tom Weidenhamer and Jim Wood are asking Destin residents to re-elect them as they face a threesome of challengers — Tuffy Dixon, Cyron Marler and Scott “Sky” Monteith.
• As talks of gambling continue to swirl around the state and Legislature, the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce issues a resolution in opposition of a proposed bill that would expand gambling. News breaks that Sandestin homeowners are set to meet to discuss a possible resort casino if the legislature were to allow such gaming facilities.
• Capt. Kelly Windes, current city councilman Larry Hines, and Niceville residents Felix Beukenkamp and Aaron Weinstock will vie for the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners District 5 seat vacated by James Campbell, who has thrown his support behind Windes.
• With two swift and unanimous votes, city leaders get the ball rolling on the city’s latest franchise agreement with Waste Management that boasts an 11 percent reduction in rates for residential cart customers and a list of benefits that include a senior discount program, free year-round bulk pickup and white goods (appliance) drop-off, elimination of the sticker program and green rewards, which are still being developed.
• City wants to transform Marler Street parking lot into a paved parking surface, an off-street transit stop, a 10-foot wide multimodal sidewalk along Harbor Boulevard from the Marler Street Bridge to Benning Drive, and three pedestrian crossings with signals in the harbor area.
• The McDonald’s store at 711 Harbor Blvd. is slated to take up a new address when the store relocates to an outparcel in front of Target in summer of 2012.
• Fire district looks to sell ad space on rescue boards to help support lifeguards.
