Remembering All who have Served

Happy Memorial Day 2010!

Thank you to all the men and women and their families who have served and sacrificed for this great nation!!!   

Mexico Beach had a great crowd this weekend!!!  

As for the oil spill..........I guess the Top Kill plan didn't work, so on to the next plan. 

Mexico Beach, however, has no oil, no oil sheen, no tar balls..........Our sand is sugar white and our water is gorgeous. 

Below is the last updated report concerning Florida.

According to the NOAA oil plume model, the oil spill is 70 miles southwest of Pensacola, 125 miles from Mexico Beach, and 290 miles from St. Petersburg.



• No direct oil impacts are expected across any part of the state within the next 3 days. Light southerly winds and calm seas are expected across the northern-central gulf today, but a 40-50% chance of rain and thunderstorms may hamper surface recovery operations


Governor Christ has made an executive order declaring a couple of weekends Free Fishing!
Free Saltwater Fishing Days for May 29,30 and 31, 2010 (Memorial Day weekend), and for the weekend ofJune 5, and 6, 2010, during which any person may take saltwater fish for noncommercial purposes without obtaining or possessing a license or permit or paying a license or permit fee .

The fishing is GREAT too!!!   Kings and spanish are running.  June 1 opens snapper season and they are a plenty!!!!!    

If you want to book a trip call Chip!   http://www.charterboat-missmary.com/

Top Kill Seems to be working!

Looks as if the "Top Kill" idea is working in stopping the oil flow!!!     This is awesome news!

I'll keep you updated!  

Our beaches in Mexico Beach are absolutely beautiful today!!!    We've got lots of things to do this weekend so come relax at the beach!!!

Mary

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-top-kill-works-20100528,0,4282960.story

Memorial Day Happenings at the Beach

Memorial Day Weekend Happenings in Mexico Beach:

So much is going on…we don’t know where to start!

·         “Sidewalk Sale” at The Grove from Thursday to Sunday.  Hours 9am-6pm CST (Thurs, Fri, Sat) & 9am-3pm CST (Sun).

·         DJ Flooressence, from Atlanta, will be hosting a free show Saturday from 7-10pm CST at Sunset Park.  Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and coolers and be ready to dance the night away!

·         Karaoke is back at the El Governor Friday, Saturday and Sunday night starting at 7pm CST.  Come belt out your favorite songs! 

·         Breakfast on the Beach all Weekend!  Enjoy breakfast at Toucan’s Friday thru Monday beginning at 8am CST.  Starting today, Weds, thru Sunday there will be Karaoke and DJ spinning out your favorite tunes.  Saturday and Sunday afternoon, enjoy listening to the DJ as you soak up the sun!  

·         10% off Fish Tacos at Killer Seafood this Memorial Weekend only-with the discount going towards the Firework Show in Mexico Beach.  Killer Seafood was just awarded “Best Seafood Dives” in Coastal Living for their Fish Tacos!  Go eat for yourself and you’ll agree!

·         Lookout Lounge - Live Music on the Poop Deck at 8pm EST: Thurs-Randy Stark; Fri& Sat- Randy Stark w/ Art Long on Sax; Sun- Bo Spring.  Karaoke & Dancing will be going on in the Crow’s Nest starting at 9pm EST on Fri & Sat.

·         The First United Methodist Church of Mexico Beach is sponsoring a Beach BBQ Blast at Sunset Park beginning at 11am CST on Saturday the 29^th.  Purchase a BBQ plate and enjoy homemade desserts. Live Music begins at 12:30pm CST!

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Posted via email from Mary Blackburn in Mexico Beach, FL

Oil Spill update May 24

 Mexico Beach, St. Joe Beach, Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas

We continue to be on the lookout for but HAVE NOT SEEN ANY EFFECTS OF THE OIL SPILL.   Our beaches are beautiful and clean and being enjoyed everyday by lots of locals as well as vacationers!   The Fishing is great, the water warm.........

We pray for Louisiana as it is reaching land there.  However, I took the following bullet points directly from the Deepwater Horizon releases. 

I will continue to keep you updated!

I've also included the most recent trajectory map which shows, sadly, the oil is now on shore in Louisiana.

• Winds/currents continue to keep the plume away from the Florida coast for at least the next 72 hours. 

• At this time, there are no plans to use dispersants in Florida. If dispersants are ever considered in state waters, the determination to use the chemical would be evaluated by DEP with input from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Wildlife Research Institute and EPA.

• The fisheries, wildlife and seafood off of Florida’s coast in state waters are safe and there are no alerts at this time. Press Release  Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. Learn more at www.MyFWC.com/Fishing.

• Currently, there are no impacts to Florida’s more than 1,260 miles of coastline and 825 miles of sandy beaches.  

• Through www.VISITFLORIDA.com, vacationers are able to view live Twitter feeds and read up-to-the-minute information on the status of any city or region in Florida. Learn more at http://www.visitflorida.com/florida_travel_advisory/.

• The Florida State Parks website, http://www.floridastateparks.org, will be updated daily and will list any parks that may be impacted. Visitors with camping or cabin reservations will be notified if their stay will be impacted. Learn more by calling 1-850-245-2157.

Please don't hesitate to call me if you should have any other concerns.   Please do not cancel vacation plans----we will be the first to tell you to cancel if the oil comes this way!!!

Thanks,
Mary
850-896-5222
www.maryblackburn.com
Sundance Realty

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Posted via email from Mary Blackburn in Mexico Beach, FL

Oil Spill update---containment boom on St. Joe Beach

Just to let everybody know...........BP is assembling 3,000 ft of containment boom along St Joe Beach. They are laying it alongside the beach in preparation to stretch it out from St. Joe Beach to the Cape to protect the bay. This is just in case the oil heads our way--------RIGHT NOW IT IS NOT PREDICTED TO COME THIS FAR AT ALL.

I attended the Bay County Commission meeting Monday and the Director of the EOC (Emergency Management center) said that it coming to Panama City Beaches is a REMOTE possibility. BP is really spending a lot of money to stay ahead of the game and be prepared for any worst case scenario. What they don't understand is that this preparation is also causing undue fear that our beaches are in imminent danger. And, of course, this is far from true.

The oil is still nowhere near Panama City Beach, Mexico Beach, Cape San Blas, Port St. Joe. Our beaches are beautiful. You just about have to put on sunglasses its so sparkly white!!!!!!!

Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions!!
Mary
850-896-5222
www.maryblackburn.com

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Posted via email from Mary Blackburn in Mexico Beach, FL

Tar balls are NOT from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

There have been 3 suspected tar balls found on Panama City Beach over the last few days--its been determined they were actually pieces of asphalt! 

So, as I've said over and over..........NO TAR BALLS, NO OIL SHEEN, NO OIL IN MEXICO BEACH!!!


The big news splash of the last day or so has been the tar balls found in Key West.  Below is the response from DEP. 

Florida Keys tar balls not linked to Deepwater Horizon oil spill



KEY WEST, Fla. - The Coast Guard Marine Safety Laboratory in New London,


Conn. analyzed a sampling of tar balls discovered on Florida Keys shoreline


Tuesday and determined that none of the collected samples are from the


Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A sampling of tar balls discovered on beaches at Fort Zachary Taylor State


Park, Fla., Smathers Beach in Key West, Big Pine Key, Fla., and Loggerhead


Key in the Dry Tortugas National Park, Fla. were flown by a Coast Guard


HU-25 Falcon jet based in Miami, Fla., to New London, Conn. Tuesday for


testing and analysis.


The results of those tests conclusively show that the tar balls collected


from Florida Keys beaches do not match the type of oil from the Deepwater


Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The source of the tar balls remains


unknown at this time.

Let me repeat............NO TAR BALLS, NO OIL SHEEN, NO OIL, NOTHING, NADA, ZIL, ZIP, ZILCH!

Our waters in Panama City to Mexico Beach are beautiful as ever, our sand is blinding its so white!!!

Oil Spill Update

Check out the newest trajectory map.  Please notice the effects of the oil spill are no where near Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe or Cape San Blas.    Do not let this change any vacation or fishing plans you have made for our area.  Our beaches are beautiful!   

Florida Beaches are NOT affected by the Oil Spill

Mexico Beach is just as beautiful today as it was before the oil spill.  The oil spill is over 150 miles from our beach.  We are not seeing any kinds of effects--no oil sheen, no tar balls, no oily critters.....just gorgeous fine white sand and blue green waters.

Unfortunately the media has lumped the entire Gulf of Mexico coastline into one big oily black mess.  Simply not true!!!!

I've been posting on facebook every few days the updates on the oil spill.  Please check out my facebook button to keep up to date on what's going on!!!

Check out the you tube link below.



Please don't hesitate to call  me any time with any questions or concerns about anything having to do with Mexico Beach and the surrounding area!
Mary
850-896-5222

May 11 Oil Spill Update for Mexico Beach

As of right now, there IS NO OIL on or near the beaches of Panama City Beach.  In addition, as of right now, we are not within the “area of uncertainty” with no expectation of oil hitting our shores – today.

Tthe Area of Uncertainty is the area in the Gulf of Mexico in which the oil spill could enter within 72 hours – otherwise known as the projected trajectory.

At a press briefing this morning at the Bay County EOC (emergency operations center) it was confirmed that no oil, sheen or tar balls have reached our shores.   As of right now, we have no documented cases of oil odors in our area that are stemmed from the Deep Horizon oil spill.

There have been some shoreline impacts to areas to the west in Louisiana.  Over the weekend there were reports of oil impact as far east as Dauphin Island, however, talking to several folks that have friends who live at the Island--they have said they haven't seen any tar balls or even oil sheen.

As far as Panama City Beach is concerned, we still have no oil here, and our waters are looking absolutely gorgeous!

Florida beaches are open.
• The 72-hour NOAA trajectory shows no oil landfall in Florida.
• According to the NOAA oil plume model, the oil spill is 100 miles southwest of Pensacola, 179 miles from Port St. Joe, and 340 miles from St. Petersburg.

Even though we are not in the trajectory path, we are making preparations just in case.  Panama City has stage 5,600 feet of oil containment boom with another 10,000 ordered.

________________________________________________________________________________

Please do not cancel vacations for no reason.  Believe me, we don't want you coming here if we have oil threatening our shoreline---We'll be busy trying to save our beaches.  So please check with your particular city in Florida if you have made reservations. 

Mexico Beach had a gorgeous Mother's Day weekend---the weather was beautiful, the beaches were beautiful and there were loads of families having a great time!

Please don't hesitate to call me anytime if you have questions or concerns about the oil spill.  I'll do my best to answer them!

Mary
850-896-5222
www.maryblackburn.com
sundance realty

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Posted via email from Mary Blackburn in Mexico Beach, FL

Update On BP oil spill

Below is the information disseminated TODAY!   I just cut and pasted a few of what I consider the most important statements in relationship to Mexico Beach.   I highlighted some statements in red just to give emphasis.

Please check out the website as it gives great information daily: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm

FLORIDA DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE MAY 7, 2010
TALLAHASSEE – The State Emergency Response Team, in support of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as the lead response agency for the state of Florida, is actively participating in the Deepwater Horizon response.
The following is a summary of state and BP response actions to date, as well as tips for residents and visitors to take precautions both pre and post-landfall.
Landfall Predictions:
• Deepwater Horizon continues to discharge an estimated 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) per day.
• BP has completed construction of a dome, expected to be in place as early as this weekend, which will be used in an attempt to contain the oil discharge. BP has also begun drilling a relief well to eliminate the discharge. The dome is roughly 125 offshore, southwest of Pensacola.
• Currently, there are no impacts to the state projected in the next 72 hours. The loop current is far south of the oil and there is no imminent threat that the oil will be picked up by the loop current. However, Florida continues to make preparations to safeguard the state’s shoreline.
• The state of Florida reminds its residents and visitors that the state’s coastline has not been impacted at this time and remains open for public enjoyment.
• Should any impacts to Florida’s coastline occur, these could potentially include tarballs – fragments or lumps of oil weathered into a solid consistency – oil sheen or tar mats –sheets of oil that are thicker than a sheen. Should individuals observe any evidence of oil on Florida’s coastline, they should leave the area and report the incident to 1-866-448-5816.

Boom Placement:
• Approximately 160,400 feet of boom has been placed out of the Pensacola and Panama City staging areas.
• An additional 16,700 feet is expected to be placed today.
• Currently 11,300 feet of boom is staged in Pensacola with an additional 20,000 booms on order. In Panama City, there is 6,000 feet staged and an additional 53,000 feet of boom on order.

o If the oil washes on the beach, the sand can be cleaned.

Health Effects:
• At this time, there are no indications of any health risks to Floridians due to the Deepwater Horizon incident. The Department of Health (DOH) and DEP are closely monitoring health and environmental impacts to Florida’s beaches and will notice an advisory if conditions become unsafe.

Closures:
• Currently there are no Florida State Park or beach closures. For more information about Florida State Parks, visit: www.floridastateparks.org.
Tourism:
• Florida’s pristine beaches and famed fishing grounds remain open to residents and visitors. Currently, there are no impacts to Florida’s 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline and 663 miles of beaches. Florida’s shores are clear and open for business.
•
• Florida State Parks are seeing no impacts at this time from the Deepwater Horizon incident and remain great destinations for families to enjoy.
• The Florida State Park website will be updated daily and will list any parks that may be impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Incident: http://www.floridastateparks.org/.

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Posted via email from Mary Blackburn in Mexico Beach, FL

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

The Oil spill is on everyone's mind right now.  So far we here at Mexico Beach have not seen any signs of it.   We are praying they contain it before we do!

Below is a map that shows where the oil spill is having an effect.

I'll continue to keep you posted as I get information.

Keep this matter in your prayers!

Thank you!

Mary

850-896-5222

http://www.maryblackburn.com/