Group raising funds to enhance gateway to Navarre beach
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

Submitted artwork The Beach Beautification Committee plans to use landscaping to enhance the causeway and entrance to Navarre Beach. Right now, the group is trying to raise funds to supplement the amount the county is pitching in.

The approach to Navarre Beach, over a causeway, is "pitiful," according to John Conner.

He's heading up a group of individuals who collectively are the "Beach Beautification Committee" who want to clean up Navarre Beach, restore its natural beauty and especially improve the first impression visitors get ... the causeway over Santa Rosa Sound.

The volunteers began the cleanup process by spending several workdays raking, removing debris and trimming palm trees along the causeway.

"The causeway is pretty well clean," Conner said. "After the storm there was an enormous amount of debris there."

Now, Conner and the group of more than 40 volunteers say they'll landscape beginning at the entrance to the bridge, continuing all the way to the stop sign on Gulf Blvd.

"Our project is very ambitious," Conner said. The group plans to beautify over 7,000 feet from Highway 98 to Gulf Blvd. and back again to do both sides of the causeway.

The Santa Rosa County Commission agreed to fund a substantial portion of a coordinating project to upgrade the causeway, including repairing the bulkhead, paving the bike path and installing roadside curbing and landscaping to upgrade the entrance to Santa Rosa County's tourism machine.

However, the group needs to raise approximately $325,000 to complete the work.

"Our biggest need right now is funds," Conner said. The group raised over $40,000 through contributions ranging from the "Adopt a Palm" level ($250) to the Platinum Level, which includes an Island Plaque, for $5,000.

Committee members include Conner and Terri Savoie on the fundraising committee and Judy Lewis, Nanci Agee and Ira Mae Bruce on the budget and finance committee. Other members of the committee include Gary Agee, Dave Boggis, Linda Coley, Sandy Conner, Amin Delawalla, Cathy Johnson, John Lewis, John Richardson, Sue Schwartz, Jim Taylor, Terry Taylor, Angela Veal and Lynn Zehr.

For more information, call Conner at 939-4801.

Anyone who'd like to contribute to the project can do so by sending a check in to BBC at P.O. Box 5003, Navarre, FL32566.